I'm not even sure "freedom lover" will always be the "label" that would bind folds that are indeed interested in freedom.

Even the word "freedom" has been used by many different people to mean different things. From my own experience, as a kid, growing up in a "Reformed" Christian background (at least they motivated me to think, god bless them), "freedom" had it's own meaning.. the "freedom" to do what is "right" in so far as what the elders decided.

in time, that's why I've used my own play on words, with regard to my name..."ianism"... and taken on the slogan of "student of all, disciple of none," while also asserting, like Thomas Paine, my church is my mind.

Indeed, Sunni's "freedom" in some ways, might not be the same as "Ian's Freedom," in that both us might have our own personal "boundaries" in so far as any particular activity or even interest is concerned.

If I can use the false analogy of what some call "freedom of expression" - by all means, I'll do what I can to guarantee your freedom of expression on your own property, but I can't gaurantee that you will have others listen to or experience your expressions.. nor will I promise you that when I entertain some friends and clients, that on MY property, you can yell, scream, or say whatever you want.. go home.. and yes.. you can say, scream, or yell whatever you want.

I _think_ I am sure what Sunni means by "freedom loving," but then.. perhaps there are Mormon tendencies, that I don't know about, that Sunni hasn't yet told us about.. and which eventually she wants to use her Mormon definitions of "freedom" to define exactly what "freedom" is.

And this indeed, is one of the issues with meanings of words. I see myself as "free," but that does not mean I am "free" to rape, pillage, or steal.

All you have to do is go back to the Old Testament, and you will find a tradition of a people that felt "free" to do whatever they wanted to others, in the name of their own God or some revelation.. because the others weren't "free" in being the Chosen People.

Libertarians, freedom lovers, classical liberals... I don't know that any suits.

The only thing I can think of so far is to assert that my mind is my own church. And i respect the church of other minds, while I demand and expect the same degree in return.

Is that "fredom?"

Maybe what we are, in the end, are "lovers of our own respectful values."

Nope, that doesn't quite seem right either.

how about "free traders?"

Or, "absolute free traders?"

But I guess that implies we are always trading, when indeed, we might not be trading anything at all.

Well, I'll invite you all to be "ianists." :P