Association Of Catholic Bloggers

My father grew up west of Chicago: first on a farm, then in Rockford, Illinois. His family moving to Rockford wasn't so much a matter of seeking a better way of life, as bad weather and worse economics forcing them off their farm. Then they experienced what we call the Great Depression. And that's another topic. Topics, actually.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (In the years leading up to World War II, my father was just another Irish kid in Rockford schools. Then an English teacher asked him about his plans.)

Many people think that freedom is defined as “doing what I want.” Well, not exactly. Freedom is defined as “the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or do that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility.”  1  So, when a person does what he/she wants, without regard for anyone else, that is not freedom. That is selfishness. Freedom comes with responsibility to act in accordance with the common good. Freedom Comes with Responsibility Let’s take this whole “wearing a mask” debate, as an example. Some people choose to wear a mask; others choose not to wear a mask. Those opting not to wear a mask say that it is their right to not do so. That is a true statement. Such an opinion is valid. Those who opt to wear a mask state that they do so for health reasons; to protect themselves and others from the spread of the coronavirus. This, too, is a true statement. Such an opinion is also valid. So, how might “freedom” impact this...