“Do you wish to be free? Then above all things, love God, love your neighbor, love one another, love the common weal; then you will have true liberty.”

We hold this truth to be self evident !

Any grand description of freedom arriving from any 'absolutist' should be viewed with great suspicion. This seems particularly true when said absolutist insists that people supplant their own 'god-given' faculties of reason and perception for religious mumbo jumbo - the source of one of history's most prolific killers and sire of those who would enslave.

I'd need his definition of "true liberty". I suspect that many Cubans who did what he advised are languishing year after year in one of Fidel's prisons.

Mann and jim make very good points. By way of religious mumbo jumbo being the source of history's most horrific atrocities, one need look no further than to Lenin and Mao in their religious pursuit of Atheistic Utopias. And, the Cubans are suffering under the religion of applied socialism. I think what the quote was referencing was what Christ said: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matt 5:44). Then as a follow-up, the scripture: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.: (James 1:27) Once that type of love is recognized in self, as part of self, and expressed from self, you are truly free within. Such truth will also set you free. Once you personally are free and true liberty is you, you can spread the good word.

A wonderful idealistic quotation, in and of itself, from an extremely controlling moral dictator. Very much in keeping with totalitarianism's 'tradition' of governing with an iron fist while spewing lovely homilies. Self-righteousness-->Control-->Pure Evil.

I think Jimi Hendrix had this one: "when the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace" - and I might add, freedom, liberty, and a full recognition of inalienable rights.

"Or else you will be burned at the stake." ;-) The Golden Rule still applies whether those demanding it follow it or not.

(-; Archer, I really like it, I'm still smiling ;-) kinda sorta one of those - the candy man can cuz he mixes it with love, then he burns you at the stake to make the world go round ;-)

Some of the comments here, allow me to see that the intended meaning of Savonarola's wonderful quote is not understood correctly. Of course, that was a problem when he was working in Florence. I suspect though, that he understood that--and God gave him peace about this common inability to understand the things of God. Another way to put this--did he use the word "love" enough times?