An Interpretation of Liberty, Religion and Self-Image

The definition of liberty in the dictionary is "the right and power to act, believe, or express oneself in a manner of one's own choosing." Liberty is an ideal all American citizens are entitled to, the idea itself is one of the foundations of our nation. The quote by Jeremy Bentham "every law is an evil, for every law is an infraction of liberty," portrays that liberty cannot truly be achieved with a system of law or control. This is where the line between what is freedom and what is justice for all begins to waver. Laws are created to regulate the actions of American citizens, without them people would be able to commit any crime, any wrongdoing that they feel is necessary to be "free" within themselves. To me, calling every law an 'evil' is not an enlightening thought, but rather an exaggeration. Yes, some laws may seem unnecessary and too restricting for people, but for every one of those laws there are several others that are truly meant to protect the lives and well being of Americans. For instance, I am completely against any law trying to stop the legalization of abortion.

So are my three sisters and my mother, and almost every other person in our family. Is this law an evil? To us, it definitely is. To many women across the country, it definitely is. But there are still people that believe abortion should be illegal, that women should not have the choice to control their own bodies and make crucial decisions affecting the rest of their lives. Laws are meant to be interpreted, as are human rights and the exact specifications that follow. How can one man say a law is good or evil, with another standing right next to him preaching the opposite? There are laws that cannot be seen as evil except by the people breaking them. Murderers, rapists, abusers, and thieves always deserve the punishments they are given. Or do they? Is the man who kills a child molester just as guilty of crime as the child molester himself? Who gets to decide this? Age determines how a person is tried under the court of law; is it fair to assume that a person sixteen years of age is not capable of the same thought process as a twenty year old? Maybe Bentham believes that laws are evil because they cannot be changed to suit the criminal.

In the short description of Jeremy Bentham, it states that he was a jurist. My initial reaction was that he served as a member of a jury. After researching the word, I discovered that it actually means having thorough knowledge and experience of the law. Bentham's definition of evil laws, in my opinion, must refer to the fact that every law prevents someone from making a choice about their actions. His quote also refers to the belief that the concept of liberty is important than any restrictions brought on by our nation's legal system. This seems ironic to me, that a man so educated on the law would portray such ideals. However, the quote could also be interpreted in another way. Bentham's statement might be one of sarcasm, on behalf of those citizens living at odds with the legal system. Perhaps after seeing so many legal issues and court cases in his lifetime, Bentham felt that there is no satisfying the American people.

The only way to make every single law "good" for all people is to abolish the laws altogether. I support our legal system; I feel it is necessary to punish those who commit crimes selfishly and cruelly. There are, however, aspects of it that I do not agree with. In a country as developed as ours, it seems barbaric to still have the death penalty in effect. Many supporters of capital punishment feel that the only fitting consequence for the most terrible crimes is death. I personally do not believe that any human being has the right to decide whether someone else should live or die. Also, many criminals turn to religion while in prison. If they believe they are receiving salvation after death, then dying is not a punishment but a relief. One of the Ten Commandments is "thou shall not kill." If the government can justify punishing criminals with death by saying it was deserved, are they not just as bad as the murderers who believe they have good reasons to kill? It is true that if I were to lose a family member or loved one to a murderer, I would definitely not be arguing to save their life. But I also know that I would have no more gratification with a death sentence then if they were forced to serve life without parole. Every law can be interpreted many different ways, and I believe that no one person can truly understand the importance of any one law until they have experienced it firsthand.

The second quote I found interesting is from Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach. This German philosopher said, "Religion is the dream of the human mind." I recently read a novel questioning many different religious beliefs and their backgrounds, and this quote reminded me of one of the ideas presented in the book. Religion does not have to have rules or definition; it can cater to each person's needs and influences. I like this quote in particular because to me it says that religion is more mental than physical. By this I mean that every physical action a person partakes in does not have to define their religious beliefs. One can disagree with the rules of a certain religion, and still be a person of faith and spirituality. For some people, attending a church for a specific amount of time a specific day of the week is not the way to praise God and show appreciation for his works. A person also should not be required to have certain 'qualifications'; past decisions and actions should not determine someone's "capability" to practice or belong to a religion. The Bible speaks of forgiveness, yet some extremely 'religious' people are the least likely to forgive and treat others with kindness. I was brought up going to a strict Catholic school, and as a result always thought of religion as a forced subject, like math or social studies. It was not until recently that I found religion on my own.

