The Price And Cost Of Free Speech
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| Legitimacy is built on the Word of God... and His legitimacy has been established on earth. Be sure to align your thoughts, your words, and your expressions within His order. If not, you may find yourself having resisted what was destined you, even blessings and salvation. |
The concept of Free Speech sounds quite simple.
One can openly express their thoughts, concerns, complaints, opinions, etc., freely without fear.
Easy, right?
Yes, very easy and simple the idea to speak whatever is on one's heart and mind.
But did today's concept of free speech, where the vast majority of expressions are protected and defended by law in some places on earth, come at a cost?
If free speech came at a cost, has it been paid in full or does it continue to be 'free', or does it actually cost something?
If free speech has always been free, then why are some people unable to freely speak their hearts and minds in some places on earth?
There was a time when certain things were freely and openly spoken in public without consternation, but with great acceptance.
Interestingly, there is a rising climate of censorship regarding such things... even things of God... while things historically shameful and repugnant are touted and praised openly.
Surely in our own minds we are 'free' to think and express all thoughts.
Perhaps only in the privacy of our home and among trusted ears can we express thoughts considered ridiculous, incredulous, or dangerous.
As I researched for this article, I couldn't find a maxim of law I believe to have read many years ago.
If I recall correctly, it expressed how liabilities accompany benefits.
Mankind is ruled by laws regardless if any particular man likes or dislikes any given fact.
Many of these laws have been expressed, or 'discovered' to be existing, and yet many more laws are somehow ignored or denied or unknown.
Man's acceptance or denial of such laws make no difference to their pertinence over mankind.
The laws of nature govern man's physical movements... until or unless man is somehow able to overcome or suspend certain natural laws.
One example is flight.
Man, on his own, cannot 'fly' in the air as a bird able.
Most birds have the natural ability to fly, and thus they supersede certain laws of nature (gravity) that man cannot.
But man has figured out how to suspend or temporarily supersede the laws of nature (gravity) when it comes to flight by building himself flying machines in which he can ride.
So man has figured out a way... but the law of gravity persists despite man's effort.
This law is unchangeable.
A benefit comes with his efforts: being able to fly, travel faster than walking on the ground or in a mobile contrivance, etc..
Is there an accompanying liability?
Yes: flying machines fail and can fall out of the sky.
The laws of God (whether defined in nature or through humanity) consistently respond to man's effort... and man is a fallible creature.
Flying machines can fall out of the sky... and this brings harm not only to the man who made the flying machines, but also those who trusted in that man's efforts.
Man, despite his best intended efforts and expertise, eventually learns to respect and follow the laws that continue.
Man learns to not ignore that which should not be ignored.
Man also learns, sometimes the hard way, to consider the limits... and soberly acknowledge his attempts to breech the laws.
These same principles occur when it comes to speech.
Let us explore if speech is actually free, and if not... what the cost and liabilities are.
Free speech is historically a modern concept developed largely in western cultures, now being expressed in laws of government.
Do liabilities exist even in places where there is little to no hindrance in expressing one's thoughts openly?
Absolutely.
The person who vents their thoughts openly runs the risk of exposing their ignorance of certain things, or obliviousness to the facts.
The person who was thought wise or believed themselves to be wise may be exposed as a fool.
Immediate and long lasting injury visits the person who expresses flippant and low mannered speech.
This is evidenced on a daily basis in social media, on television and on internet shows resembling news outlets.
This is evidenced, sadly yet persistently, in political circles... and among the religious.
From the top of society to its depths, the laws of God are evidenced and always enforced... but fools abound also in every demographic and social space:
Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues.
- Proverbs 17: 28
Fools give full vent to their rage,
but the wise bring calm in the end.
- Proverbs 29: 11
How is it possible that in places where free speech exists, and is encouraged, that ignorance or mishandling of facts persists?
One likely reason: so-called news outlets reflect more propaganda than objective fact sharing - the mixing of editorializing and opinions infiltrating drowning out facts.
A greater reason: people have gone in search of their self-interpretive truths while rejecting the Truth revealed from heaven: Yeshua the Messiah.
This in turn influences political discourse, much how political discourse influences news outlets.
If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.
- Proverbs 29: 12
'Rulers' are not only those in recognized positions, but they come in many ways... and the news also occupies a position of leadership similar to any other apparatus of society.
The latter part of Romans chapter one (verses 16-32) expresses the manner lies have infiltrated and replaced the truth in people's hearts and, at times, in public life.
