Posts Tagged ‘freedom’

Principle 3: Pride Leads to Captivity

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
This is the third in a series of 5 posts in which I am trying to illustrate the basic principles of liberty.

Pride Kills Freedom

I’m not referring to the pride you have after a job well done or the pride of a *proud* parent, teacher, or coach. I’m talking about the sinful pride that keeps us from acknowledging others when things are going well. Ironically, it’s the same pride that causes us to blame others when things are going bad.

Liberty and Responsibility

Liberty is forever tied to responsibility. You can’t have one without the other. If a man is truly free then he will merit praise for his good actions but no more so than he will deserve blame for his bad actions.

Liberty is Lost in 2 Ways

  1. It is taken away.
    By whom? By prideful people (usually well connected politicians) who either seek power or think that people need to be governed and regulated into doing right, or by prideful people (usually very educated) who think they know best.
  2. It is given away.
    By whom? By people (usually average Joes like you and me) who pridefully blame others when things go wrong. We refuse to accept the responsibility that comes with freedom.

Education Example

A relatively small group of politicians, bureaucrats, and educators are busy *reforming* America’s education system while a relatively large group of American parents are saying, “I’m not responsible for my child’s education. The government is.”

The result? A piss-poor public school system that all but the most priveledged children are forced into (think opposite of freedom).

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Why I Left the Air Force ROTC

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

I left the Air Force ROTC because internal threats to America’s freedom are far greater than external threats. I can contribute more to America’s freedom by being a liberty maven/missionary than I ever could have as a fighter pilot.

Why I joined in the first place:

I joined BYU’s Air Force ROTC in 2005 with high hopes of fulfilling 3 dreams (in order of priority):

  1. Protect the liberties that make America great.
  2. Show my appreciation for the founding fathers and everyone else who helped make America great.
  3. Fly jets.

It wasn’t what I expected:

Within a year, I knew there were better ways to fulfill goals 1 and 2. The Air Force places high focus on leadership, camaraderie, and discipline; but liberty is rarely discussed and never defined. The general attitude I observed had more to do with “spreading democracy.” No one seemed particularly interested in justifying the war we had just embarked on—questioning it was certainly outside the social norm.

My big dilemma:

Despite all this, I couldn’t leave. I had a great shot at landing a pilot slot. The slots are not determined until your third year so I still had a long way to go, but in my second year I was doing very well in many of the categories by which pilot candidates are judged:

  • High test scores and grades.
  • No medical issues.
  • Perfect vision.
  • Perfect physical fitness test scores.

I had quite an internal battle knowing that the Air Force wasn’t the place for me to fulfill my main goals; but if I left, the window of opportunity to fly would slam shut. It wasn’t until my backseat flight in an F16 that I was able to walk away with some closure. I’ve never regretted it.

Going Forward:

I see the internal fight for America’s freedom being fought on 2 fronts:

  1. Education/general awarness.
  2. Legislative/political.

I love teaching but I hate politics. I am working to become an influential writer/speaker/teacher (I know, I have a long way to go). Hopefully this blog is helping me refine my skills, network with others like me, and maybe even convince those within my circle of influence to stand by principles of liberty.

Speaking of which, stay tuned for the 5 principles of liberty, Benton style.

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Christmas is about Christ. Christ is about Freedom.

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

This isn’t a religious blog—I have no intention of making it such. However, because of my Drive Liberty theme, I think it is appropriate to explain the foundation of my convictions about personal liberty. I’m passionate about freedom partly because of my understanding of economics, history, government, and philosophy; but at their core, my convictions about liberty are founded on my religious beliefs. I will share them, not as a topic of debate, but more as a window into why I care so much about freedom.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Lattery Day Saints, commonly referred to as Mormons. In a nutshell, I believe we are all children of God placed on this earth to be tested. As we learn the difference between right and wrong, then choose right over wrong, we become closer and closer to returning to God’s presence. We are all free to live the life we choose. God does not force anyone to be or act a certain way. Each of us will be rewarded based on our acts, thoughts, deeds, etc. This recompense comes in degrees based on merit, as opposed to a binary system of heaven vs. hell or saved vs. damned.

Our personal agency (freedom) is so important to God that He cast Satan out of his presence for trying to take it away:

Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him . . . I caused that he should be cast down. And he became Satan, yea, even the devil . . .

~ Moses 4:3-4

(This was in response to Satan’s request to implement a plan that would ensure not one soul shall be lost. Basically, Satan wanted to be the world’s first dictator and force us all to do what is right.)

As our Father in Heaven, God loves us. Like any loving parent, it pains Him when we act against His will. Even so, He lets us stumble and fall. In doing so, however, He also provided a way for us to pick ourselves up again. He sent His son Jesus Christ who atoned for our sins and shortcomings. We are all imperfect, but the atonement allows us to pick ourselves up, redirect our paths, change our ways, and eventually reach a state of perfection that allows us to return to God’s presence. We are each free to use the atonement or ignore it, but either way we have that liberty thanks to Jesus Christ.

So, if God refuses to push us into doing what’s right, why should we trust politicians and law makers to do the same? We need to passionately protect, preserve, and at times restore the liberties given to us by God.

That’s why I care about liberty. What drives you?

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