---

I value my freedom.In one of the threads one of the members stated that religion liberates people. I am really interested to hear from those who believe religion can liberate. If we don't talk about Revivalism alone, on a whole, Christianty or any other religion, how can it liberate? What is your understanding of liberty? This is not a critisism thread. I plead all members not to critiique each otherbut simply explain what they know about liberation by religion. MothandRust, I am looking forward to your answer.

---

You know, I gave this topic a lot of thought earlier this week after watching 'The Island' by director Michael Bay,starring Ewen McGreggor and the freaking amazing Scarlett Johansson. There's very little else in life that is more important than freedom (apart from Scarlett Johansson) and those of us that have guts will die in war to make sure our children have it. We cheered and cried when Mel Gibson played out the last moments of William Wallace's life crying for FREEDOM and we shed a tear when someone loses it undeservedly in a Bankock prison. The euphoria we felt as teenagers when we got our licence to freely drive is similar to the joy of having a bank account where we're free to spend.

Freedom is frakking fantastic and we all love it and it's worth fighting for.

The curious thing about many churches is the power they have to steal freedom from individuals and repackage it as something else. The controlled and caged freedom of Churhdom is a fool's paradise, especially so with the likes of Revivalism where they are told by some idiot from the pulpit that they have MORE freedom than those outside their church because they have the 'freedom' to be in Christ - (blink blink) - This is like a goldfish boasting to the new members of the tank that they have complete freedom to swim 'anywhere' inside the tank. Complete freedom.

It's a very bastardised version of freedom. So bastardised and contrived that it's actually the opposite of freedom. Our forefathers died in wars and sacrificed themselves in huge numbers - blood flowed - so that we could live a free life without oppression and then we go and live under the thumbs of the likes of Noel Hollins and the Revival umbrella.

Yeah, I've said it before, they live in a fool's paradise. Big fish in their small little tanks and the reflection of the glass prevents them from seeing the great big beautiful world just outside their man-made universe.