Notice how several mainstream news outlets in western societies largely ignore or pretend that God doesn't exist... and thus morality is a relative concern argued from a point of view of supporting mass consensus instead of the obviousness of God's order.
Previously when the Church held authority in fact, in law, and in suggestion, there was a certain overt order acknowledged by the public at-large.
Despite the notable shortcomings and abuses of such authority, there was no space or allowance (no freedom) to openly blaspheme God or denounce His order.
Besides a space and forum to address grievances and obvious crimes done behind the cloak of authority (what has been enabled by efforts towards freedom of speech), the argument for freedoms of speech also gave rise to the allowance to openly blaspheme God and denounce any order in this vein.
Propriety gave way to impropriety, and immorality publicly replaced morality.
In the modern era among western civilizations, it seems truth and opinion are suggested between practitioners of self-serving foolishness... and they arrive at mutual agreement from their own perceptions of truth.
Meaning:
Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—how much worse lying lips to a ruler!
- Proverbs 17: 7
Once men began to derive meaning outside of God's order (Church interpretation of the world and prominence over secular issues), men began to make judgements on their own besides the application of what God had already ordained and set in motion according to law.
Currently, even the laws of nature as they relate to human sexuality have been challenged.
A human desire to suspend them has arisen and has been made popular... convincing many of certain things while failing to properly address real concerns.
It is one thing for a human to have the right to be save, secure, free from attack, and free from the fear of being abandoned by others due to their confusion.
It is quite another thing to argue confusion that attempts to obscure law, or make an effort to fly when flight was never prescribed.
So just like the man who desires to fly and was able to fly for a short time according to his own efforts, hopefully that man understands that he is always risking his life against laws eternally set in motion and firmly fixed.
Although there is a joy and excitement from experiencing flight as a bird, the analogy speaking of one thing does not fully carry over when speaking of another thing.
There is a semblance of 'joy' when pushing against the laws of God as expressed in nature and humanity, but this 'joy' a false joy based on the secretive excitements of sin's depravity.
It seems foolish, and a departure of the senses, for a man to think himself as an actual bird when flying in a machine.
There may be a sensation and the possibly of 'feeling' as a bird might 'feel' when in flight, but we know a man doesn't perceive himself to actually be a bird.
So why isn't the same logical conclusion applied to the man who perceives himself to be a woman, or considers it 'right' (or his right) to pursue activities that conflict with the laws of nature?
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| Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. - Proverbs 16: 18 |
Pride brings a person low,
but the lowly in spirit gain honor.
- Proverbs 29: 23
Thus lies in print and in public have been argued as logical debate, as freedoms, and have gone quite far in being presented in such a beguiling way that man's logic accepts and sustains things false.
When falsehoods are argued valiantly, they are made to sound emotionally convincing.
A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth...
The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
- Proverbs 17: 24, 27
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| Surely the Lord (the I Am) is pro human (loving people who adopt these faulty identities). But to be pro sin, or divisive identities, or confused political sentiments, is a conflict of Truth with lies. Such aberrations are to be avoided; identities that divide instead of unite us all - for we are all called to be children of God. |
Although the following excerpt is from the old way, patterns do seem to repeat... and it is always from and through the Lord that correction, punishment, and justice is ultimately realized:
“From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit.
They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
when there is no peace.
Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when I punish them,”
says the Lord.
- Jeremiah 6: 13-15
As in Jeremiah's time, there were false prophets and phony priests... men only having such titles but not being led and taught by the Holy Spirit.
Instead, men drifted according to popular opinions and thoughts based on this world, but not the laws.
It is evident that the historical backdrop of western civilizations have been heavily influenced and molded through a Christian perspective.
It is also evident that as governments have withdrawn away from early Christian principles in law and morality, whether driven by mass consensus (democracy) or via smaller group dictations, speech has suffered lies and godlessness... despite the effort of exploring greater truths.
There is always a correction to such slippage.
This calls for patience and holding fast to love of one's neighbor and a supposed enemy.
Although men have compiled laws that suit themselves, to love these despite their self-inflicted injuries is the heart that God has planted on the earth in the faithful in Christ.
It is how the despots of old (and still today) come to recognize His love in the faithful.
it is also how the masses come to recognize things revealed to them through the suffering of His faithful.
Lastly on speech and your freedoms that should be tempered with the greater responsibility of speaking always in love and in sober judgment of one's self:
“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world...
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment...
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
- James 1: 26-27, 2: 8-13, 3: 1-12Love is the beginning and the end of all things... so live, speak, and act always in God's love.
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