On Freedom of Speech...Freedom pt 1

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.( 2 Cor 3:17)

I have been thinking a lot lately about how good it is to be a free man. I am not just talking about the freedom that has come to me spiritually and personally from the time I became a Christian. I am literally speaking about the political freedoms that I have known and enjoyed all of my life.

Political freedom and Spiritual freedom are parallel but not identical. The one(Spiritual freedom ) is the cause of the other(Political freedom).America and England have been havens of political liberty as have New Zealand, Australia, and the rest of the English speaking world, because of the line of thought that flowed from the Tyndales, Wycliffes, the Reformation, the Puritans, and the various Revivals that have punctuated our histories.

There never has been a majority Christian nation(that I know of), but there have been “Free nations” composed of free citizens, as a result of the Judeo Christian heritage.

The translation and availability of the Bible alone caused the philosophy of freedom to develop in the English world.This is the root, but political freedom is the fruit.

I love freedom. I didn’t always recognize it, in the way that a fish doesn’t probably notice water, because that is all he has ever “swam in”. I have been blessed to be born and raised in a free country, relatively speaking.

Think about what it means to be a free man. You can make your own life, you can succeed or fail, you are not dependent upon “big brother” for your means, you need not fear any midnight knock on the door, theoretically in a free society, Government is seen as a servant and not a master, and there is an intellectual marketplace of ideas, in which a free man can say anything he pleases, it is a beautiful thing to just be able to speak your mind, even if it isn’t the “Approved ” opinion.

(I know there are some of you who are going to suggest that freedom isn’t limitless, even freedom of speech. I get that, and do not wish to lose my point by over-qualification. )I am merely talking about the blessing of living in a free and civil society.

There is a wonderful confidence that a free man has, he or she is not smothered or stifled to death,freedom has an elevating quality to it, one can at times even see it from a distance in the way a person carries himself.

There are two things I want to express in this brief essay, 1) that our political Freedom has been bequeathed to us as a result of our Judeo Christian heritage, (Particularly the Protestant stream of history), and is to be cherished, and re-appreciated and even fought for in every arena. Scripture tells us that we are to strive to retain our status as free people,

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.(Galatians 5:1)

2) Our political freedoms, including freedom of speech are fast eroding, and we are entering into a time of darkness, and stifling oppression.

Ultimately freedom is the gift of God the Creator, even political freedom. The LORD can give and the LORD can take away, as Israel’s history gives evidence to. Perhaps because we have shunned our Judeo Christian roots (At least our corrupt leaders have), we are losing freedoms at an alarming rate.

Have you considered how precious “Freedom of speech” really is? The genius of our inventive and dynamic culture is that everyone, the great or small is subject to criticism, and thus to voluntary correction. There are no special classes of people, (above criticism and correction) , anyone can voice their opinion (within reason) pot course, and we are all better for it.

The Creator gave man the ability to talk, and He grants the ability to say anything at anytime to anyone, as well as the responsibility to accept the consequences of those Words.

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.(Matthew 12:36-37)

This goes along with the Biblical idea of “freedom of conscience”. God doesn’t force anyone to believe. People are of such significance, they have every right to disbelieve even if it costs them an eternity! We are not robots or slaves, God made us in his Image. There would be no virtue in doing right, if we were forced to do so.People can do wrong or right, say wrong or say right, that is part of the dignity of being made in the Image of God.

Persuasion, not force is the only legitimate way to civilly come to conclusions, and the competition of ideas gives us an intellectual sharpening that we wouldn’t otherwise have. We have to persuade people, not smash them if they disagree with them.

Freedom of speech is uncomfortable to certain types, especially those who cannot stand to be criticized, or who know in their own hearts that they hold to inferior ideas which could not stand the test of rigorous scrutiny and debate.

Unfortunately our Universities are turning out an entire generation of students who hate freedom of speech.When David Horowitz, Robert Spencer, Ann Coulter or Ben Shapiro accept invitations to speak at universities, the Leftist conditioned students often try to violently suppress free speech, in the name of providing a “Safe environment” at the University. “Safe” from what? They want to be kept safe from any opinion which is a challenge to leftism,for leftists hate free speech.

Muslims are rabidly against freedom. They demonstrate in the streets of major cities with placards which say “Freedom go to Hell!”, although free people have opened their national doors to them in compassion, due to the fact that uninhibited Islam has made the Muslim world a living hell which millions of Muslims want to escape top the west from. Unfortunately they bring the infection with them, therefore the violence , suppression and terror go with them.

There can be no freedom in the Muslim world, in the sense that we have known it in the West. Islam means “Submission” and doesn’t mean a voluntary submission. Allah tells the Muslim what to do in nearly every situation, even toiletting. Islam is a totalitarian system of government, with a ready made law, and a serious superiority complex with a mandate to bring every other government or people under the power of Shariah.

It has been a stunning revelation to me that our political leaders have utterly and cravenly bowed down to Shariah in almost every circumstance presented.The stewards of Western Freedoms have been selling out and denying those freedoms by submitting to Shariah for a long time now.

Do you remember the Salmon Rushdie affair? Rushdie was an Iranian author of a book, “The Satanic Verses” which offended the Mullahs in Tehran. They issued a fatwa against Rushdie, a British citizen and Muslims demonstrated in the streets of London England calling for the right to murder a British citizen!

George Bush changed the proposed name of the 2003 US military effort , from “Operation Infinite Justice” to “Operation Enduring Freedom” to appease the Muslim sensitivities, (Only Allah can dispense “infinite Justice”). He also apologized for daring to call the Iraq invasion a “Crusade”. The President of the United States apologized for using a similar term once used by Lincoln, Washington and Eisenhauer! Is our entire heritage to be apologized for and denied? What is left?

“The day after a horrific shooting spree by what appears to be a radicalized Muslim man and his partner in San Bernardino, California, Attorney General Loretta Lynch pledged to a Muslim advocacy and lobbying group that she would take aggressive action against anyone who used “anti-Muslim rhetoric” that “edges toward violence.”

Speaking to the audience at the Muslim Advocates’ 10th anniversary dinner Thursday, Lynch said her “greatest fear” is the “incredibly disturbing rise of anti-Muslim rhetoric” in America and vowed to prosecute any guilty of what she deemed violence-inspiring speech.”

The largest voting bloc in the U.N. is the Organization of Islamic Conference, 57 states, which have been working tirelessly for decades to force nations to ban all criticism of Islam, as “Hate Speech” and even “Blasphemy”. The Obama Administration(including Hillary Clinton) have worked very closely with them trying to achieve that goal.

There is a sad but clever political observation that if you want to know who is in charge, just consider who it is that you can’t criticize. Do you think Muslim preachers who openly call for the slaughter of infidels, the rape and subjugation of infidel women and property and who verbally and in some cases physically desecrate every other religion, be prosecuted for hate speech? Or are these possible new laws intended for another target entirely?

Thank you Pastor Bill

(Titus 2:11) For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

(Titus 2:12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

(Titus 2:13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

(Titus 2:14) Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

(Titus 2:15) These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

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