Joining The Dots - Day 10

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, everybody. It's nice to see so many familiar faces here. I think this is the last commandment we looked at, so let's move on to the next one, the sixth one: you shall not murder. In most European languages, including English, it says you shall not kill, but actually, the Hebrew itself is you shall not murder. There is a difference between killing and murder. This commandment is here to protect life. All these commandments create a framework for a good and peaceful society. The law to protect life is important because life is precious. As it says, 'He who sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God, God created man.' When we kill someone, we're killing the image of God. Life is precious because it is in the image of God, so we should love life and always choose life rather than death.

There is a difference between murder and killing. Blood wrongly shed cries to heaven. God said to Cain after he murdered Abel, 'Your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.' God hates violence; He hates it when His children are hurt, murdered, robbed, or raped. When someone is murdered, it breaks God's heart, and that's why He doesn't want it to happen. Murder is when you kill someone with deliberate intent for a particular reason, which is always wrong. Killing, however, can sometimes be justified or even accidental. For example, if you're fighting an army to defend your country or your own life, or if you're defending your family, that may result in killing, but that is not murder; that is self-defense. It's important to make this distinction.

Jesus took this to another level as well. He said not to get angry with your brother or to get irritated. When we get irritated by someone, we may want to shut them up, but that can lead to verbal or even physical violence. We need to reflect on what it is in us that this person provokes. There may be others who are not at all irritated by that person. It's important to cleanse ourselves of that irritation and anger because it can lead to bad outcomes. The next commandment is you shall not commit adultery. This commandment is here to protect marriage, which is a sacred institution and the basis for a family. Adultery drastically destroys marriage because it involves betrayal of love, trust, and family.

When a person commits adultery, they betray their spouse and their children, which is incredibly damaging. This can lead to jealousy, which often results in violence. Sexual love is powerful and can be associated with jealousy and other emotions that lead to violence. The commandment not to commit adultery is there to protect love. Real love is when you're concerned about the well-being and happiness of another person. Selfish love is when you're only concerned about your own well-being. For example, Lucifer thought he loved Eve, but did he really? If he genuinely loved her, he would not have tried to seduce her because he would have known it was not good for her. In our world, many people pursue fake or selfish love, wanting someone to make them happy instead of thinking about how they can make someone else happy.

It's important not only to avoid committing adultery but also to invest time in marriage. Sometimes couples are so busy that they forget to set aside time for each other. Taking your spouse out for dinner or going for a walk together is crucial. We must deepen the love we have for each other and care for one another. The sacredness of sexual love is where people can encounter God in a profound way. This brings us back to the subject-object relationship, which is about love and respect, not control and submission. Reflecting on the last three commandments, we see a correlation with the three L's: love, life, and lineage. Love is about not committing adultery, life is about not murdering, and lineage is about honouring your father and mother.

The commandment you shall not steal is about respecting ownership. This is part of the blessings God gave to Adam and Eve, which apply to all humanity. To have dominion over creation also involves becoming a true owner. The concept of true ownership means having the authority to own something. For example, if you own a bicycle, you want to be able to use it freely. Children and animals are very territorial; we want to own our own space. Owning a house allows us to express ourselves and take responsibility for it. The difference between owning and renting is significant. When you own a house, you can redecorate it as you wish, but as a tenant, you need the owner's permission. True ownership allows us to develop our creativity and have dominion over creation.

The law from three and a half thousand years ago guarantees private property. People should be able to own their own land, farms, houses, and cars, and we must respect ownership. Stealing is fundamentally wrong because it violates a person's sense of self. When someone breaks into your house and steals your belongings, it feels like a personal violation. This is why love is essential; if you love someone, you would never steal from them because you understand that it violates their sense of ownership. Additionally, we should be generous, contribute to charity, and help others. The next commandment is you shall not bear false witness. Words are crucial as they shape our perception of reality. In today's world, there is a lot of fear and scare-mongering, particularly regarding issues like the coronavirus. The words that come from governments and other authorities can create certain concepts in people's minds.

