Andrew Young said, “There can be no democracy without truth. There can be no truth without controversy, there can be no change without freedom. Without freedom there can be no progress.” What is Creator’s perspective?

This quotation nicely sums up the progression of seriousness that novel ideas can lead to. First, to challenge those who are asleep, then to stir up curiosity and perhaps even a desire to explore something new themselves or participate in a further dialogue that might eventually lead to joining forces as a compatriot in an attempt to change the status quo in order to move things forward. Change can always be problematical to some degree. There will always be gatekeepers, conventional thinkers, and naysayers who will disagree and discourage a contrarian view. They might not only refuse to participate but actively oppose a potential change agent bringing something new to the scene. It is one thing when one must either win over or go against their peers and quite another when it involves dealing with higher levels of authority who have the power not only to say no but to reinforce that with barriers and even active punishment. People who are triggered to fear change and assume that a change will bring harm to them will resist, not only arguing and discouraging the would-be change agent but perhaps blocking their way actively. People in authority often dispatch their power all too readily and, in order to preserve the status quo, will judge others and act harshly against them. This is how people can be controlled, even on a societal level, to become subjugated, beaten down, and diminished. Such an end result is an abrogation of freedom. In a free world, people who disagree can usually leave to go elsewhere and live on their own or with other like-minded individuals, but will not be squelched, let alone imprisoned for their beliefs and inner convictions, including their desire to take a different path. Freedom does not mean a free-for-all, a state of chaotic independent actions from individuals following their own instincts willy-nilly, and taking on all-comers to impose their own views and block the efforts of those who disagree, even with physical restraint. So the ideal of freedom incorporates levels of discernment and even wisdom in knowing how far to take a difference of opinion, when to be forceful, when to be measured and, in particular, work towards developing a set of rules for how to work through disagreements and come to a fair and just way to arbitrate important controversies—that is quite necessary for modern civilization to exist.