La..rne~ ~v-E?II)da.v>. --r-he. r-oltr f'f~ollYl5. II IE FOUR A-D7So<83 FREEDOMS R(v. Brendan CarneT\ o.P. The Hour of 3aith The Four Freedoms BY REV. BRENDAN· LARNEN, O. P. On the staff of the Ho ly Name Journal and Assistant Executive Secretary of the National legion of Decency. Four addresses delivered in the natioriwide Hour of Faith (p roduced by the Nationa( Council of Catholic Men, in cooperation with the BluE) Network, Inc.) from August 6, through August 27, 1944. Page Freedom of Speech ................................................. ~.............. ...... ..... . .................... 3 Freedom of Religion 8 Freedom from Want :-............................ , ............ ............................... ..... ,.......... .. 13 Freedom from Fear ............................... .............. .... ............................................. 18 OUR SUNDAY ViSITOR LIBRARY HUNT NGTON. ,"NOlANA NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC MEN 1312 Massachusetts Avenue, N. W. Washington 5, D. C. Printed and distributed by Our Sunday Visitor Huntington. Indiana ~ Nihil Obstat: REV. T. E. DILLON Censor Librorum \ Imprimatur : + JOHN FRANCIS NOLL, D.D . Bishop of Fort Wa yne .' FREE'DOM OF SPEECH (August 6, 1944) There is an error prevalent freedom meant the power to do among men that freedom is a com- exactly as they pleased, so long as paratively modern or new concept. it ,was to the apparent advantage However, worthwhile and effective of the German race ... " But freedom is as old as Aqam, for it real freedom, Archbishop Griffin goes back to the beginning of time concludes, is, " .. - . to do what one when the first man created by God should do rather than what , one was given the privil ege to be free -wants to do. " to do ' what is right. All freedom We Americans have always un- since then, down through the ages, derstood the importance of free- ha s been true freedom only when it dom, but we have not always un- was concerned with doing what was derstood its obligation or its re- right. Any other understanding ' spo nsibility: In other words, we of freedom than that it is the always realized how much freedom privilege to do what is right, is a me'ant to us, but , we have not - al- mistaken concept ot freedom. ways realized the meaning of free- The abuse of fr ee dom is neither dam. Our founding fathers achiev- comparatively new nor comparative- ed both. Since their time we have ly modern either. The first man , often groped toward a realization Adam, abused his freedom and suf- of freedom. Though we knew the f ered as , a consequence. What- definition, we did not always know ever man-made suffering has ibeen the reality. Had we known the inflicted upon humanity since the reality rather than the definition, -beginning of the world can be we would have been more f9rtu- traced to the abuse of freedom on nate. the part of man. One man's free- Twenty five years ago ,or so we dom should not. be another man's subscribed to an ideal which epi- s lavery, for freedom must be some- tomized the meaning of freedom. thing absolute and not something We sent our youth to an alien land relative. The present Archbishop of to fight that the world might be Westminster considei·s these two as- made safe for democracy. Within pects of freedom when he observes, the past quarter of a century we "The Nazis ' said they were fighting saw that great ideal become less for freedom .. . In fact for tnem and less a reality, so much so that THE FOUR FREEDOMS the years of peace which we enjoy- The first of the Four Freedoms · ed we~e merely an interlude be- is freedom of speech. Its respon- tween wars. We failed to achieve sibility should be respect for truth. the goal of the last war, we failed Respect for truth, of course, is · a to make the world safe for de- somewhat vague generality. It is mocracy, becalise we failed to make quite a nice sounding . phrase and democracy safe for the world. might remind us of those Harvard . Today we and practically all oth- men who attenaed George ' Santa- . / er peoples are suffering because we yana's lectures not to learn but to have abused our freedom. At pres- listen, for he talked so well they ent we assure ourselves that this didn't care what he said. Such a will not happen again. We have reaction is quite typical of uS Am- • even taken some definite steps to- ericans. We have continually suc- ward that goal. Lest we betray cumbed to phrase makers not for ourselves again when we assure what they said but for how they otlrselves and the world that free- said it . . After the last war we were dom will once more prevail among assured that we would fashion a men, this time we should consider brave new world and we agreed the obligations which freedom (en- to such a destiny without que1ftion, tails. We need not be too ex- so much so that what we actually haustive or exhausting ,in such a created was a grave old world. We