Article February 12, 1990 Issue

The spiritual basis of freedom

If we think of freedom in material terms, it may seem fragile. But liberty has roots deeper than politics, economics, or social background. It is our heritage as children of God.

Rosalie E. Dunbar

Watching television coverage of the thousands of people leaving Eastern Europe, as well as those who have remained in order to work for greater liberty at home, has been a moving experience. It has also got me to thinking about freedom —both the rights and the responsibilities that come with it.

Although the country where I live guarantees certain rights to me, even here sometimes things happen that make freedom seem fragile. Here's a small example.

It was three o'clock in the morning. The telephone had just rung, and on the other end was a man who identified himself as a sergeant in the police department of a neighboring town. He told my roommate, who had answered the phone, that the driver of my car (presumably me) and some companions had been reported as leaving a local restaurant without paying the bill. He indicated that if we did not pay the bill, formal charges could be filed against us. Since I had not spoken to him directly, when my roommate woke me to tell me of this call, I was upset and frightened.

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