I love this country. I really do. Love it. From a biblical perspective, I shouldn’t love it as much as I do.
You know why I love it? One of the reasons is because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is offensive, and this country gives me the right to “preach Christ crucified.”
Yes, the Gospel is offensive. I mean, telling people they’re straight up sinners with unclean hearts, giving them a “heads up” about being under God’s wrath, and claiming the only way to God is through Jesus Christ? He even said so himself. Talk about bold. What audacity.
The Gospel offends people who don’t believe these things. It’s funny, though, that some who claim not to believe in hell are offended when told they’re going to hell. Never figured that out. Anyway, in America, we have the freedom to offend. There is no freedom to not be offended. Suck it up, as they say.
Christian apologist, debater, pastor, author, blogger, and webcaster James White, a man whose faithful witness and defense of the faith has helped me grow in faith and understanding (he commented on LBC the other day - down, fangirl!), frequently blogs about the suppression of the Gospel in Canada. See Canada Joins those Nations that Prohibit Free Speech and Gospel Preaching.
This morning I read a New York Times article about this topic: American Exception: Unlike Others, U.S. Defends Freedom to Offend in Speech. An excerpt:
“In the United States, that debate has been settled. Under the First Amendment, newspapers and magazines can say what they like about minorities and religions — even false, provocative or hateful things — without legal consequence… ‘In much of the developed world, one uses racial epithets at one’s legal peril, one displays Nazi regalia and the other trappings of ethnic hatred at significant legal risk, and one urges discrimination against religious minorities under threat of fine or imprisonment…But in the United States, all such speech remains constitutionally protected.’”
For now. Even if someone’s expressed opinion “perpetuates and promotes prejudice toward Muslims and others,” the opinion, whether true or not, shouldn’t be suppressed. I think we all agree with that. I certainly wouldn’t want to silence Christian bashers. Truth is revealed, slowly sometimes, in the exchange. The free flow of ideas, even offensive ones, is vital.
Christians in America take this free flow for granted. Some folks thought I was crazy when I wrote in an opinion piece that hate crime laws are a “a slippery slope toward suppressing…the free exercise of religion,” and that one day very soon, preaching from certain passages of the Bible might fall under the definition of “hate speech.” It’s already happening in Canada. Why can’t it happen here? As I wrote in that column, if sharing the Gospel becomes a hate crime, just call me an outlaw.
Hey, if we don’t get a chance to talk again, have a cool weekend. Exercise your precious freedom of speech and start blogging!
La Shawn! Allowing comments again! I’d better not mess this up.
May God continue to Bless you, La Shawn.
I’ve been exercising my Freedom of Speech, and I appreciate that what I can do here, sharing the Gospel, would get me killed in some countries. Christians around the world are facing true persecution, and we all look for the day of Christ’s return, when all persecution will stop.
But until then, keep your lamps lit and full of oil.
Comment by Doug — 06.12.08 @ 2:10 pm
Awesome. I usually am reluctant to promo my own stuff in someone else’s blog but I wrote about the fact that no one as the right to not be offended.
I love blogging and think everyone should do it … especially those that offend me :).
You aren’t one of them
Comment by Randy — 06.12.08 @ 2:35 pm
La Shawn, I’ve spent the last few months trying to figure out what it is I need to do with my writing. Well, as soon as I stopped trying to figure things out and started writing, I haven’t felt freer!
There’s so much going on right now and Christians need to speak out more than ever. Persecution is increasing and freedoms are becoming limited. We need to take a stand for Christ now and know always, that we are Free In Him!
You have a great weekend too!
Comment by Carlotta — 06.12.08 @ 2:57 pm
I like this:
I’ve spent the last few months trying to figure out what it is I need to do with my writing. Well, as soon as I stopped trying to figure things out and started writing, I haven’t felt freer!
Excellent! Have a good one, Carlotta.
Comment by La Shawn — 06.12.08 @ 3:02 pm
“There is no freedom to not be offended.”
Amen!
Comment by DragonLady — 06.12.08 @ 8:40 pm
Thank you, La Shawn, for reminding us of the danger of hate speech laws. Readers might recall that several years ago in Europe a Holocaust denier named David Irving was sent to prison for his crackpot theories and public pronouncements. Many of his detractors, who found him and his opinions odious, spoke out against the sentence (and trial itself) on free speech grounds. They understood that hate speech laws and attendant punishments are indeed putting our most cherished freedoms on a slippery slope. Outside cases of actual incitement to violence, etc., these laws are deeply flawed, and such legislation can, and is being used by those who wish to limit our rights on the basis of their cultural or religious sensibilities. See what’s happening on this front up in Canada, where Mark Steyn, a conservative writer, offended a perpetually offended Muslim pressure group. (Article is at pajamasmedia.com; title: “The Kafkaesque Show Trial of Mark Steyn”.) Too many educated people just don’t get it that they have no legal right not to be offended. But more importantly, there are too many people who want to use these laws to break down our Western free societies and replace them with socialistic or religious dictatorships. We’ve got to stand tall on this one, even if it means defending people whose ideas we hate.
