Response to Naturalistic Freedom

Noah,

I apologize for my slow response.

This quote intrigues me. I find his desire for freedom from chains, suffering, fear, and monsters something that I also long for myself. I also was encouraged by his desire to applaud those who sacrificed their lives so that we can have freedom. "that light might conquer darkness still". Good stuff.

Yet I don't understand the basis of the claims of his freedom. We all want freedom from our shackles and shame, but does the naturalistic worldview really provide them for us? If so, how? How is Ingersoll able to claim that he is free? Has someone set him free? Did he set himself free? Could you please provide more context or explanation of this quote?

Here is my Christian response: Jesus gives the true freedom that Ingersoll longed for. I wonder what Ingersoll believed about Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus Christ? That is the question we all must answer and commit ourselves to our belief.

Noah, what is true Freedom for you? What brings you greatest freedom?


Ingersoll may have experienced those freedoms, yet did he experience the freedom from sin that Christianity offers? We need to go back to the BIG theme of Christianity: JESUS DELIVERS SINNERS. It is the shackles of sin and the chains of guilt that come from a heart that revolves around Self, instead of Jesus, that keeps us captured in our prisons. Freedom can only happen when we come to Jesus on His terms, not our own. If Jesus is God, then we must listen to His understanding of what Freedom is all about. In my understanding, naturalism sets us free through self-will, rational thinking, and science. Yet the problem is that science and human reasoning has actually brought chains to people all around the world. Both religion AND atheism have to own up to the fact that HUMANS have been enslaving each other (literally and metaphorically) for centuries. Wars, disintegration of the environment  greedy CEO's, broken marriages, abusive relationships, racism, poverty, etc.  The point here is this: HUMANS create the chains we are enslaved to. We would be at peace with ourselves and others if we learned how to fix what has been broken by us all. We have a natural tendency to screw everything up. Christianity calls this bondage= sin.  Only Christianity, I believe  provides the most satisfying solution to this dilemma of this bondage by offering us freedom in Jesus Christ.

So i believe that SIN, defined as an attitude of life that seeks freedom from any place or person other than Jesus, is what brings the chains. And I believe Jesus is the One who gave himself to death on a cross for our sin because he wants to free us. That is why the resurrection is so powerful== the chains of death, sin, and decay cannot hold God! And those of us who accept his freedom will start to become the real Selves we have always longed to be. Unchained, unfettered=Finally Free.

What do you think, Noah? Can you help me better understand naturalism and how it brings the freedom that Ingersoll talks about?