But before then, I always thought it was wrong to pressure young people into having a certain kind of faith. Religion should be about having a personal relationship with God, not attending mass and praying when you're told to. One cannot appreciate their faith if they are simply going through the motions to convince others they are doing the right thing. This quote is also interesting in the way it relates to economic thinking. Economists have often been called pessimists because of their realistic and sometimes negative thought processes. It sounds hopeful to think of religion as the human mind's wish to reach a higher place, and to believe in something more pure than life here on earth. However, I see that interpretation of religion as an atheist's view of what it means to have faith. Economists learn to think this way; to explore all options, all possibilities. A person with an economist's state of mind would entertain the idea that religion is only "the dream of the human mind." Perhaps we were not created by an all-powerful god; perhaps faith in God is something people need to justify the harsh realities of the world, and death in itself. When people dream it is of happiness, good fortune and things to come. Feuerbach's quote is meant to teach people that faith and religious beliefs do not need to follow a strict guideline in order to be sincere. Nothing that involves a person's beliefs, values, and way of life should be forced.

With all the pressures and expectations laid out for people in today's world, it is easy to lose sight of one's self-image. Mandeville Bernard said, "One of the greatest reasons why so few people understand themselves is that most writers are always teaching men what they should be, and hardly ever trouble their heads with telling them what they really are." I believe that everyone is different for a reason. People need to learn to appreciate what separates them from others, instead of wanting what they do not have. It is not uncommon to see a college student working hard to achieve a degree with the goal of satisfying their parents' wishes instead of their own. I know this from personal experience; I was well on my way to Ohio University before I realized that going to a four-year school and living in a dorm was not the right path for me. I felt I had to do everything to make everyone else happy. It was surprising to find out that when I told my parents the actual plans I had for my future they were not in the least bit upset. In fact, they were glad that I had finally chosen something that would make me happy in life.

I have three sisters, all of whom are or were straight-A students (one is my twin, the other two are twenty-eight and thirty-one years old) and I am finally okay with the fact that I do not have a lot in common with them when it comes to the things that motivate me and help me plan for the future. I have always been what is often called the "wild child," in everything from my actions to my appearance. For several years throughout high school and my first year of college I was torn between living up to the expectations of my family and being the person my friends and classmates thought I was. I have been told my whole life that I am the more outgoing, outspoken twin; the truth is until about six months ago I had such bad social anxiety I would worry about going to a store because of the fact I would have to speak to a sales associate. In high school it was not that extreme because I was used to living up to the person I felt I had to be. Part of me wanted to be the fun, loud, crazy girl, mostly for the illusion of confidence that comes with it.

I recently had a rough experience that affected my family and me, and changed how I see others and myself completely. I became pregnant with twins, a miracle because I am an identical twin and I was having fraternal twins (fraternal twins are hereditary, identical twins are freaks of nature; I am proud to be one!). No one else in my family had ever had fraternal twins; there is no reasonable explanation for why that happened to me. Those nine weeks before I miscarried may have been short, but for me it was the most important time of my life. I learned more about what I want out of life than I have ever known in my nineteen years on this earth. I started medication for anxiety and depression, and to be honest I have never felt more complete and at ease in my whole life. I know that growing up with a twin sibling is the best way to experience everything. My twin is my best friend; I can only hope that some day I can give my child the happiness I have known because of my sister. We are both not at all the emotional talk-about-our-feelings type, but we have an unspoken understanding that our lives are not meant to be lived alone, but shared with each other. I found out I was having twins from the ultra-sound nurse at an abortion clinic. I was scared and considering an abortion; I now know that I am capable of anything and there is no need to be afraid of any task I am given.

I will remember for the rest of my life how it felt when the nurse looked at me and said, "I see two." I immediately left the clinic with the realization that I had just paid two hundred dollars to finally learn to appreciate the miracle of life. I would have given every penny I had to that clinic if I knew it would help every girl in my situation realize what they can do in life (Abortion clinics don't just abort babies despite what critics believe; they offer counseling and female volunteers will even give out their personal cell phone numbers to girls in need of extra help). I would never consider an abortion again, even though my experience with pregnancy had not been a positive one. I still am thankful that all women have that option and can receive help. I pray that we never lose that right. I was sick twenty-four hours a day from week six through week nine; I was told the "morning" sickness started early because of the two pregnancies (morning sickness is a terrible term for it; I prefer to call it all-the-time-every-day sickness). Staying home alone all day during those three weeks gave me a lot of time to think. I realized that all my life I have been trying to live up to the expectations of others, which is what created this internal anxiety. I was never okay with the person I really was, and I never thought I was interesting enough or funny or cute or whatever else I felt I should have been.

Every experience in life is for learning and growing. I do not regret anything I have endured; only the hardships I have caused for others. One of my favorite sayings is "God never gives me anything I cannot handle; I just wish he didn't trust me so much." If God can trust us to deal with certain hardships, we should trust ourselves as well. I hope one day that every young girl can understand that being yourself is so much more beautiful than being someone else.