© 2023 Zshonette Reed
© 2023 Urantia Association of Quebec
Zshonette Reed
California
As mentioned in previous articles, we believe that the ideological struggle humanity faces right now is the struggle between true and false freedom or liberty versus license.
Paper 54 of The Urantia Book says this about freedom and license:
Of all the perplexing problems growing out of the Lucifer rebellion, none has occasioned more difficulty than the failure of immature evolutionary mortals to distinguish between true and false liberty. (UB 54:1.1)
Clearly, if we are to be on the right side of the ideological struggle, we must be able to tell the difference ourselves. Remember, many long-time celestial personalities failed to tell the difference and were drawn into Lucifer’s rebellion. So it may not be as easy as you might think.
Let us take the time now to sharpen our faculty of discernment so that we can distinguish the difference between freedom and license, and find ourselves on the right side.
¶ The error of time and the evil of space
The Mighty Messenger who presented Booklet 54 listed the differences by juxtaposing true and false freedom. Here is the first:
True liberty is the quest of the ages and the reward of evolutionary progress. False liberty is the subtle deception of the error of time and the evil of space. Enduring liberty is predicated on the reality of justice—intelligence, maturity, fraternity, and equity. (UB 54:1.2)
Here the Mighty Messenger compares time and space. Time, as used here, is the natural unfolding of events, the natural process of evolution. Space refers to our place, status, or where we are in the universe.
He writes that true freedom is achieved by earning one’s place in the universe and going through the process of evolution to achieve it. And it requires intelligence, maturity, brotherhood, and fairness or justice. Whereas false freedom proposes that time is wrong and space is evil. In other words, false freedom says, “I don’t want to wait for things to happen through the natural process of evolution. I want them now and I shouldn’t have to do anything to get them. Making me wait and earning them is wrong and unfair.” This is false freedom.
Keeping this distinction in mind, we should be able to identify ideologies that encourage license as opposed to freedom. We can conclude that:
Any ideology that rejects waiting and earning a living is a product of false freedom.
It manifests itself by:
Theft, consisting of taking from others what we have not earned.
Murder, that is to say the refusal to wait for justice.
Corruption, taking advantage of an opportunity that was not otherwise available.
Lying, creating a false reality for selfish goals.
All of these are manifestations of the concept of license. And there are many other examples that you can probably identify.
¶ Demonstration of injustice
The next point is:
Liberty is a self-destroying technique of cosmic existence when its motivation is unintelligent, unconditioned, and uncontrolled. (UB 54:1.3)
True freedom gradually connects with reality and always remains full of regard for social equity, cosmic equity, universal brotherhood and divine obligations.
Liberty is suicidal when divorced from material justice, intellectual fairness, social forbearance, moral duty, and spiritual values. (UB 54:1.4)
Examples? How about these:
Destroying the property of innocent people as a protest against what was done by guilty people.
Granting certain freedoms to some, but denying these same freedoms to others.
Engaging in actions that give us pleasure, but harm others.
These are more examples of false freedom or license. And you can probably name a few of your own. Let’s continue.
¶ Self-expression without control
The Mighty Messenger then tells us that:
Unrestrained autonomous will and uncontrolled self-expression amount to an egoism that nothing can soften, a height of impiety.
Liberty without the associated and ever-increasing conquest of self is a figment of egoistic mortal imagination. (UB 54:1.5)
Here he tells us that ideas that promote self-expression without regard to feelings or consequences for others are examples of selfishness, godlessness, and disillusionment. An example of such an ideology is the Luciferian expression:
“Do as you wish”
This phrase has been made popular by many contemporary music and rock artists. It may seem innocuous, but it was born out of an objection to Jesus’ words:
“. . . ‘do to others that which you desire others to do to you’:” (UB 147:4.3)
The Luciferian phrase—do as thou wilt—is used throughout modern society and promoted by an infamous 20th-century Luciferian. Many are unaware of this. Yet those who embrace this ideology may very well find themselves on the wrong side of the ideological struggle.
¶ The dangers of licensing
The Mighty Messenger also explained the contrast between liberty and license as follows:
True liberty is the associate of genuine self-respect; false liberty is the consort of self-admiration. True liberty is the fruit of self-control; false liberty, the assumption of self-assertion. (UB 54:1.6)
It is sometimes difficult to see the contrast in modern society. It might therefore be helpful to recall what happened early in man’s history on Urantia, when license was taught, as opposed to freedom. In Paper 67 we read:
Very soon after the rebellion the entire staff of sedition were engaged in energetic defense of the city against the hordes of semisavages who besieged its walls as a result of the doctrines of liberty which had been prematurely taught them. And years before the beautiful headquarters went down beneath the southern waves, the misled and mistaught tribes of the Dalamatia hinterland had already swept down in semisavage assault on the splendid city, driving the secession staff and their associates northward. (UB 67:5.2)
The Caligastia scheme for the immediate reconstruction of human society in accordance with his ideas of individual freedom and group liberties, proved a swift and more or less complete failure. Society quickly sank back to its old biologic level, and the forward struggle began all over, starting not very far in advance of where it was at the beginning of the Caligastia regime, this upheaval having left the world in confusion worse confounded. (UB 67:5.3)
Playing with false freedom has had, and will continue to have, a devastating effect on our world. There is reason to be vigilant and discerning, lest we find ourselves on the wrong side of the struggle.
In summary, true freedom is the way of the universe. And it has given rise to an orderly, just, peaceful and friendly universe. In contrast, false freedom, or license, is the root of the rebellion and resulting ideological struggle that we are currently experiencing. Only the restoration of true freedom will bring the much-desired peace on earth and goodwill toward all men and women.
Those who stand on Michael’s side can do great service by promoting true liberty and exposing license by our words and conduct. Ask yourself:
Am I fair in my relationships with others?
Am I living by the same rules that expect of others?
Do I respect time and space by not violating divine laws to achieve my goals?
And am I willing to denounce the license when I see it?
These are things to consider personally.
While this article reflects our understanding of freedom versus license, we are open to hearing from others. Please feel free to write to us with your thoughts, and perhaps together we can make a difference.
And consider enrolling in The Ambassadors School to develop and improve your ministerial skills so that you can be effective in promoting and supporting Michael’s side in the ideological struggle.
In the meantime, may the Spirit of Truth accompany you.