Comment by Tom — 06.12.08 @ 9:04 pm
Right on! I blogged for a while, but have let it slip into dormancy…too many distractions, I guess. Maybe one day I’ll start it up again.
Old content is here.
Comment by Jezla — 06.12.08 @ 10:50 pm
What we must aspire to…
Exercise your precious freedom of speech and start blogging! So says one of my favourite American bloggers, LaShawn Barber….
Trackback by BrugesGroupBlog — 06.13.08 @ 9:28 am
There is unending irony in the fact that Christians in countries where sharing their faith holds the penalty of death do more witnessing than those of us in a nation where freedom of speech is encouraged.
May we all be bolder, more ready to offend for the cause of Christ.
Comment by Diane — 06.13.08 @ 11:06 am
Allow Gospel to be Silenced? …
Yesterday, WorldNetDaily reported the news about the recent Colorado legislative decision that will inevitably lead to Biblical messages being criminalized. Penalties have been created for those who criticize homosexuality outside church walls….
Trackback by Talk Wisdom — 06.13.08 @ 11:55 am
Love this La Shawn:
“As I wrote in that column, if sharing the Gospel becomes a hate crime, just call me an outlaw.”
I want that saying on a bumper sticker for my car!
In Christ,
Christine
Comment by Christinewjc — 06.13.08 @ 11:57 am
I’d say that one should never be afraid to be an apologist for scriptural truth, as long as you are clear on the fact that your spiritual identity comes FIRST.
This is a mistake when being one who links their faith to their politics.
For example, a lot of conservatives say that the Bible more closely aligns with their conservative ideology. This is a rather insulting and arrogant falsehood. What should happen is that if you BOAST in anything it should be that you boast in Him, not partisan punditry, which the ‘religious right’ does with much fervor.
I am a Servant of Yahweh and disciple of Y’Shua the Messiah. This is more important than my ethnicity, degree, IQ, bodyfat %, partisan ideology, alumi status or reputation, material possession, wordly accomplishment, bank account, or grade of hair.
Love Yahweh first.
Love your neighbor, second.
Religious conservatives admire and love unsanctified, unsaved, and unrepentant secular conservatives. They even have links –> to these peoples blogs? Do they know Father Yahweh? Do they love Him? If they did, then they would love YOU. And guess what - they don’t.
I’ll show you why at a later time..
Comment by THEBIGDODDY — 06.13.08 @ 12:32 pm
Amen to most of the above comments. Exercise your free speech and start blogging, write letters to the editor, etc.
Comment by John — 06.13.08 @ 12:32 pm
To The Bigdoddy,
I got some of what you wrote in your comment, however, you lost me with two of your paragraphs:
1. “For example, a lot of conservatives say that the Bible more closely aligns with their conservative ideology. This is a rather insulting and arrogant falsehood.”
2. “Religious conservatives admire and love unsanctified, unsaved, and unrepentant secular conservatives. They even have links –> to these peoples blogs? Do they know Father Yahweh? Do they love Him? If they did, then they would love YOU. And guess what - they don’t.”
The truth is, Bible believing, born-again Christian conservatives line up with God’s Word - not the other way around.
Are we to disengage from the world completely? Are we not to have any political opinion or say?
What did Jesus tell us about people “not loving us?”
Jhn 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you.
Comment by Christinewjc — 06.13.08 @ 3:33 pm
Christinewjc,
You say:
“The truth is, Bible believing, born-again Christian conservatives line up with God’s Word - not the other way around.”
Pedat says:
I’m not sure with whom you engage, but I can give you the URL’s to 10 sites, for start where conservative Christians say otherwise. I can also tell you that via at least 7 online and 5 offline focus groups, I have heard and it said that so-called ‘liberals’ CANNOT be saved since the Bible does not substantiate liberal ideologies, and that there is really no way a liberal can “truly” call themselves Christians.
Christinewjc says:
“Are we to disengage from the world completely? Are we not to have any political opinion or say?”
Pedat says:
No, and this is not what I’ve communicated. My view is that conservative Christians are too closely yoked up with secular conservatives to the point of overlooking things which are an affront to the Almighty.
I have heard and seen HUNDREDS of times where so called conservative Christians swear by, for example, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Cal Thomas, Dinesh Desouza, and a host of others are examples to be followed as Christians, and I simply CANNOT TELL. They do not demonstrate interest in matters pertinent to ALL of their neighbors, especially the NON-WHITE ones. In fact, they make fun of, devalue, and are apologists for those who have goodwill towards non-whites.
