In my 34 years on planet Earth I have been subjected to the USA’s version of “extremes” when it comes to free speech. Now, in comparison to other parts of the globe, this is pretty minor. Not a hair on my head has been touched. There have been no stones cast at me or my loved ones. Everyone I know still has their head attached to their body. So all in all, I guess you could say that I see things through a lens of “Americas” version of free speech extremes. When you look around the globe though, not every country out their started at the point of throwing gays off of roofs, so I think it is a pretty good place in our nations history to reflect on what the 1st amendment really means, and why agreeing with free speech only in “agreeable” circumstances sets us up to lose the right altogether.
In my experiences I have seen three different groups of people with wrong views of free speech. It may seem like a situation where you are either for or against, and in a round about way, I suppose it is, but on both sides of the aisle there are misinterpretations on what free speech actually is, so today I thought I’d clear them up a bit.
1. Free Speech as it relates to my religious views.
Growing up in a Christian home and attending Christian school for the entirety of my k-12 education, I heard quite a bit about free speech in all of my classes as it related to our responsibility as Christians. We were told that we should not just be grateful to live in a land where we could discuss our faith in the open, but take advantage of it and make sure that we were telling the world around us about what Jesus had done in our life because not everyone around the globe was as fortunate as us. Up to this point, I wholeheartedly agreed with my teachers and was proud to be an American where I could share my faith without fear of losing my freedom or my life. At some point along the way though, Christians have lost a clear understanding of what free speech is. Free speech doesn’t only pertain to the speech we agree with. It doesn’t even pertain to ONLY the speech that our faith agrees with. The same freedom of speech that allows me the ability to tell others about Jesus also allows Hugh Hefner to publish and distribute Playboy. It also allows for abortion and gay rights advocates to take to the streets and blaspheme the name of the God that I claim as my Lord and Savior. To attack their rights as US citizens to speak freely about the things they believe in, simply because it goes against what I believe in, leaves a horrible precedent that will eventually lead to my speech rights as it pertains to my faith being taken from me. Freedom of speech allows for people to be stupid. It allows for people to be wrong. If we cannot fight for the rights of others to be wrong, then why would anyone fight for our rights to preach the cross of Christ which we feel so passionately about?
2. Free Speech as it relates to my political views.
The United States flag is a beautiful picture of sacrifice. Looking at what it took to preserve the freedom that the flag stands for, it is sickening to see people step on, burn and disrespect the flag in ways that are done across the nation everyday. So, shall we then legislate this and make it illegal to disrespect the flag? If you answered yes, then you don’t 100% believe in the 1st amendment. Now, we have the right to not patronize businesses that go against our core political beliefs. We also have the right to tell others not to patronize businesses that we feel have crossed lines. The minute we decide to take it a step further and make it illegal to verbalize offensive speech as it pertains to politics is the moment in time that our political free speech rights go up in smoke.
3. Free Speech and the misnomer of “offense”.
Let’s address the “Draw Mohammad” contest we recently saw that led to two terrorists being shot and killed by vigilant patriots. Should we not have allowed that contest to happen simply because the content of the contest was offensive to some? It is frightening to see how little people cared about the “Piss Christ” exhibit that had a crucifix floating in a jar of urine that was considered “art”, and how many, even on the conservative side, that feel that we should not allow free speech that may appear to purposely offend a certain group of people. If free speech only protected speech that we agreed with, what would be the reason to have an amendment to the Constitution protecting it? To me, non offensive speech doesn’t really need protecting as there is very little likelihood of it ever coming under attack. The speech we must protect at all costs is the speech that others will find offensive or disagreeable, as that is the speech that dictators around the globe are torturing and killing people for. Now, as a Christian, am I going to intentionally try to offend someone with what I say or write? Well, the cross of Christ is offensive to those who do not believe, as it is a clear picture of the ONLY way to heaven. This implies that all other religions and gods out there are false and lead to hell. So, yes, I will intentionally speak of my faith and quote scripture that will offend many because it is what I feel Jesus has asked me, and ALL Christians to do.
Perhaps the most egregious actions that the Obama administration have take over the last 7 years have been the ones that have attempted to stifle free speech. The moment that the media is silenced from dissenting with the government is the very moment that our nation dives head first into a socialist dictatorship that we will not be able to find our way out of. I implore Christians and non-Christians alike to stop trying to silence speech that you disagree with and start using it as a means to make your beliefs stronger. Use it as the gasoline to ignite your passion to research and find out why you believe what you believe. You see it doesn’t take a smart person to legislate a nation into blind obedience, it simply takes a whole lot of good people allowing their rights to be taken away without standing up for things like other peoples right to be wrong.