consideration. We can, for in- never evaluated the words to de- stance, confine ourselves to the Four termine whether they conformed to Freedoms and analyze them. objective reality or not, for we Such an analysis will disclose were attracted not to truth but to whether these four freedoms will truisms. provide a sound basis for a worth- Henceforth . freedom of speeGh while post war world. Such an cannot mean freedom to say any- analysis will also disclose that each thing whether it be true or not. of these freedoms, if they ar~ to be realized and effective, demands responsibility on the part of those privileged to enjoy it. Thus if these four freedoms are found to be valid, they will demand a world or a society based upon rights and responsibilities which are mutually inclusive. Instead it must mean that we are morally free only ' to speak the truth. Of course, some believe or at least practice the principle that truth is relative, that theJe is no such thing as absolute truth. They seem to believe that that which is expedient is true; or if they don't reall~ believe it in their hearts, at FREEDOM OF SPEE'CH least they act as if they did. Herein fices will never again be necessary, lies the greatest error . of our age. should truth prevail among men. -. Such an error created the situation This will mean that men will have which we witnessed at Munich in to be honest with each oth-er, and October 1938. At that time 'Hitl~r as 'a consequence nations will be said that he had no further terri- honest, for a nation is as moral toiial ambitions and Chamberlain as its citizens. If truth be re- was quite certain that h~ had spected among men, there will be ~ achieved peace 'in our times. The np cause for dispute among them. confidence of Chamberlain ~nd the Instead . there will be peace, not. deception of Hitler arose from the the peace which came after the last fact that the one believed that the war and which was irreverently other meant what he said whereas described as the peace that "sur- he lied. In a world where the passeth all understanding." In- leaders of men and nations reject stead it will be a peace that can , absolute truth arid admit only a 80- be described ·in the words of a called truth that is relative to their great American as one with malice personal ~r national convenience, toward none and charity toward all. how can anyone trust another? Our American lroritage, if it is Our American boys who rest be- anything, is a · respect for truth. neath the poppies' of Flan.ders Respect for truth is so essential Fields since 1918, did not die that a part of justice that without truth Hitler might ruin the :vorld twenty there will be no justice among J;llen years later: Our 4merican boys and, without justice there will who die on the beachheads of Nor- be no fruth. Equal justice for all mandy are not throwing away is the principle that created our their bright young lives that nation and has made our nation twenty years hence anothergen- great. Thus if freedom to speak eration of American youth will the truth means freedom of speech, have to. go forth again to save the freedom of speech is very import- world. In fact, the next- genera- ant to us , If it means anything tion of our youth may be reluctant less, then we are mocking God when to do so. They may have a casual we say, "In 'God we trust." God knowledge of history and decide is not mocked. God wants the truth that the world which their elders to _be spoken, for as Saint Augus- have continually ruined, is not worth the effort. Such ruthless and . bloody sacri- tine advises, " . . , tell the truth, God hath no need for a lie." God is truth. He created us as 6 THE FOUR FREEDOMS unique beings, creatures who could concluded that the ir generation .had spea.k the truth. He -gave us that been sacrificed in vain. Some of precious gift of speech to reveal them believed; as one of their oJn -our thoughts-not to conceal them, had described it, that war was an as the cynic would have it. We idiot's delight. Some who were then have the responsibility to our more discerning wondered who fellow men, to our nation, but more were the idiots. None of them liked so to God,_ to use and never to abuse to think that the bitter joke was the gift of speech Some day we on themselves. will have to aC,count to God for how we used that gift. God will not be impressed if we explain that' we We don't want another lost gen- eration after this ' War. We don't want another bitter joke visited spurned freedom of speech and its upon our youth. But such might be- responsibility because it was a de- come the fact if the Four Freedoms vice conjured lip ~y a political party. - become ' no more significant than the, ideal of making the world safe Truth is not a matter of political for democracy. . Tfius Hie ominous party affiliation. Nor is it a mat- tendency r.egarding the Four Free- tel' of prej udice., It is instead a . matter of facing