I have posted before on the idea of religion and slavery, I feel that I should also take the time to describe the religion of the free. How does a free man/woman approach the divine? How is this reflected in their beliefs and actions?

The answers to these questions are a bit more complex when talking about free persons than they are with those of a slave mentality. There are simply more options open to a free man than a slave, obviously. For one, there is no fear of reprisal. A free woman can believe as she wishes, without the fear of angering the Master. A free man may serve, out of a genuine respect or even self-interest, but he is not bound to serve upon pain of divine retribution. A free person may believe in many gods or none, depending solely on each individuals needs and desires to interact with the Divine. So considering the above complexity of beliefs, instead of trying to encompass all of them, I will stick with what I know best, the perspective of a freeman who does indeed believe in, and interacts with, the Divine.

So if a free man or woman chooses to accept the Divine, how would they view it? Well I guess even this question has as many answers as there are free individuals, so perhaps I shall narrow things down a little further, and just speak for myself. Make things a bit simpler, no?

Personally, I do not see the Divine as Absolute. My gods are neither omnipotent nor omniscient. I do not serve them as a slave, I work with them and for them to improve my life and this world. I respect them, even revere them, but I am bound to them only by blood and by choice. If I chose to ignore their wisdom, I am free to do so. Of course there is a price to be payed, but it is not punishment, anymore than a parent allowing a child to ignore them and make their own mistakes is punishment when invariably, they do. I also view my gods as an both an example of, and guides for, the potential that we ourselves can attain. They represent our future evolution, if we take that evolution in hand as a conscious process.

More than anything else though, my relationship to the the Divine is one of absolute personal responsibility. I alone am responsible for my actions, my happiness, my problems and my life. If I need to be saved, I will do it myself. My gods will lend a helping hand, perhaps, but the choices, decisions, and the work will be done by me.

After all freedom is as much about responsibility as is is about choices.