FREEDOM OF SPEECH

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

The Bible does not promote freedom of Speech as awarded and interpreted in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (the Bill of Rights).

For instance:

The Third Commandment forbids cursing and the abuse of God’s name (Exodus 20:7).

The Ninth Commandment forbids speaking lies and other deceptive speech (Exodus 20:16).  *

The book of Colossians prohibits the use of “filthy language” (Colossians 3:8).

The founders knew Bible truth and their formation of statements contained there proves their knowledge of what God thought on certain rights.

God warns a man against speaking evil of others. God has something to say about this phenomenon, exhorting us to “speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men” (Titus 3:2, emphasis added). He knows very well that our tongues (and our typing fingers!) are capable of causing huge problems—the book of James uses the analogy of a forest fire to describe the results words can have (James 3:5-9).

The Bible says not to get involved in pointless disputes (2 Timothy 2:23).

The Bible characterizes the wicked as “not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries” (2 Peter 2:10). Moreover, Jesus’ example and instruction included respecting all (even evil) authority, provided doing so doesn’t break God’s law (John 18:22-24; Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:29).

God gives us freedom to use our tongues to speak “the truth in love” in order to edify those around us (Ephesians 4:15). **

Some speaking evil of others with the intent to do reputational or psychological damage on the one hand and discerning evil behavior on the other. Even Jesus Christ, while submitting to the crooked secular and religious authorities of His day, taught His disciples (and us!) to “beware” of their sinful behavior (Mark 8:15).

Through His Word, God Himself describes the sinful lifestyles of many people in the past, present and future, but always with the intent of teaching discernment. Discernment is the ability to distinguish between good and evil, a skill God wants all His people to have and diligently use (Hebrews 5:14).

* They used this against both Stephan and Jesus

**Truth in love, not love, but truth first and that spoken in love. I.E. doctrine is above in importance to love.

Despite the First Amendment, in the United States today, Christians do not have total freedom of speech. There are things we believe, ideas clearly taught in the Scriptures,  that are now considered “hate speech” in our world of political correctness. A society that proudly proclaims freedom of speech and then creates laws against hate speech is talking out of both sides of its mouth.

America has become the place where anyone but God can speak freely. You have a God-given right to disagree with the Word of God. But you may want to think twice before you campaign for a society in which the Bible is censored or not tolerated at all.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these.  2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NASB)

But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, "In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts." These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.  Jude 1:17-19 (NASB)