facts or reality. Our world between wars refused to do ' so. We particularly betrayed our youth in this regard. They doms wEich is somewhat. prevalent today-that attitude that the Four Freedoms -are just hollow words- must be guarded against. Let us guard the Four Freedoms until in turn lost their moorings, so somet0ing better and more effective much so that the current literature can be proposed in their stead. Un- of the era described them as the less we want another hollow victory lost generation, or the beaut.ijul and and another futile peace, we must' the dam'(ied. They remembered the guarantee these . freedoms. anguished cries of their ~,oved ones Our youth who are fighting this who a few brief years before had war for us, our youth who are to died to save the world. They sa:w continue this great nation of ours, that the world -had not been saved. must not be .deceived. They must Their world could have been, but not make sacrifices in vai~. Their would not be, saved, because of the destiny must not be to face another duplicity of -men. In fact duriI}g war in another few decades. ' In- those years duplicity and diplomacy stead they must be ) assured first became synonymous. Logically they. orall that freedom of speech means' FREED-OM OF SPEECH 7 something-that it means' the free- dom to speak the truth-that it is the instrument whereby justice united to found and further a re- " public of the people, by the peo- ple, and for the people. Truth and may prevail among men . and na- honesty, as well as justice whence tlons. That's what they want, and they sprung, were the motivating that's what I we must give them. forces that created America. Such Together we and our youth can was America of the past. Such build a better world ' if we accept should be America of the future . tlJ.is responsibility of speaking the America was built llpon the fear • tJmth. If we become or remain and love of God, ,respect for neigh- prejudiced or personal regarding ])or and for country, with truth , freedom of speech, then we are in- as the integrating factor. Som'e- viting , our own , ruination. We thing , of that national structure don't have to be Republicans or has vanished: It must be restored Democrats to fight to maintain thi~ on the firm bases of truth, relig- freedom. We only have ' to be Am- ion, humanity, and patriotism. It ericans. No' political or personal will be if thes~ four freedoms for prejudices have intruded them- which we fight become effective. selves in the fighting of this war. They are not exactly new, for they Our army and our navy know no are implicitly contained in the Bill such distinction. None should pre- of Rights wpich is , a,s old, as Am- vail in the making of the peace erica itself. They have made our either. Instead there should be country a great country, and they some objective thinking, free from alone can keep it great: But of prejudice, to guide us. them all, perhaps freedom of speech Such 'a condition prevailed in the is the most important, for it is the making of America. All the var- freedom to speak the truth, and the ious and dissident e~ements were truth will make us -free. . , F'REE~DOM OF REL:IGION (August 13, 1944) ' There was once a little girl who No matter what creed may sepa- began to draw a picture of God. rate us from our 'fellow Americans When one of her elders informed in religious belief, we are all united her that nolbody knew what God in a religious ,sense by the primary lpoked like, she replied, "They will demand of all religion ,and all after I'm finished." Each of us, ethics worthy of the name, in that like this little child, ' has some con- we obey our conscience, for consci- cept of God. It may not be ac- ence is the immediate norm of all curate and it may not be authentic; morality. Thus we cannot ' quarrel but it is nevertheless a reality for with any man who follows his con- us. Even the atheist' has to think science. We may !believe, and even of God to deny His existence. God rightly, that his is an erroneous is a reality which we either affirm conscience. We may try, and even or deny. Most of us affirm the rightly too, to correct his consci- reality even though our affirma- ence. But we cannot in justice tions differ. Despite these indif- deny him the right to do what he ferences which divide us regard- believes to be his conscientious ing the reality of q.od, practically duty. all of us are united in 'the common Conscience then and not contro- v,ersy should be tb,e main concern belief, the unassailwble conviction, that God does exist. in any consideration of the freedom of God -of r eligion or the freedom of wor-This acknowledgment has ~ always been characteristic of Americans. Ever since the days . of the founding fathers of our re- public, we have at least officially recognized the sovereignty of God. The fact that sixty of our many millions' do not attend church ser- ship. This does not mean that we have to agree with the tenets of \ any particular religious faith . It does not mean that we have to as- sent to such tenets. But it does mean that every man has the right to believe and to worship according v}ces, is not our fault but theirs, to his conscience. We cannot, either for here in America we can at- as ~incere religious people or as tend church services and we can American citizens, deny tlie right worship God according to the dic- of conscience. tates of conscience. There are, however, two inher- FREEUOM OF RELIGION 9 ent d!