Freedom Or Happiness

[Etagloc]

Okay. So..... I'm not gonna invent a scenario with a genie or anything because there are so many varied religious sensibilities so I will not invent a detailed scenario....

but suppose you had to choose...

you can have freedom but not happiness

or you can have happiness but not freedom....

if you have to choose between happiness and freedom, which would you choose?

 

[Forever Light]

My question would be is it possible to be truly happy, unless you have freedom?

 

[Red Sky at Morning]

My question would be is it possible to be truly happy, unless you have freedom?

Since both are required for true joy, and for those who believe God created people with souls capable of desiring both, any religion or path that did not lead to a place of true freedom or real happiness must be false.

 

[JoChris]

Okay. So..... I'm not gonna invent a scenario with a genie or anything because there are so many varied religious sensibilities so I will not invent a detailed scenario....

but suppose you had to choose...

you can have freedom but not happiness

or you can have happiness but not freedom....

if you have to choose between happiness and freedom, which would you choose?

Freedom. I couldn't be happy without freedom.

 

[DesertRose]

This question touches upon all humans whether religious or not.....
speaking for myself:
Freedom is essential and happiness may follow.......
I am content with the freedom to follow Allah the Creator whose principles and laws are just and have enhanced my well being.
I am happy I am not shackled by the whims, conjecture and ideas of Created beings
I am on a journey of seeking nearness to the Creator despite any hardships and in spite of ease in this short life.
Eternal happiness is for the next life.
Quran 6:116
Sahih International
And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will mislead you from the way of Allah . They follow not except assumption, and they are not but falsifying

Quran 87:27-28
O serene soul!
Return to your Lord, well-pleased (with Him), well-pleasing (to Him).
(DR:May we Hear this, God willing.)

True Liberty:

 

[SpektaCoolAir]

depends on the definition of both since they vary from person to person

however this is the muslim view:

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the unbeliever.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2956

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Muslim

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏ الدُّنْيَا سِجْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِ وَجَنَّةُ الْكَافِرِ

2956 صحيح مسلم كتاب الزهد والرقائق

 

[Vytas]

Happiness, because now days it's easy to be not aware that your freedom are taken away, but happiness, you always know you have it or not...

 

[mecca]

The only good choice in this hypothetical question is happiness because if you choose freedom, you will never be happy again for the rest of your life, but if you choose happiness you will be happy forever and you won't even have to worry that you're not free.

But in real life I would pick freedom because I would still have the ability to be happy.

 

[Forever Light]

This world being a prison, is confirmed throughout Scripture. We are given the reasons for this and also why that is the case. But it also says that none of us were put here against our own free will. It says that we all chose to come here to submit to human limitations, in order to learn to be good.

The Law that God handed down to Moses, to give to the world is called "The Perfect Royal Laws of Liberty" in Scripture. And Christ came not to destroy The Law, but to fully preach (Greek: pleroo) it (Matthew 5:16-20). Christ said "Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free".

That is the key - to see this. And that The Law was given to us for our benefit - to help us. To ultimately set us free and to keep us free.

Christ also said, that in order to enter The Kingdom, one needs to make him or herself into a little child (spiritually) and be like the little children.

"The Arabic word islam means “absolute submission to the Will of God,” which is wrong, because God does not want souls to SUBMIT to His Will; He wants them to WANT to do His Will, joyfully, and to keep asking Him, ALL the time, to tell them what He wants them to do next." - The Way home or face The Fire

 

[skycoaster]

I would choose freedom before happiness, since I can never be happy just by being a slave to the system, so I would choose the former.