To make good decisions, we need a clear understanding of reality. If leaders lack good information, they may make poor decisions that affect millions. Justice is fundamental for a good and peaceful society. When a policeman finds a dead body, they need to know what happened. They look for witnesses to provide accurate descriptions of events. If a witness tells the truth, the murderer will go to prison. If they lie, the murderer may go free, and an innocent person could be wrongfully imprisoned. In a just society, guilty people should be punished, and innocent people should be free. Without justice, we have organized criminality, where criminals and corrupt officials work together.

They want to, and when someone is a whistleblower, they are the ones who get persecuted, lose their jobs, and may even go to prison because they have the courage to tell the truth. This is why, in a free society, we must be willing to tell the truth, even at the risk of one's life. This is also why the police have witness protection programs to safeguard witnesses. It is essential to have a good society and to ensure justice.

The Tenth Commandment states, 'You shall not covet.' This commandment is sometimes referred to as the happiness commandment. Coveting means wishing you had something that belongs to someone else. Does wishing for something that belongs to another person make you happy? Not really. For instance, if you walk out of your house and see your neighbour getting into a Mercedes-Benz while you have an old car, you might feel unhappy. This commandment teaches us to be content with what we have and to celebrate the successes of others. If your neighbour wins the lottery or gets a job promotion, be happy for them. It is crucial to rejoice in the prosperity of others rather than to envy them, as Lucifer did when he coveted the love that Adam and Eve received from God.

We can categorise the Ten Commandments into two groups of five: the first five are vertical, concerning our relationship with God, and the second five are horizontal, concerning our relationships with others. However, this categorisation does not fully capture the essence of the commandments. They are meant to create a framework for a good society. The Israelites were on a journey from slavery in Egypt to Canaan, and during this period, they aimed to establish a foundation for a just society that would endure once they settled in Canaan.

The first three commandments define the Israelites as one people under God. The first commandment states, 'You shall have no other gods before me.' This means that our relationship with God transcends all other loyalties, whether to family, country, or any other entity. While we may have many loyalties, God takes precedence over all. This commandment speaks to the Divine Sovereignty that transcends all other allegiances, urging us to follow our conscience above everything else.

The Divine Principle states that the conscience is that faculty of the human mind which, by virtue of its inborn nature, always directs us towards what we perceive as good. The claim in the Divine Principle is that our conscience is innate. However, we must ask ourselves whether this statement corresponds to reality. If our understanding of reality is distorted, it can lead to poor decisions and a negative culture. This is evident in the world today, where conversations often lack nuance, and issues are viewed in black and white terms, similar to the philosophy of Pythagoras, which categorised everything as either good or evil.

The biblical tradition, however, presents a different perspective. No one in the Bible is portrayed as absolutely good; every character has flaws. This raises the question of whether humans are inherently good or if we are born as blank slates, needing guidance to learn right from wrong. Recent research has shown that even babies exhibit a sense of morality, suggesting that there is evidence supporting the idea of an inborn conscience. This aligns with the assertion in the Divine Principle that the conscience is a faculty of the human mind that guides us towards goodness, even in the face of evil.

The Divine Principle further states that the force of conscience is always active within us, compelling us towards a virtuous life. This is true for all people, regardless of age or background. The significance of conscience is paramount; it is essential to obey the voice of our conscience. In the biblical tradition, the seat of the conscience is often considered to be the heart. While the Divine Principle refers to it as a faculty of the mind, the biblical understanding suggests it is more about the heart's intuition regarding right and wrong. When we go against our conscience, we risk making a shipwreck of our faith, leading to spiritual wounds that can never be erased. Thus, it is vital to heed our conscience and strive for a clean and unblemished soul, ready to stand before God.