\Vgers in freedom of worship. in arms to conquer a common en- ' One is fanaticism and the other is emy, while they fall together' on indifferentism. One is due to an the field of battle, while they lan- , excess of religion and the other is guish together in the enemy pri- caused by a defect of religion. One son camp, while they live and die of them is just as inimical to Am- together for the four Freedoms erican interests as the other. Neith- which can be so important in the er of them will make any ' contri- remaking of the modern world, bution to the common good, of our here on the home front we ' give nation nor prove in ' any way help- battle to each other for .no just ' fnl in rescuing mankind from the cause. N arne calling, accJisations, chaos in which the world is now vandalism, and social irritatjon jn • submerged. ' the name of religion, make a mock- Th ld 4' f t·· ery of the sacrifice which our fel- e 0 type 0... ana lClsm . . .. . ' low- Amencans are makmg on the ' whIch occasIOnally occurred m Am- , I bIb ttl f - t . . ' . goa a e ron . ' enca was , based on rehgIOus If there is any time when it grounds. It was stife between one might be true, it is today, that the religion and another. _ Gradually old American custom of not mix- _ we became intellectually mature ing religion with politics should enough to realize that such dis- b b d Of thO d . . . . e 0 serve . course, IS oes senSIOn avaIled nothmg, that nelth- · t th t th t b b . no mean a e cus om e 0 - er side achieved anythmg, that ser,ved as it was by a , dishonest both parties to the controversy suf- ward,heeler, who excused his dis- fered unnecessarily. honesty and squared his conduct Today, however, a new type of' with his conscience on the ground relig ious dissension or strife is that he never mixed his religion cropping up throughout our land . with his politics. Those who mix • It threatens pa rticula rly our unity religion with politics _ violate not as a people. Fanatics and dema- only freedom of worship by quest- gogues would have us believe that ioning the patriotism of their fel- /because a man assents to a certain low Americans because of their re- religious creed, he is thereby an ligious beliefs, but they also vio- advocate or an adherent of one of late freedom of speech if it means, the detestable state-centered philo- as it should, the freedom to speak sophies which have _ruined modern the truth; for all the attacks Europe. While the Protestant, the against religious groups or per- .Jew, and the Catholic are united sons of a religious group, based , , f 10 THE FOUR FREEDOMS on political reasons, upon analysis prove not ' to be true. positive contdbution toward the , Four Freedoms. We are achieving Real religion demands real ' pa- for ourselves and for all men that triotism. You cannot have the one one world which Mr. Willkie pop- without the other. If a man is ularized quite recently. If we wish using his religi.on to be subversive, to yield to excessive reJigious act- then he' is not religious. Real re- ivity, let us find something pos- ligion produces patriots not trai- itive to satisfy such excess. If ~e tors. Thus it is dishon.est to al- concentrate on the fulfillment of lege tha;t because a man is a good that commandment of the love of Jew, he.is a Communist; that be- neighbor with all the excess, all cause a man' is a good Catholic, the fanatiCism we can summon, we he is a Fascist. will be doing a , real service to God When we begin to aJlow a denial and 'country. If we do this we . of truth and a denial of religion won't have much time, if any, for in American life, then we are be baiting other people or other creeds. ginning to. prepare for ou'r own · Instead we will be busy all the day ruination. Real ~mericanism has long, doing the will of God. Which been founded upon truth and reli- is not true when we engage in gion. ,' We consider both to be quite witch hunting. Irwe want to be important, so much s6 that we are religious, if we want to be patriotic, sacrificing or risking the lives of we need to love our neighbor. millions of our youth that they Some, of ns need to be reminded may prevail in our land, that, they or taught that religion has a global provide a plan or a way of life a!3pect, that 'there is no isolation for other peoples to begin again to in the works of religion. Real re- live in peace. There is n9 place