The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives. Luke 4:18

Liberty. The freedom to do ones wills, while taking into account the rights of others involved. It means having the ability to do what you want in life, pursue dreams, and not be imprisoned to anything. It is different from freedom, in that is also involves a moral fabric within its contexts. Being free and being liberated are two very different things.

Everyone, no matter their state or status, was given free will. They were given the freedom to wonder about the Earth as they please. Not everyone has the ability to exercise this freedom unilaterally. There are oppressive situations that are rampant in this world. From oppressive governments to oppressive religious fanatical, there are places in which people are not free to do as they wish. They are not free for fear of consequences to what will happen. By all means, they could still do what they wanted, however, there would be severe repercussions to their actions. Either way, the element of freedom still exists. There is nothing that comes along with freedom, there is no moral compass that comes along with the concept. You can do whatever you want in your space without regards to anyone else or what they do.

Liberty requires you to follow a standard. It is the freedom to do as you wish, with respect for others. It doesn’t matter what type of liberty you are talking about. Religious, writing, personal, etc. All of these liberties come with a set of guidelines attached. It does not mean that you are not free to choose to partake in those guidelines, it simply means that you believe in a standard, and want to hold yourself to that. The best example I can think of is my religious freedom. I personally am Catholic. I am not partially Catholic, or believe in certain aspects of it, no, I am Catholic. The rules and guidelines that come along with being a Catholic, I firmly believe in. I am at liberty to be that way, and I freely give myself to be apart of the guidelines that come along with it. I am apart of the faith.

We must not confuse the two. Freedom and Liberty can work hand and hand, and they do not come with some kind of cost associated with them, but they are not the same. To really be at liberty means to have respect for others as well. To bring back my example, I am Catholic. You may not be. I can not force you to be Catholic and call myself a liberated individual. I have to respect the different belief systems in the world, but I do not have to conform to them. Nor should you have to conform to mine. We can agree and align ourselves, and we can call each other friends, no matter what. I am, however, practicing my liberty, if I can show you why I believe what I do in a respectful manner. I can show you the wonders and reasons why I have a firm conviction. I can not, however, force you to partake with me. That would make me oppressive, and that is the antithesis of having liberty. I am free and liberated at the same time, by the guidelines of my faith.

I pray that everyone can experience true liberty. Be it from your religion, from some kind of worldly addiction, or from oppressive people.