Madame Roland, a supporter of the French Revolution and an influential member of the Girondist section, fell out of favour during the Reign of Terror and died on the guillotine in 1793. Before placing her head on the block she is said to have uttered, "Oh liberty, what crimes are committed in thy name!"

Between 1793 and 1795, in the Vendee region of France, there was a large peasant uprising, mainly religious in nature, against the Republican government. The Church was very dear to the Vendee peasants. They just wanted to be left in peace to worship in their churches and to be ministered to by their priests. This was unacceptable to the 'enlightened' members of the National Convention in Paris. Consequently, the uprising was ruthlessly and bloodily suppressed and countless thousands were killed.

There is hardly a word today, with perhaps the exception of the word 'love' that is more abused of and misused than the word 'freedom'. Over the last 200 years, the crimes committed in the name of such freedom are too many to enumerate. One only has to remember the millions killed by communist governments during the last century in order to give freedom to those who had never had it before. Ironically, those who were supposed to benefit from this freedom often ended up being killed for refusing the kind of freedom being offered to them. In the Soviet gulags, a large majority of the inmates were simply, ordinary people who, for one reason or another, even sometimes a non-existent one fell afoul of the ruling powers. In his novels, Alexander Solzhenitsyn describes this in an incomparable manner having experienced it himself.

To the Christian, on the other hand, the word 'freedom' takes on a whole new dimension and is at complete odds with what our society believes it is. Indeed, to the Christian what is deemed freedom today is in reality another form of slavery. One only has to look at some of our young people. They have been duped by their elders into believing that they have now acquired a freedom, leading to much happiness the older generation had never experienced. Alcohol, contraceptives, sex, fast cars, late hours, etc., are there for them to enjoy. Often this is a recipe for a joyless, aimless existence without much hope for the future. Eventually, settling down in whatever state one chooses often proves to be difficult.

This is especially true where marriage is concerned. Family break ups follow and children are left traumatised and bewildered by the loss of one of the most valuable ideals in life - a stable family life. Sadly, these children, not having had the good example of parents who, despite problems that inevitably crop up in every marriage, still remained faithful to their marriage vows, will in turn find great difficulty in confronting their own future marital problems.

"What is truth?" This is the question that Pilate directed at the captive Christ in front of him. The Lord did not answer. Pilate was a pagan and he would never have understood. Neither did Jesus' disciples fully understand at the time when He told them, "The truth will make you free." He had emphasized that sin - "Evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander" (Matthew, 15-19) provide no long-term joy and peace, takes away our freedom, blurs our vision, weighs us heavily down and sours our relationship not only with God but also with our fellow human beings. "Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin" (John 8-34).

Committed Christians, despite being sinners themselves, understand that, more often than not, what society and governments present as freedom is in reality another form of bondage. It distances us from Christ, the source of lasting happiness and hope in this life, who, while in the world, had the temerity (in the eyes of his hearers) to refer to himself as "the Way, the Truth and the Life".

Jacqueline Calleja

Balzan