Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Politics and Religion
The Nature of True Freedom And DJT’s Fear Of It.

The Nature of True Freedom And DJT’s Fear Of It.

Last updated on: September 21, 2025 at 2:23 pm by Christy Thomas

0 Comments

The Nature of True Freedom And DJT’s Fear Of It. 2025-09-21T14:23:23-05:00 Christy Thomas

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Want to eliminate true freedom? Use absolute pronouncements and beliefs to build high, thick walls with carefully guarded doors. And punish anyone who questions those beliefs.

the nature of true freedom

Image generated by ChatGPT

I admit it: if I were a college student today, I would have eaten up everything Charlie Kirk said. In fact, when I was a college student, I did follow someone similar, Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, and it was a short leap from him to Bill Gothard and the infamous Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts. Although I think Bright was reasonably benign, Bill Gothard was anything but benign: he was a serial sexual predator and cult leader.

But I, a white, straight, extremely insecure young woman then who had no idea who she was or what she really thought about anything, longed for strong male leadership, someone who could define me, so I didn’t have to do that hard work. I dreamed of a neat little slot where I didn’t have to think critically about the complex and essentially unanswerable questions of life, death and the life hereafter.

In other words, I sought my version of a safe prison cell. I longed to share it only with others who believed exactly as I did. Their presence would protect me from questioning the things upon which I was basing my fragile identity and my longed-for future. The walls of unquestioned beliefs were to keep me from venturing inside my troubled soul. As long as I could externalize my values, relying on others to validate them, I was safe.

I hid from any idea of true freedom.

As for some of the hateful things Kirk is reported to have said (all my knowledge of him is second-hand—I’d never heard of him until he was killed), the idea of keeping out and especially demonizing the different—be it sexual orientation, skin color, politics—would have helped me feel superior, more important, the one with the answers whose job it was to force others to agree.

And those who didn’t? Clearly, I was right; they were wrong and should be silenced. Free play of ideas had no place in my world/prison.

Sadly, I was a little “Trumpette” myself.

In other words, I was, sadly but truthfully, a little “Trumpette.” Fortunately, I didn’t have a corrupt daddy’s endless piles of money and willingness to bail me out of my stupid mistakes. Without protection from the repercussions of my ignorance and narrow-mindedness, I eventually emerged from those walls into a greater maturity and freedom, broken and bruised of course, but also, thankfully, humbled and more fully aware that I actually don’t know very much.

But our current POTUS did not have the privilege of facing the consequences of his beliefs and actions. Likely, Kirk would have also stayed protected by his surrogate Trump-daddy and thus free from facing the consequences of sowing hate and exclusion.

The prison walls of unquestioned beliefs eliminate all hope of true freedom.

Unfortunately, and without fail, that very protection turns quickly into prison walls that eliminate all hope of true freedom. Anger the all-powerful protector? Expulsion—and facing the real consequences of his words and actions—will soon follow. The very things that might have made Kirk actually a free man, free to think and grow and mature, would be the very things he would need to run from to stay in Trump’s favor and keep the money and adulation flowing in.

Absolute pronouncements and beliefs build high, thick walls with carefully guarded doors, but they do not pour a foundation for a vibrant, thriving society throbbing with free, creative, flexible, inventive people.

Real freedom is not the right to do or say anything we want—that’s chaos and lawlessness. Instead, freedom is gaining the maturity and self-control to recognize that each of us must limit ourselves to some degree to make room for true civilization and a thriving nation teeming with productive people.

And that is what we’ve lost, mostly from Trump’s example of zero limits on his egregious behavior, ever informed by the never-empty septic tank of an abyss of unaddressed interior terror.

The lack of limits has become the national role model for the very murder that has taken place. Yes, Charlie Kirk was free to say that random gun shootings are the price to pay for living in his version of a free society, and those with differing sexual orientations deserve the worst of punishments. Such proclamations made him popular and powerful.

But perhaps such words encouraged his “alleged” murderer, yet one more troubled young white male, to find his freedom to prove him right, horrific as it was.

When there are no limits, there are indeed no limits. Because that kind of society runs on fear, freedom disappears.

Trump: the least free person in the US

And that is why I say that Trump is the least free person in the US. He exhibits the same behavior as an adult as I did in my late teens: he must be surrounded by those who will keep those thick walls continually reinforced and protected from anyone burrowing a hole in or climbing over them with new or contrary ideas or truths that would set him free.

Trump lives within the prison of his beliefs. With zero internal character formation to work from, the external structures that keep him propped up must never be questioned. Because, again, he’s never had any real limits on his behavior, the Constitutional proclamation of a free press has no positive meaning for him. In fact, the idea brings the deepest terror possible because the core of his identity will crumble if he is ever proven wrong . . . on anything.

