Happy "License Day"!

On this 4th of July, I'm struck by where our nation is headed. We no longer value freedom, but instead put license up on a pedestal. As a starter, let's look at the definition of the two words.

Freedom: 1: the quality or state of being free: as
a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action

Examples of FREEDOM

He thinks children these days have too much freedom.
She has the freedom to do as she likes.

License: a. Lack of due restraint; excessive freedom: "When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near" (Will Durant).
b. Heedlessness for the precepts of proper behavior; licentiousness (and licentiousness means: lacking legal or moral restraints; especially : disregarding sexual restraints)


At first glance, the words Freedom and License may appear to be interchangeable. But if you look closer, you will see a dramatic difference.

The definition of Freedom talks about the absence of constraint. So that means I can do whatever I want right? No. The dictionary goes on to say "Freedom emphasizes the opportunity given for the exercise of one's rights, powers, desires, or the like." This means that you have the opportunity to exercise your rights etc, but there's also an implied amount of restraint. License on the other hand is defined as excessive freedom.

Here's a practical example. We have speed limits in our country. And while few of us adhere to the 'letter of the law' and stick to the actual number posted, most use "freedom" to stay near the limit. A minority of people will use 'license' to drive at whatever speed they feel like. Freedom uses some restraint, license does not.

What I'm observing in our country is more disturbing than violating a speed limit. It's taking license with moral issues. I'll highlight two examples - abortion and 'gay marriage.'

In 1973 it became "legal" in the United States to kill an unborn child. The arguments for both sides have been debated ad nauseum so I won't delve into them here. Instead, let me point out that the 10 commandments are very clear - Thou Shalt Not Kill. We've taken license with abortion and justified it with arguments that make us feel better and now it's legal to kill an unborn baby. While it may be "legal" in the United States, that does not (and never will) change the fact that it is immoral.

In the last year, we have been overwhelmed with a push to 'legalize' 'gay marriage.' In fact, Minnesota has now 'legalized' such actions. The Supreme Court has overturned a law against 'gay marriage.' The fact that a state has made it 'legal' or that the Supreme Court does not agree with California's law, once again does not change the fact that it is immoral. If you read the Bible, it's once again clear in Romans 1:26 and 27 that God is not pleased with what we call 'gay marriage' but instead 'gave them over to shameful lusts.'

If you cannot bring yourself to read the Bible and accept the truth of it, that does not change the argument I am making here. Freedom comes with some restraint. License does not. We now have the 'license' to kill a child in the womb. As a nation, we are gaining the 'license' to practice more and more types of immorality because we have 'legalized' it.

I'm confident that many people feel better in their justification of committing immoral acts because they are legal. You may feel fine for a time, but if you search deeper into your soul, you will find that just because something is 'legal' doesn't make it 'moral.'

As you celebrate today, and call it "Independence Day" remember that being completely independent from God and his righteous limitations is not Freedom, but License. So call it what it is and enjoy your License.