ligion 9.emands that everyone with- in our land, or in any land for that ont exception be considered , one's .. , matter, for the crackpot fanatic or neighibor. Thus to enjoy the piiv- demagogue who would create sns- ilege and ,fulfill the responsibility picion and distrust because of the of freedom of worship, we must re- religious creeds that we as indi- spect not only the rights of God viduals may profess. but also those of our neighbor, for When we begin to become more he, too, is a creature of God and conscientious about that command- made to God's image and likeness. ment of God which demands that, There is another aspect of free- "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as dom of religion which must be thyself," then we are making a considered. Freedom of religion, FREEDOM OF RE'LIGION 11 or worship, does not mean freedom heaven. But OUT prophets of that from religion. Freedom means to day assured us that heaven was do what is right.. When freedom here upon earth . . We were also ceases to mean just that, it ceases assured' that the greatest achieve- to be freedom. Thus we must ne. ment of the twentieth century man cessarily exercise freedom of wor- would be that Be could enjoy hea- 'Ship in the right way. This free- ven upon, earth. dom really~means freedom for re- Something happened,. however, ligion. .We must worship · God. A for heaven didn't materalize. In- misinterpretation of this freedom stead -things began to become pro- of worship might suggest that wor- gressively worse rather than better. ship of God is a matter of per- First there was a world-wide ec-' sonal choice, something one ·is free onomic collapse. Then there fol- to do or not to do. We cannot be indifferent to God -not because God might then be- come indifferent to us, not mere- ly .because He might punish us for lowed a growing p·olitical collapse. Then cam€ rumors of war. Final- ly there was war itself: Twentieth century man with all his ability and all his achievement will go our neglect-but because we 'are down in history as having done His creatures, made to s€rve' Him nothing , better than that he tried in this world and to help others to destr-oy himseI,f. do the same. It may !be difficult for us to realize this fact, for we N ow we are starkly and grimly aware that of ourselves we can do belong to a world that until quite recently labored under the delusion nothing, that without God we will that it did not need God. achieve nothing. So with the help The prevalent philosophy of our of God we now fight for our sur- - times has been that God was not vi val. ·With · His heip too we can very important. That it was 'very relbuild our world. But this time nice, and quaint perhaps, that peo- we must realize and benefit by the pIe really believed in God, was the past instead of having to learn a,gain the hard way that we n€ed God. Our freedom of religion guar- reaction of many. They were indif- ferent to God. They w€re quite . d th t th If f imtees us the easy way· of learnin g conVlllce a ey were se -su - ficient. Fifteen years ago they . couldn't" believe otherwise. Those who believed in God, did so mere- ly because they wanted to get to that lesson. During this period of trial it is not too difficult to remember God, for we know that with Him we can 12 THE FOUR FREEDOMS do everything. But when peace consider them separately. They and prosperity, security and seren- have put us on God's side, they will ity, are ours again, we may forget keep us on God's side, and "with God. Or if we don't forget Him, God we need fear no enemy. we may challenge Him either by If we remain on God's side, and our indifference or by our ungodly use freedom of speech to speak the religious excess. In other words ,t.ruth, freedom of religion to wor- if we refuse to worship God or if ship God according to the dictates we hinder others in their worship of Him, we are spurning His .good- ness and inviting His wrath. . This will not happen, however, if we readjust our lives and build them on the bases which the Four of our conscience, we will have two instruments to effect a worthwhile post-war world. With these two we'll - make America greater" i;han it ever was before, and we will show the rest of the world an ideal Freedoms provide. Truth and re- to be attainedr-peace among men ligion are two of these, so irretrie- of good will and good will among vably linked that it is difficult to men of peace. FREEDOM FROM WANT (August 20, 1944) Fifteen years ago a great many other depression. So we may be- ' thought we were a people economic- come fearful when we hear th'e ally secure. Within a year we dire warning of some of our con- knew we ,were a people dangerously temporary minor prophets who insecure. Within that year our forsee an " even greater depression whole economic perspective had - so after this war. changed that we could refer face,. N oyv we as Americans should not tiously to the