Here's the first, and it certainly won't be the last, of some notable quotes pulled from the book, "Christianity and Liberalism" by J. Gresham Machen as I read along.
The following is from the introduction, and it's one of those moments where I think the author veers a little off topic to add his own commentary on the context he finds himself. He's an American author, but having lived in the U.S. myself for 7 years I couldn't help but feel that his remarks still hold very true today. It's in regards to American politics, and while you may not be into that sort of thing I think it's still worth listening to.
...The whole development of modern society has tended mightily toward the limitation of the realm of freedom for the individual man. The tendency is most clearly seen in socialism; a socialistic state would mean the reduction to a minimum of the sphere of individual choice. Labor and recreation, under a socialistic government, would both be prescribed, and individual liberty would be gone. But the same tendency exhibits itself today even in those communities where the name of socialism is most abhorred. When once the majority has determined that a certain regime is beneficial, that regime without further hesitation is forced ruthlessly upon the individual man. It never seems to occur to modern legislatures that although "welfare" is good, forced welfare may be bad. In other words, utilitarianism is being carried out to its logical conclusions; in the interests of physical well-being the great principles of liberty are being thrown ruthlessly to the winds.
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