The distinction between the original mind and the conscience is also important. The original mind pursues absolute goodness, while the conscience may reflect a person's current understanding of right and wrong. As individuals encounter higher standards of goodness, their conscience can evolve. The original mind relentlessly seeks truth and beauty, while the conscience serves as a guide based on one's current knowledge. The Israelites were defined as one people under God, living according to their conscience, and they were encouraged to form a personal relationship with God. This relationship is dynamic and should deepen over time, reflecting a growing understanding of God as they followed the law.

Before me is the personal relationship with God through following the original mind in one's conscience. It is important to not take God's name in vain, as this establishes reverence and respect for God, as well as for other people. The names we use to call others also reflect this respect. This establishes moral limits to power, particularly in the context of not using religion for political purposes, such as threatening punishment from God if one does not comply with certain demands.

The next three commandments establish limits on the autonomous life. The idea that one can do whatever they want without limits is challenged here. While it is understood that one should not engage in murder or theft, the command to honour the Sabbath is significant. On the Sabbath, all human activities and hierarchies are suspended; it does not matter if you are the boss or the server, everyone is equal in front of God. Celebrating the Sabbath with God in the family is essential, and it is important to invest time in family activities, holidays, and shared experiences.

The command to honour one's father and mother further limits the autonomous life. No one created themselves; our existence is a result of the choices made by others, particularly our parents. Therefore, we must respect those from whom we came. If one cannot love and respect their parents, it becomes challenging to love and respect oneself. The commandment 'You shall not murder' also imposes limits on our actions. While anger may tempt one to harm another, murder is ultimately a crime against God, as all people are created by Him.

The Israelites aimed to create a good and peaceful society in Canaan, with the family as its foundation. Marriage establishes the sacredness of the conjugal relationship, which is based on a covenant. Faithfulness to one another and to God is paramount, as is the upbringing of children in a stable family environment. This stability reduces the likelihood of children getting into trouble. The morality that arises from love within the family extends outward to the world, as articulated by Jonathan Sacks, a rabbi who emphasised the importance of love in various relationships, including conjugal, parental, and sibling love.

To understand the teachings of the Divine Principle, one must also understand the biblical tradition. Some may argue that the Divine Principle is sufficient on its own, but it is essential to recognise the three stages of biblical understanding: the Old Testament age, the New Testament age, and the Completed Testament age. Jesus did not repeat the Ten Commandments because his audience, the Jews, already knew them well. Instead, he taught them how to apply these commandments to their lives, adding new teachings such as the Sermon on the Mount.

Similarly, the founder of the Unification movement did not repeat the teachings of Jesus and Moses because his audience was already familiar with the Bible. Instead, he focused on teaching the Divine Principle as an interpretation and development of biblical teachings. To truly understand the Principle, one must engage with the Old Testament and the New Testament, as the roots of the Principle are deeply embedded in the Bible. This understanding is crucial for a solid foundation, much like constructing a house requires a strong foundation, walls, and a roof that are all aligned.

The three institutions necessary for society include marriage, private property, and justice. Private property safeguards against tyranny and is the basis of a free society. As noted by economist Friedrich Hayek, the division of property among many individuals ensures that no one has complete power over others. This distribution of power is essential for individual freedom. In contrast, when property is owned entirely by the state, it leads to absolute power over individuals, which can result in job loss and oppression.

Justice is also vital for a good society. There can be no freedom without justice, as highlighted by an American Supreme Court judge who stated that liberty resides in the hearts of men and women. When liberty dies in the hearts of people, no constitution, law, or court can save it. The final commandment addresses the challenge of envy, which is a fundamental motivation behind many societal issues. Envy can lead to various forms of wrongdoing, including adultery, theft, false testimony, and even murder. The last commandment serves as a reminder to manage envy and to strive for personal improvement rather than coveting what belongs to others.

