I'm reading this fantastic book called "The Reason for God" by Timothy Keller and have about 100 quotes I want to share...
My favorite section so far is on freedom, and is essentially an apologetic defense against the idea that Christianity limits personal growth, potential, and freedom to choose because of its constraints on a person's beliefs and daily practices. I like the section for its relevance independent of the apologetic argument though - the ideas he expresses are generally applicable without any type of religious attachment.
Essentially, we usually think of freedom as the absence of any type of confinement or constraint. He goes on to argue that confinement and constraint are actually what leads us to liberation - i.e. freedom. He gives an example of a person practicing piano for years and years, which places limitations (since the person gives up the freedom to do other things with the time spent practicing), but in doing so, unleashes an ability to be musically creative and accomplished - a freedom that very few can achieve without first placing on themselves the confinement of practicing.
"You've deliberately lost your freedom to engage in some things in order to release yourself to a richer kind of freedom to accomplish other things."He then gives discusses the way many people in our society give up their time and energy for things that don't bring freedom - in this case, still placing constraints on themselves, but not for the purposes of achieving a greater freedom. "In our society, many people have worked extremely hard to pursue careers that pay well rather than fit their talents and interests. Such careers are straitjackets that in the long run stifle and dehumanize us."
"Disciplines and constraints, then, liberate us only when they fit with the reality of our nature and capacities. A fish, because it absorbs oxygen from water rather than air, is only free if it is restricted and limited to water. If we put it out on the grass, its freedom to move and even live is not enhanced, but destroyed. The fish dies if we do not honor the reality of its nature."
"In many areas of life, freedom is not so much the absence of restrictions as finding the right ones, the liberating restrictions."
He then goes on to discuss the way relationships with others restrict us in a way that is actually freeing, just like the piano practicing...
Anyhow, really good book. I don't have the mental energy right now to do more than publish massive quotes like those above, but hopefully someone else finds it interesting too. :-)