1 Corinthians 6:12 in the Murdock version says: \u201cEvery thing is in my power: but every thing is not profitable to me. Every thing is in my power; but none of them shall have dominion over me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It would be so easy to become a slave to any whim and desire and allow it to have power over us. Unfortunately, this is too common today as it appears that just because we are able to do something people act as if they have a right to do it and that they should do it and lose all sense of self-control. Just because something is permissible does not mean it should be done. As I have had to tell my students who interrupt me that \u201cfreedom of speech\u201d does not mean the freedom to be rude or interrupt. When it becomes someone\u2019s right to do something (please listen when I am saying I agree it is their right) people treat it almost as if they are required to do it. But because someone has permission to do something does not mean it is right. It does not mean it is beneficial. It does not mean it is good. We all have the right or permission to eat candy all day, but it is obvious (to most of us) that doing so is not good and will have consequences. No one can control and keep others doing the right thing. We must in and of ourselves choose the good and right thing to do and not leave it to the rule of law. We are to be a rule and law unto ourselves. Because this country, founded on freedom, has so far departed from self-governance that we are becoming less free and dependent on rules to keep people doing right because it is \u201cbetter for society.\u201d For example, as much as I agree with the safety of seatbelts I am actually against seatbelt laws. I know they save lives, but if our society was really about saving lives then there are many other things our society should be doing to save lives. For example, by 2004\u2019s numbers we have over 5,698 deaths a day<\/a> due to obesity. Or look at the 4,400 murders a day at peak abortion rates in 1990<\/a> who have no voice. Compare these to the 140 per day deaths due to car accidents<\/a> before seat belt laws at their yearly peak in 1980. We never should have worried about seatbelt laws when we are killing ourselves and our descendants all because of our lack of self-control (in most cases).<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is better for society is a people who can use self-control and self-govern. It seems we need to commit to avoiding the power that all these things have to keep from being under these things’ control. We should not be controlled but be controlling ourselves instead. Self-control is a lost art that has become extinct. It needs to be resurrected again in our nation. But again it can not be done by force of law or it is not self-control. I think we need self-imposed chains of doing the right thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n