The biblical tradition emphasises love as the foundation of moral life. We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength, to love our neighbour, and to love ourselves. It is also important to love the stranger, as the ancient texts remind us not to mistreat or oppress those who are different from us. This concept of empathy is crucial, as it encourages us to remember our own experiences of hardship and to treat others with respect and kindness. Celebrating Passover each year serves as a reminder of the struggles faced by our ancestors and reinforces the importance of compassion and empathy towards others.

We were liberated from slavery, and so the various things that do with the dinner table, eating the bitter herbs, remind them of what it was like. That's really important to remember these things. In the biblical tradition, empathy and compassion lie at the basis of the moral tradition—not law, not rules, not anything abstract. Why can't all these people see that empathy and compassion are the basis of these laws?

So, everyone seems to be almost here, just maybe one or two more chuckling back in, but I think I'm ready. Welcome back, everybody; nice to see you all. I'll share my screen with you. This is when Moses was on Mount Sinai, after they built the golden calf. I'm not going to talk about that today; I'll leave that for another time. Anyway, Moses said to God, "What kind of a God are you? What are you like?" This is what it says: "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed..." This is God's self-description of who He is: "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands of generations, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation."

You might think, "What's going on here?" People usually pick up on this bit: God visits the iniquity, the sins of the fathers on their children, to the third and fourth generation. They think, "What a cruel, nasty God!" That's because they don't read this passage carefully. We need to unpack it and figure out what it means in reality. The first thing is that God describes Himself as merciful, loving, and gracious. It takes a lot to get God angry, and He is abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness for thousands of generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. The point here is that if someone does something wrong, sins, or whatever, and they repent and apologise, then God will forgive them, and that's sorted. God's love will continue for thousands of generations. God loves the repentant sinner; that's really important.

Sometimes people say, "What about King David?" We'll look at that later. He did some terrible things, but he repented over and over again, and God was able to forgive him and continue to work with him. However, it says here, "But who will by no means clear the guilty?" So, who are the guilty? These are people who refuse to acknowledge they've done anything wrong. They refuse to repent, refuse to apologise to others, and refuse to put right the wrongs they've done. The question is, what happens to them? It says here that the iniquity of their fathers is passed on to their children for several generations, just up to four, not thousands. This means that when you do something wrong, when you commit a sin—like killing someone or robbing someone—not only are you damaging somebody else, but you're also damaging yourself.

This is a really important point. When people do wrong, when they tell a lie, they are not only deceiving someone else and depriving them of the truth, but they are also making themselves into a liar. It may become a habitual lie. So, you're actually damaging and corrupting yourself. If you do that and you don't repent, and you don't change, then what happens is your children inherit that kind of characteristic. They tend to become criminals themselves, drug addicts, alcoholics, or get involved in physical abuse. This is how it gets passed on through generations, and that's just a sociological fact. God is saying to people, "If you don't repent and you don't apologise, your children and your grandchildren, up to four generations, are going to suffer because of the things you've done wrong." It's not God punishing them; it's just the consequences of sin. It affects not just the individual but also their lineage.

My father talked about sustaining one's lineage. All their bad habits, bad ways of thinking, bad ways of speaking, racism—all these things get passed on from generation to generation. If people apologise, repent, and make amends sincerely, then God forgives them. That's the really important point. People forget that today. You may have done something wrong in your life, but if you recognise that and are truly sorry for it, and if all the money you've made through ill-gotten means is given away for philanthropy, then you are addressing the issue. This is something happening at the moment, for example, in the UK and other countries. There was a statue of someone in Bristol that got pulled down because he made his money from slavery. That's a wicked deed, a terrible crime. But what did he do with the money he made? Did he keep it all for himself, or did he think, "Maybe I did something wrong, and I need to donate this money and become a philanthropist, building hospitals and schools?"