So the lies, dissemblings, attacks on others, distractions, gaslighting, military excursions, tariffs, arresting innocent people, deporting anyone with brown skin, especially unprotected children, all continue at an increasingly frenetic pace. And yes, of course, he is a fascist—that’s just a fancy political word to describe an empty, hollow semi-human with a cult-like following and a never-satisfied craving for unchecked power.

And that, above all, is our national tragedy. Too many people have bent the knee to Trump rather than helping him achieve successes with the good ideas and giving honorable resistance to the bad ones.

The price to pay has been too high—and thus, by abdicating their sworn responsibilities of protecting and defending the Constitution, his many enablers enter prisons of their own, anterooms, perhaps, to the moldy, gold-lined walls of Trump’s prison cell.

There is no way out of those cells except reclaiming, or perhaps claiming for the first time, their integrity. The American people must now rise up and do for our nation what our lawmakers are refusing to do: fight this frightening move away from a constitutional democracy with every means at our disposal.

Remember, there is no bottom to Mr. Trump’s need for power and to erase anyone, anyone, who opposes him. Never, ever forget these words by Pastor Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.

This horrible scene from the classic movie, “Gandhi,” keeps coming to mind:

Will this be necessary in the US to become free again from Trump’s continued move toward autocracy? Probably something analogous will be required.

To some degree, it is already happening with the continued moves to silence nationally broadcast comics and commentators who are openly critical of Trump. They are taking the current set of blows because the prominent law firms, universities and businesses decided self-preservation, no matter how much they had to debase themselves, was preferable to honor.

It will not stop with the current purge of critical voices. History makes this clear. Free societies are extraordinarily fragile, and people get weary of trying to maintain it. The world of Charlie Kirk, of Donald Trump, of white supremacists and zero sexual diversity beckons. It says, “Come unto me, ye who are tired of thinking for yourselves. I shall fix all your problems—all you have to do is constantly tell me how much you adore me, pile more money into my sticky-fingered coffers, and never, EVER, utter one word of criticism about me and demean to the point of destruction anyone who is not just like you.”

Is this what we want?

I hope not.

General Christian

Politics and Religion

Previous Post

July 2, 2025

Doves, Trash Bags, And The Demise of Democracy?

Next Post

October 5, 2025 I Just Said NO To God

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Stepping away from his campaign for 13 days handed his opponents a gift which they ..."

Bob Shiloh

The Lies and Hypocrisy Are Degrading ..."

"Thank you. We really do need to practice what we preach. And hardly any of ..."

The Rev. Dr. Christy Thomas

The Lies and Hypocrisy Are Degrading ..."

"Mrs. Thomas, Reverend Jefferies became the pastor of First Baptist Dallas in August 2007 – ..."

glen smith

I Ache For The People Of ..."

"I sent you a reply which for some reason was not deemed appropriate for posting. ..."

linda_rob

I Ache For The People Of ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category " obedience abortion accommodation accountability administration adolescence Advent advice an ordinary death anxiety apology apportionments Ash Wednesday ask thoughtfulpastor baptism betrayal Bible bondage calling certainty change character charity children Christianity Christmas church church as garden clergy clergy credentials closure comfort compassion competition compromise Confirmation conservation conservative conspiracy theories consumer conversion coronavirua corruption courage covenant cultural context death Deconstruction discipleship discord divorce doctrine doing good drugs dysfunctional Easter Easter; Resurrection education election entertainment envy escape evaluation evil exclusive church exercise faith faithfulness family fasting fear feast featured film review finances first world problem food forgiveness fundamentalist garden gay marriage General Conference generosity giving thanks GLBT glory good government grace guilt habit happy harmony hateful acts healing health health care heaven hell hello/goodbye heresy hidden agenda holiness homelessness homosexuality humility hymn hypocrisy Imago Dei In training inclusive church indulgence injustice innocents insurance intolerance itinerancy joy Justice kindness Kingdom of Heave kingdom of heaven language laughter laundry lawsuit leadership Lent LGBTQ liberal life Little Things Matter longform meandering thoughts memories mercy metaphor metrics miracle misfortunes morality Mormon Muslim mystery worship natural disasters New Category Name nutrients older adults oppression pain Paleo paperwork partnered pastor peace pension pharmaceutical placebo politics poverty prayer privilege public schools questions quiet racism rain reason reconciliation religion repentance requirements rescue respect rest resurrection retirement Sabbath sacrament sacred salvation same-sex marriage sanctuary schism schooling science SCOTUS secrecy separation of church and state sexism sexuality short cuts silence sin sleep soil spiritual journey stillness suffering surgery sustainable church teacher technology thank you theology therapy thinking tolerance TOS trust truth Uncategorized welcome Why Easter? wisdom women worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 December 2025 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 March 2025 February 2025 December 2024 November 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 July 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 October 2021 July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 January 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 July 2007 March 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz