Back To Home Page To Archives - Spring of Life - H. Roger Bothwell Tyranny of the Mind Inside the circular dome of the Jefferson Memorial are engraved the words, "I pledge myself before Almighty God to battle everything that is tyranny over the human mind." Actually those are not the exact words. I tried this morning to remember them but could not but it is the thought. That I will always remember. Tyranny over the mind has always been and still is the greatest treat to liberty. There are those in the world so convinced they have the truth about life, God and how people should live they do not and will not hesitate to force others into their way of thinking and believing. It begins with indoctrination and ends in persecution and death. There are some countries of the world where the fundamentalist conservative religious rulers actually employ helicopters to search the rooftops of the homes of its people looking for satellite dishes. They will not allow their people the right to have access to the ideas of world broadcast from space. How ironic that in their quest to refuse the people the right to modern technology they use modern helicopters. This is not new. In our century we have seen the rise and fall of empires and nations that refused its people the right to freedom of expression and thought. The largest nation in the world today still will not allow its people freedom. Unfortunately even in America there are church organizations that apply enormous pressure on its people to maintain doctrinal purity. Freedom is the hallmark of God's government. God has created us with the right to think. He even allows us the right to argue with Him. He delights in the exercise of minds created in His image. He is not afraid of truth and the path to understanding. It is those who ignorantly think they have the all the answers who are afraid to allow others to think. Others just might prove the know-it-alls weren't so smart, clever and informed as they thought they were. And we couldn't have that! I'm Roger Bothwell and my address is hrb1@tiac.net or 151 Old Farm Rd. Leominster, MA 01453. Thank you for your support of our faith ministry. Past devotionals can be accessed at Archives