He was a flawed human being. The point is he did lots of wrong things, but at some point, he had a change of heart. Instead of keeping all the money he made through immoral means for himself, he decided to give it away and build schools and hospitals in Bristol. That's why people put up a statue to him because of that aspect. If we want to say, "Okay, we're going to trash it," then I think about a great song. We all know the song "Amazing Grace." It's sung in all Christian churches and in our own spiritual community. It's one of my father's favourite songs. But who wrote it? The person who wrote it was a slave trader who had a conversion experience with Jesus and became a Christian. As a result, he wrote this song. Should we say, "Because he was a slave trader, we should no longer sing that song?" Should we remove it from every Christian hymn book and our own spiritual community because the person who wrote it was flawed?

Never think about these things. The attitude is that if someone does something wrong but they apologise and repent, then God will forgive that person. However, if they don't repent, don't apologise, and don't acknowledge the terrible things they've done, then of course, we shouldn't put up statues to them. They should be held guilty for what they've done for generations. This all goes back to Pythagoras. It's either you are in one column or the other: all good or all bad. But actually, the real world is that every human being is flawed. Every human being has issues and has done wrong things. If we only want to have perfect human beings, then we cannot respect anybody. We cannot have paintings or statues of anybody because every single human being is flawed. All are sinners. The question is not whether you made mistakes; the question is, have you apologised and tried to make it up?

I went to a friend of mine, Andy Johnson, today. He shouldn't have died so young. He had a conversation with Pastor Franklin Fortune about what he wanted when he died. He obviously wasn't expecting it to happen so soon. He said to Pastor Franklin, "When I die, I want you to conduct my service. I want you to say to everybody on my behalf, 'I'm sorry if I've hurt you in any way, and if I've hurt you, please say, 'I forgive you.'" That makes sense. Everyone is a flawed human being. This is the nature of God: God recognises that He is steadfastly loving and forgiving iniquity, transgressions, and sins, blessing the repentant sinner. God blesses that person hugely but will not clear the guilty—those who refuse to repent or acknowledge the wrongs they've done. You might think, "Okay, that's what it says there. What are the sociological or social implications of this?"

This is a kind of counterintuitive truth. There is someone who wrote a book about it, named Peres Norns. He wrote "Big Gods: How Religion Transforms Cooperation and Conflict." He conducted a very extensive study about religion and the kind of societies that have those ideas of God. The conclusion he came to is that a world without divine justice will be one where there is more resentment, more punishment and crime, and less public spiritedness and forgiveness, even among religious believers. When people have the idea that God is all-loving and doesn't punish the wicked, the kind of society you have is one with more resentment and punishment of crime, and it's a much less forgiving society. The more we believe that God punishes the guilty, the more forgiving we become. Conversely, the less we believe that God punishes the guilty, the more resentful and punitive we become. People feel there should be justice. If God isn't going to punish the guilty, then someone should punish the guilty. This is a totally counterintuitive truth, yet it allows us to see the profound wisdom of the Torah: God is a God of love and justice, helping us to create a humane and compassionate society.

As I was talking about yesterday, rules create boundaries because people challenge rules. Children do it all the time in the classroom, and these rules need to be enforced so there are predictable consequences. People need to know where they stand. It's not about retribution, revenge, fairness, or justice; it's about maintaining freedom and enforcing boundaries. I'll talk about this later. When we look back at some of these stories, we'll see how these principles are revealed. After Cain killed Abel, God approached Cain and said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground." God could hear Abel crying out in pain. Then God said to Cain, "You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth." God said to Cain, "Because of what you've done, these are going to be the consequences; this is how your life will unfold."

Then Cain said to God, "Is my sin too great to be forgiven?" Whoever finds me will slay me. The Lord said to him, "Not so. If anyone slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." The Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who came upon him should kill him. Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the Land of Nod. Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch, and he built a city. What's interesting here is that God said to Cain, "You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth," but actually, he got married, had a family, and built a city. So he wasn't a fugitive; he wasn't a wanderer, and the ground wasn't cursed because of him. Why not? Why did God's prophecy, prediction, or curse not come true? Because Cain repented. He realised what he'd done and apologised. He asked, "Is it possible for you to forgive me?"

God's response was significant. He said, "If anyone slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken upon him sevenfold." The important principle here is that vengeance is mine, says the Lord. In other words, people shouldn't go around punishing others because they should know that God punishes the unrepentant sinner. God will punish the guilty if they don't repent. When it says that the Lord put a mark on Cain, it means God put a mark on Cain so everybody would know that God has forgiven Cain. Therefore, you do not have the right to punish him or to kill him. This is interesting; God forgave Cain. That's the power of repentance and how it can transform and change one's life and future. The future is open depending upon how we respond to what we've done and take responsibility for it. That will determine and create a different kind of future.

We can see this sort of working out in another story. Another episode I want to look at is between Laban and Jacob. If you remember, Jacob deceived his brother and his father and stole his brother's blessing. Esau was very angry and wanted to kill him because he had stolen his blessing. Rebecca arranged for Jacob to flee to stay with her brother Laban in Haran. He worked for Laban for seven years because he wanted to marry Rachel, who was very beautiful and graceful. He was very taken by Rachel, so he worked for seven years for his uncle. Then, after seven years of hard work...

Jacob had the opportunity to marry Rachel, but Laban switched his daughters. Instead of marrying Rachel, Jacob ended up marrying Leah, the older sister. Because they were wearing veils, he didn't realise what was happening. The next morning, when he turned over in his bed to look at his beautiful wife, he saw Leah instead of Rachel. Jacob was obviously angry and confronted Laban, asking, 'What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?' This reflects a complete lack of self-reflection, as Jacob had previously deceived his father and his older brother, Esau. Laban explained that it was not customary in their country to give the younger daughter before the firstborn. He then offered to give Rachel to Jacob after another seven years of service. This situation served as a reminder to Jacob of how he had treated his father and brother unjustly.

When Jacob arrived at Laban's house, Laban likely communicated with his sister about Jacob's arrival, expressing concern for his well-being. Over the seven years, Laban would have learned about Jacob's past misdeeds, including stealing Esau's blessing and deceiving his father. Laban may have thought he was teaching Jacob a lesson, but it was not his role to do so. Jacob's actions had consequences, and as a result, he ended up in a complicated and painful situation with Leah and Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, which created an intense and tumultuous dynamic between the sisters. Leah felt hated, and Rachel envied her, leading to a deeply strained relationship. This illustrates that it is not our place to take vengeance; as the Lord says, 'Vengeance is mine.' We should not assume the authority to punish others for their wrongdoings, as Laban did, which ultimately made the lives of his daughters miserable.

The theme of revenge is prevalent in human relationships, as people often feel a need for justice. Michael Ignatieff, a Canadian scholar, noted that the desire for revenge is a significant moral obstacle to reconciliation. While it is often viewed as a low and unworthy emotion, it is deeply rooted in the human psyche. People may feel compelled to honour the memory of the dead by taking up their cause, perpetuating cycles of violence and blood feuds across generations. This desire for revenge can overshadow the possibility of reconciliation, as it competes with the moral imperative to seek justice. Political terror and violence can become entrenched, making it difficult to pursue peace and understanding.

Miroslav Volf, a Croatian theologian who lived through the violence of the breakup of Yugoslavia, reflected on the nature of violence and justice. He proposed that in a world filled with violence, we face a choice between God's violence and human violence. Volf argued that the practice of non-violence requires a belief in divine vengeance. He suggested that those who have experienced profound suffering may struggle to accept a theology that emphasises God's unconditional love without acknowledging the need for justice. In war-torn regions, the idea of a loving God who does not punish wrongdoing can be difficult to accept. If God does not bring justice, people may feel compelled to take matters into their own hands, leading to a cycle of retribution.