previous years of fear the future. Nor should we plenty as the years B. C., the years fear another depression . In fact, before the crash. Most of us still we should expect a reassuring fu- remember those terrible dark days ture. There is no need for a de- during the fall of 1929 when the pression in our land or among our bottom fell out of the market, as people. We not only can prevent the saying went. Millionaires were such " a disaster, but we must. We reduced t<1 penury. Fortunes wh~ch were once told that we had a ren- had " been made over night, van- dezvous with destiny. This indeed ished more quickly. Despite it all, is our destiny. we still retained our sense of humor. Our beloved land should never It was mordant humor on occasion, again force its citizens to beg for so much so that wh en an apparently their bread. Our sidewalks should affluent guest registered at' a hotel never again see our fellow Amer- in those days, we could wonder icans selling apples that they might whether he was engaging a room survive. We should never again for sleep or- suicide. have to destroy our livestock and With understatement we called our food supply to achieve an eco- the era which followed the collapse, the depression. We would have been more accurate had we termed it the devastation. But.we strug- gled through those depression ye~rs and once again we gained at least a semblance of economic security. Of course, we have yet to count the cost. But we wouldn't welcome an- nomic balance. The lyric, Brothe1', Can You Spare a Dime, should nev- " - . er again characterize our times. So today we must prepare and be vig- iJi:mt lest tomorrow we have to beg for our daily bread, sell apples that we might survive, resort to ques- tionable economics in a desperate attempt to save ourselves. • I 14 THE FOUR FREEDOMS We saw our fellow Americans FLS much an enemy to our national starve while they were being as- security and integrity as are all 'sured that prosperity was just our other enemies, past, present, around · the ,corner, that everyone and to come. ,As a member of the would have a chicken in his pot family of nation s we must assist and two ca·rs in his garage. These other nations overcome with pov- promises were made in good faith erty and destitution. But we must while our people suffered. But first be concerned a;bout ourselves, promises, whether made in good faith or not, do not solve the prob- lem of hunger or need. Such was our hi story. It is a history that must not be repeated. for unless we are secure, we can· not help others to become secure. The attainment of national se- curity is proving costly; but ours will be a hollow victory if all our Perhaps from experience we are sacrifice and all · our effort result skeptical of the assurance that in in a world in which there will be the posbvar 'world we shall enjoy widespread hunger and need amidst freedom from want . . We want free- plenty. Should this happen, then dam from want and we look to our leaders to provide it. But our lead- . ers will be helpless and freedom from want will not be attained un- less el;lch of us realizes the respon- sibility such a quest places upon us. The attainment of freedom from want ' demands c.oncern for one's neighbor. Real Christian and we will have broken faith with our heroic maimed and de~d. Their sacrifice, whether great or smail, was made that economic insecurity might never again harass their fel- lowmen. . /.. Of course there will always be some poverty among the peoples of the world. There are some people religious thought considers every wh~ are incorrigible paupers. Per.- one without exception as one's haps it was they, as well as those neighbor: So, whether we know it who were simply innocent victims or like it, we are our brother's of misfortune, whom Christ had keeper. • in mind when He assured uS" that Poverty and destruction are -our the poor would -always be with us : common enemy as much as are the Toward them we can at least be totalitarian forces which threaten kind and patient. But we are not us. We can ' no more ignore them res-ponsible for their irresponsi- than we can the enemy which con- bility. fronts us on our military battle- However, there is no justification front. Poverty and destitution are among civilized and reli gious peo- FREEDOM FROM WANT i5 pIe for enforced poverty. The man Vigilance for the security of our who is willing to earn his liveli- nei ghbor is our obligation. When hood should never be denied that we f ail to fulfill thi s obligation we right. It really becomes a horri ble are, like to those who would vic- indictment of our society or any timize or exploit us, for we then society that the right to livelihood become like they, selfish. We, like be denied ,any honest and respon- they, have failed to be our brother's sible man. If fre~dom from want keeper. Mere civic pride, mere de- " means anything at all, it mu st at cency alone, will