Jesus would dispute Turnbull’s view of freedom, claims Archbishop Peter Jensen

In his final Boyer lecture, broadcast this Sunday on ABC Radio National at 5pm, Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Dr Peter Jensen is critical of prominent Liberal MP Malcolm Turnbull's outlook on individual freedom.

Dr Jensen says that a recent statement by Turnbull about freedom is unrealistic, and, moreover, would be disputed by Jesus himself.

The Archbishop challenges Turnbull's assertion that people who advocate the restriction of freedom do so because they mistrust human nature and others' ability to make the right choice, and says that:
"The real issue is: can we trust each other to use our freedom well? Will my freedom to bargain be at the expense of your ability to look after your family? Will my freedom to open my shopping mall on weekends be at the expense of your freedom to have a weekend off from work, at the same time as the rest of your family?'

The Archbishop challenges the Liberal Party and the Labor Party to discuss their own origins because "the society in which it exists has changed its nature in a way which endangers true freedom' and he recommends that the other political parties have the same internal debate.

Dr Jensen believes that freedom is not the same as individualism and that to attain a free society, people must pay attention to its moral health:

"A moral society can only arise when we understand the truth about human nature, that it contains evil as well as good.'

Dr Jensen's final Boyer lecture, titled "Jesus, Freedom, and the Choices We Make', is broadcast on ABC Radio National this Sunday at 5pm, replayed Tuesday at 1pm.