For example, I have personally challenged (because I did an experiment) several hundred conservative Christians (either on forums, or by their own admission online) on why they have not and do not offer rebuff of Pat Buchanan. Pat Buchanan is a white supremacist not unlike James Webb, who are in the mold of Barry Goldwater, Trent Lott, Pat Moynihan, and Strom Thurmond. Not a single person would offer any criticism of this man, but the same people were violently assailing the incendiary banter of Jeremiah Wright, who IS a man of G-d and has done more for the poor, the sick, and the disenfranchised than ALL 6 of these men PUT TOGETHER. (Ego aside, he did prove that the WORKS of Christ should be manifest on earth, regardless of the fact that he TALKS too much!)
Christinewjc says:
“What did Jesus tell us about people “not loving us?”
Jhn 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you.”
Pedat says:
True. But should WE love the works of iniquity?
Comment by THEBIGDODDY — 06.13.08 @ 5:38 pm
thebigdoddy–
Yes, conservative Christians even love you when you spew lies and hatred against them.
It’s too bad that you can’t see that.
Comment by Trish — 06.13.08 @ 7:28 pm
Your bold and in your face style is both amazing and refreshing. And yes, Americans do take their freedom of religion for granted.
Comment by LorMarie — 06.13.08 @ 7:36 pm
It’s funny, though, that some who claim not to believe in hell are offended when told they’re going to hell. Never figured that out.
If I told you that as a Sun-God worshipper you were going to an eternal suffering damnation place set aside by my Moon-God, Allah, you might not agree such and expedient environment exists, but you would recognize the venom in my sentiment and not be well pleased.
Go figure
Comment by Kinderling — 06.14.08 @ 5:17 am
I think this could and probably one day will happen in this country. As you mentioned the Gospel and/or the criticism of other religions is being considered hate speech or a hate crime in other countries. What bothers me about the media in this country is when you have a crime against someone of a certain race or religion(other than Christianity)the media will automatically bring up the hate crime issue. But if someone walks into a church in Texas and starts shooting parishioners or someone shoots people at a youth ministry in Colorado, the hate issue either isn’t mentioned or is so sublime its not really considered an issue.
Comment by Chuck. — 06.14.08 @ 6:34 am
…if you only have time to read one item off this list, make it this post from La Shawn Barber, Exercise your Freedom to Offend. It goes great with what I had to say the other day regarding your freedom to believe what you…
Pingback by Paper Bridges — 06.14.08 @ 7:39 am
I agree also that we take being able to express our Christian faith for granted. I too will be an outlaw if and when sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ becomes any kind of a crime.
Comment by Bev — 06.14.08 @ 11:14 am
I’m joining you in the outlaw posse LaShawn. Where are we riding off to next (LOL)? I find myself regularly offending commenters on other blogs that I read when I tell it like it is instead of as they would like it to be.
Today it was civil unions, gay marriage and both sets raising children. Uggh. I had to wash my hands after I finished typing but I dealt with it directly like I always do.
Thanks for pumping up the radical Christian fervor and be blessed. Keeping you in my prayers sister.
Comment by Martin Lindsey — 06.14.08 @ 5:13 pm
Be vigilant and sober; don’t be deceived…
Although the mainstream media has altogether ignored the dire implications of the past few weeks as the conflict with homosexual culture……
Trackback by Gay Christian Movement Watch — 06.14.08 @ 8:44 pm
…you might not agree such and expedient environment exists, but you would recognize the venom in my sentiment and not be well pleased.
Really? How do you know what La Shawn’s reaction would be? Mine would be to laugh and say, “Put up or shut up.” Elijah on Mount Carmel had the right idea.
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi — 06.15.08 @ 1:05 am
Isn’t every crime a hate crime? What cry baby needs the extra emphasis on the word hate? Do they think it makes a crime worse? Bridget Bardot was just fined by the French government for words she wrote on her blog about Muslims. We are not too far behind this especially when pastor’s are being sent to prison for reading from the bible. I’m sure that if Obama wins, things will go south for churches. Start having groups meet in your home. The bible tells us to do this anyway but we have been lazy, letting the ‘organized church’ do everything for us.
Comment by Melissa's Cozy Teacup — 06.15.08 @ 9:18 am
Obama’s middle name is Hussein, but he gets offended if anyone mentions it.
Draw your own conclusions.
Comment by Trish — 06.16.08 @ 6:28 pm
Well, like I’ve said many times before, I can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want free speech. Even if it’s something offensive to you. For me, I’d rather someone feel free to say whatever they want, then I’ll actually know what their views are. Otherwise, they could be an extreme racist, sexist, whatever, and I’d never know.
Comment by Richard — 06.17.08 @ 8:11 am
LaShawn Barber says something that you won’t hear much but needs to be said.
Pingback by Freedom of offense — 06.20.08 @ 5:04 pm
One day very soon, preaching from certain passages of the Bible might fall under the definition of “hate speech.” It’s already happening in Canada. Why can’t it happen here?
Pingback by Marylou’s America — 06.24.08 @ 9:29 am