not be sufficient ,least mea n that every man who is to keep want from prevailing willing to earn hi s economic secur- among us again, We mu st be mo- ity, be allowed to d,o so. tivated and pro~pted by something Some will insist that all this is greater. We must be consciolis of solely an economic problem, one the fact that we are part of God' s which only economists can solve. created world, that He has given But primarily justice is at the root us an opportunity to work out our of ' the problem of destitution. Good salvati'on or ruination, that He has economics, of course, will put jus- endowed us 'with ' an intelligence to tice in action. But economics with- equip us adequately for that task, out justice will effect nothing that He has given us talents, five worthwhile or enduring. or ' two, or merely one. We must If there be injustice among us, use them not solely for ourselves it is not the fault of our govern- but for our fellow men as well, not ment, but our fault, for we make solely out of love of man but more our government what it is. If so out ' of love of God who made vested interests and economic roy- man. IJe expects a return on those alists can exploit and victimize us, talents, not merely the return -of again we 'are guilty, for we have the talents. failed to control such exploitation .Freedom from want, then, has and victimization. Unless we con- particular pertinence for us, for it trol them, we are tolerating a con- is a corollary of the freedoms of dition which was a contributing fac- speech and religion. Freedom of tor in the ruin of Europe. We must s'peech demands respect for truth, : guard the just , social gains which freedom of religion demands r e- we have achieved in the past dozen spect for God. Neither is nar- years. These gains will be ef- row; both are universal. In them- fective only insofar as we as a peo- selves they should be sufficient to pIe make them effective. assur~ .a worthwhile post-war :,"orld. , . 16 THE FOUR FREEDOMS They are, however, general; where- the sake of God-which someone as freedom from want and freedom once observed should begin at. home from fear, which are their conse- b.ut should not remain there. quences, have to do with the specific Free,dom from want is perhaps relationship which we have with the easiest to achieve. Ironically, a our fellow-man. In resp'ect of free- national disaster shows us the way dom from want, we consider man as of achieveIrlent . . When we went to an individual; in respect of free- .war in 1941 our President assured dom from fear, we consider him as a member of society. us that we would win the war and that . we would win the peace. Ip. other words, . these four free- Thanks be to God we are well on doms are concerned with man and the Way toward winning the war. With God's help and our own good will, we can win the peace too. But his nature. Because he is an in- tellectual or rational creature, he should be free to speak the truth. when we' entered the war there Because he is a creature of God, he were peoples in other lands who should be free to worship God ac:' didn't think We could win. They cording to the dictates of his con- referred to us contemptuously as science. Because he has to work plutocratic democrats. They as~ out his material and spiritual sal- vation here on earth, he should be free from anything that might men- ace such a destiny. Because he is a ' social animal, he 'should be free from all the fears that any .person br any group might inflict upon him sured us that they, the master races, would be supreme for at least a thousand years. They thought that we were soft and 'ef- fete. But despite our plutocracy and democracy, our softness and ef- feteness, quite suddenly we proved that would prevent him from tak- ourselves to be hard and tough. The ing his place in society and con- tributing to its well being. The structure of these four free- reason we became so strong and sturdy was because we became a united people, engaged in an all-out doms is quite basic and essential, effort to conquer a common enemy. something that can and. should in- tegrate man's whole. life. Noone Lest hunger and destitution of them is more important than the again threaten us as common ene- other. They all demand for their mies, we must remain a · united fulfillment the exercise of the char- people, engaged in an all-out ef- ity of Christ-that love of God for fort to conquer both. We have His sake and love of neigh~or for shown ourselves how tremendously FREEDOM FROM WANT 17 great and unselfish we can be dirr- \ to God for them. We will not neg- ing war. We need to be equally lect them, and we will fulfill our so during peace, lest our fellow men respon sibility to God if we are de- suffer. We are too great and too termined that never, through our fortunate a people to n,eglect our fault, need any man beg for a crust fellow men, for we are responsible of bread . • 20 THE