Volf's insights highlight the importance of understanding God's nature as both loving and just. The biblical assertion that 'vengeance is mine, says the Lord' reflects the belief that God will ultimately bring justice to those who commit wrongs. This understanding can provide comfort to those who suffer injustice, as they trust that God will hold the guilty accountable. Jonathan Sacks, writing about the historical persecution of Jews, noted that despite being wronged, Jews did not seek vengeance. Instead, they placed their faith in God's justice, believing that true justice would be established in the end times. This perspective allows individuals to affirm life and maintain their faith without resorting to revenge, breaking the cycle of blood feuds and violence.

The Jewish attitude towards law is also significant in this context. While laws can be perceived as oppressive, the psalmist expresses joy in following God's laws, equating them with freedom. The idea that liberty and law coexist is crucial; true freedom is found within the framework of divine law. This concept is unique to the English language, as the word 'freedom' combines 'free' and 'dom,' where 'dom' refers to law. This understanding of freedom as being 'free within the law' was articulated by Alfred the Great when he translated the Psalms into English. In contrast to other languages, which may lack this nuance, the English term encapsulates the idea that true liberty is found in adherence to moral and ethical principles.

The psalmist's love for God's laws reflects a deep appreciation for the moral framework they provide. The anguish expressed over the violation of these laws underscores the pain caused by injustice and immorality in the world. This connection between law and freedom is essential for understanding the Jewish perspective on justice and morality. The pursuit of perfect justice is ultimately left to God, who alone knows the human heart and will establish justice in His own time. This belief allows individuals to live faithfully and uphold their values without resorting to vengeance, fostering a more peaceful and just society.

John Locke was a very influential political philosopher, one of the founding fathers of the idea of liberal democracy, and he greatly influenced the American Founding Fathers. His definition of freedom is that it is to have a standing rule or law to live by, common to everyone in that society. A standing law to live by includes prohibitions against murder, robbery, and rape; these are laws that apply to everyone, from the king to the common person. The laws are made by the legislative power, and the king does not have the authority to create them. We will discuss this further later.

Liberty, in other words, is the freedom to follow one's own will in all things, meaning I can do anything I want except what the law prescribes I cannot do. For instance, I can do anything I want, but I cannot rape, murder, or steal. There is a whole list of things that I cannot do, which is why the Old Testament is so significant; it provides a clear list of prohibitions, and there are only ten of them. Everything else is permissible. This means I am not subject to the arbitrary will of another person. No one, regardless of their status, can dictate my actions as long as I do not break the law.

The end of law is not to abolish or restrain freedom but to preserve and enlarge it. The purpose of law is to create a space in which individuals can pursue beauty, truth, and goodness. You can write the kind of music you want, and no official can censor your work. The law exists to restrict the power of the state and to protect individuals from evil people who might harm them. It creates a space of safety and security for all beings capable of laws. Where there is no law, there is no freedom. This understanding is rooted in the biblical tradition and forms the foundation of liberal democracy, which developed in Britain, America, Canada, and throughout the Commonwealth.

The principles of this tradition include that there is no freedom outside the law and no freedom without responsibility. This can be illustrated through the rules of chess. For example, I can move a rook vertically and horizontally, but I cannot move it diagonally. Similarly, a pawn can move two spaces at the beginning and then one space forward thereafter. These rules create a game where players can strategise freely, as long as they adhere to the established rules. Freedom is the ability to develop any strategy you want within the confines of the game. If you break the rules, you are not playing the game; you are cheating.

This concept applies to other games as well, such as football, where rules govern the competition between two teams. An umpire or judge ensures that the rules are followed, and fairness is maintained. If the umpire is biased, it leads to resentment and anger among players and spectators alike. Fair play is essential for a positive experience in any game. Similarly, in society, individuals should be free to develop their strategies, but they must do so within the framework of the law, which acts as the umpire to ensure fairness.

I will stop here, as the next topic requires more time to discuss. I hope you all have a blessed and happy weekend with your families. Enjoy your time together, and I look forward to seeing many of you on Monday.