I am a child of the late 60’s and early 70’s, finishing high school in 1969 and college in 1973. Alongside memories of race riots and anti-Vietnam war protests are memories of picture and video reports of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, better known as Woodstock. It occurred August 15-18, 1969, when several hundred thousand individuals descended on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, NY, 40 miles southwest of the town of Woodstock. My perception of Woodstock today is that depending on the individual, motivation for being there was primarily to experience any one of four things: be part of such a significant happening, listen to some of the greatest musicians of that day, experience sex under the banner of “free love,” or do drugs (particularly marijuana) without fear of reprisal from the authorities.
Fifty-three years later as we look at our society and culture, it is quite evident that over time two of those motivations have taken root and are now in full flower– the desire to experience sex freely without restraint or consequence, and freedom to use marijuana recreationally without fear of running afoul of the law. Today many people believe casual sex without moral restraints to be fine as long as the experience is consensual. Nineteen states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, with many in our culture considering it as harmless, even if they do not use it personally.
Our culture has been set free from sexual and drug restraints, but at what price? How are these two freedoms working out for us as a society? Recently I read two articles which speak to that question. One was a blog by John Stonestreet and Kasey Leander. In their May 20, 2022, daily BreakPoint blog, they cited a recent opinion column that was published in the New York Times authored by Christine Emba, author of Rethinking Sex, a Provocation. In her column she said, “In every other situation common to the human experience—eating, drinking, exercising, even email—we have come to realize that limits produce healthier results. It is unlikely that sex and relationships are exceptions to the rule. An unrestrained sexual culture has not necessarily led to better sex for all or to better relationships. In many cases it has inspired numbness, callousness, hurting others and being hurt. And rather than being titillating, sexual overload has become boring.” Later she added, “Getting rid of the old rules and replacing them with the norm of consent was supposed to make us happy. Instead, many people today feel a bit…lost.” Stonestreet and Leander also cited a CNN report on Valentine’s Day 2022, which reported that “Americans [are] less likely to have sex, partner up and get married than ever.” 1
The second article, titled “Cannabis and the Violent Crime Surge,” was authored by Allysia Finley, a member of the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal. It was published in the June 6, 2022, edition of Wall Street Journal. In her article she cited growing evidence of the price we’re paying as a society for not only legalizing marijuana, but for doing so at a time when “marijuana nowadays on average is four times as potent as 1995”, and “can include 20 times as much THC as joints did in the 1960’s.” She cites several examples of the price we’re paying for that freedom, especially among our youth: 1 in 6 youth who start using marijuana before 18 are becoming addicted, leading to the psychological and social problems that accompany addiction. A 2021 study concluded that young people with depression who also were addicted to pot were “3.2 times more likely to commit self-harm and die of homicide—often after initiating violence—than those who weren’t.” A meta-analysis has revealed a risk in young adults who use marijuana, that they are twice as likely to perpetrate violence than those who don’t.2
These examples remind us that the search for freedom is a tricky thing. If based on faulty values/information, our search can lead us to pay a price we never expected or bargained for. How can we ensure that our search for freedom leads to true freedom with the payoff we desire? The key is understanding that true freedom is grounded in truth, but not just any truth. There is true truth which conforms to reality. There is false truth that doesn’t. Follow false truth—information and counsel that does not conform to reality—and the freedom you seek won’t be there. Follow true truth—the wisdom and counsel that does conform to reality—and the freedom and benefits you desire will be there.
How can we know what is true truth in a day and time when truth has been stripped of its power in the belief that truth is totally left up to each individual and can change according to the circumstance? The Bible says we find it in a relationship with a person who not only knows truth, but who Himself is Truth. That person is Jesus Christ, who once said of Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life….”, and added, “If you abide in my word…., you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (John 14:6, John 8:32, NASB). True freedom can only be found in Him and the wisdom for living found in His Word. And that’s the truth.
1Christine Emba, Rethinking Sex, a Provocation, as cited by John Stonestreet and Kasey Leander in their May20, 2022 BreakPoint blog.
2Allysia Finley, “Cannabis and the Violent Crime Surge”, (New York: Wall Street Journal, June 6, 2022.)
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