FOUR FREEDOMS - Patriotism is not enough to pre- fear of reprisal. · Fear for se~urity, serve freedom from fear . Patriot- fear of violence have been the iSI!l can ,be and has ,been, ' as a jocose means of gainfng votes 'in Ameri- lexicographe r once defined it, the can communities and building up last refuge of a scoundrel. Both Hit- political machines. This should not ler and Mussolini appealed to their be. peoples' patriotism to further their The happy medium which free- own evil schemes. Because their dom from fear should achieve is peoples succumbed to the plea of the consciousness that the admin- patriotism, they soon found them- istration we have chosen ,is our ser- selves enslaved, for they sacrificed, vant; that it holds a position of r e- in the name of patriotism, their sponsibility to us. If it fails to rights as citizens. Had they been- satisfy us, then we can by ' due less concerned w~th a greater Ger- democratic process elect another many or ·an imperial Italy, and more administration to govern us. If it concerned about mainta ining a gov- s ucceeds in satisfying us, insofar ernment thl!t would serve them and as any ruling body can succ~ed in satisfy their legitimate needs, they satisfying its citizens, it is our would not be the unfortunate peo- right and privilege to determine pIes they are today. whether we wish to continue such It is the precious heritage of an administration or choose an- Americans to enjoy- a government other. Always we must remember of the people, by the people, and that we have chosen our govern- for the people. Such a government ment. will not rule by fear. Such a gov- The responsibility of good gov- ernment instead will preserve every ernment then is ours. Freedom citizen from a regime of fear. Such from fear imposes that responsibil- a government, of course, requires ity upon us. If we shirk the respon- political machinery, but it has no sibility, we spurn the freedom. As need of unscrupulous political ma- a consequence we may invite a chines. If there ' is one danger which regime of tyranny. We do this Americans must guard against, it is often by the abuse of our 'citizen- the unscrupulous political machine. ship, either by excess or defect. Most of us are acquainted w ith We need not be, of cours.e, like, them. Some, we know, are ruled by the omniscient critic who believes petty tyrants; others by benevolent and preaches as a fir st principle despots. In either case the hold that the government cannot do upon the individual voter is due to right. He has a prejudgment to FREEDOM FROM FEAR 21 the effect that the government is hardly worthy .of either the dIs- always going to do wrong. We tiriction or the name, who believes should be ·criti£al of the government that the government is hopelessly when it fai ls to se rve our interests; corrupt, absolutely unregenerate, but we have no right in justice 01' and that there is nothing at all otllerwi se to criticize the govern- which he can do to r emedy the sit- , ment m erely because it is the gov- uation. Now this is not true of ernment. Our government has o~r government. Nor is it true made mi stakes, is m aking mistakes that this type of citizen is so help- right now, and will make mi stakes less that h e can do nothing to pro- in the future-because our govern- vide and fur t her good government. ment is .human'. So are we, and As long as the right to vote prevails even you and I make mistakes. But in our republic, we Americans if we we do not immedi a tely conclude so de sire can have the best gov- therefore that we can do Nothing ernment possl'ble among men. else but make mistakes. Nor should Today we concJ.ude the considera- tion of the Four Freedoms. They admit of many interpretations. The we conclude ,that our government does nothing else ~but m ake mi s- takes. one which I proposed during these This type of carping criticism is four talks is not mine. It is in- unjust and not worthy of a people who believe in a democratic form of government. It tends to make many of our less discerning and more impressionable fellow citizens lose confidence in th e government, believe that all government officials stead an interpretation based on sound religious thought and tra- diti on. Perhaps we will never achieve all its idealistic implica- tions. But i:( we are religious and just, we must try to do so. As crea- tures of God ' and brothers of our are either knaves or fool s. Such fellow men, we have the responsi- thinking eventually leads . to di s- bility to do our utmost to have re- trust of democracy, and prepares the way for a far le ss enjoyable and less ben eficent form of government. The most common sin against the responsibility that · freedom from . fear imposes on us, consists in an indifference to the government, and as a consequence to one's country. There is a ce,rtain "type of citizen, ligion, honesty, humanitarianism, an d patriotism prevail in this world