OBAMA'S HATE BILL STEALS GOD-GIVEN FREEDOM
By Rev. Ted Pike
5 Nov 08
President-elect Barack Obama prioritizes passage of the freedom-stealing
Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. High-level Democrats
are also eager to limit free speech in media with the Fairness Doctrine.
Earlier liberals, especially during the 60s and 70s, championed unbridled
freedom of speech and expression. But Obama and “new liberals” encourage
the opposite: hate and bias laws which restrict and even criminalize
criticism of federally protected groups such as Jews and homosexuals.
(1)
Should there be limits on freedom of speech? Or do the ethical foundations
of America, the Bible and the Constitution allow us to say virtually
anything we want?
To answer these and other questions about this now controversial
subject, we must define “free speech.”
What is Free Speech?
Our right to free speech comes from our identity as free will beings,
created in God’s image. Freedom to make moral choices is given
every person at conception and is part of the eternal soul or spirit
of man. The first instinct of our free will is to speak our desires
and opinions. Speech naturally proceeds from the innermost thoughts
of our minds and souls. Natural law also argues for freedom of speech.
If animals can bark, sing, chirp at their pleasure and without restraint,
shouldn’t human beings made in God’s image have at least
as much right to speak? Our free speech, like our free will, is our
most precious birthright from our Creator.
Yet this freedom must not be abused. In the Old Testament, God did
command execution for those who abused their freedom of speech through
blasphemy, advocating idolatry, or inciting rebellion. Yet He gave
each person the freedom to commit those sins, if they chose.
God has authority to end verbal discord to Himself and His law whenever
He pleases. He would not be God if He didn’t have that privilege.
He is not required to bear with sin for any length of time, and the
eternal law of a holy God is that any discord to Him must be instantly
annihilated. Yet He doesn’t incinerate all sinners; even demons
are given freedom to continue. God forbears, in love, to give mankind
time to repent and become His friends.
In fact, God does much more than just forbear judgment. Jesus came
down and died on a cross to bear our just punishment. When we trust
in Christ, our Sin-bearer, He becomes our bridge of justification
and reconciliation to a holy God.
When Speech Should Not Be Free
Just as there were some limits to freedom of speech for the Hebrews,
so American law sets some limits. No one is allowed to shout “Fire!” in
a crowded theater or to incite riot, or to libel or slander. American
law does not tolerate speech that threatens public safety with “imminent
harm,” and I believe speech that is blatantly corruptive should
also be restricted. Scripture provides precedent for such limits,
especially in the Old Testament. Young people should be legally protected
from expression that is overtly pornographic, solicitous of pedophilia,
sexually traumatizing or sadistically violent.
But we should not prohibit speech that is merely politically incorrect.
This includes what the Anti-Defamation League decries as "anti-Semitic
conspiracy theories." ADL counsels libraries and schools to
block such "hate speech" from computers. (This has included
the National Prayer Network's website, Truthtellers.org.) In
reality, politically incorrect ideas are often true. They bear no
resemblance to speech that actually traumatizes, degrades and corrupts
youth.
Despite potential abuses, free speech is a much more redeeming influence
than a threat. In the area of expression, we should always err on
the side of freedom rather than restriction. The greatest blessing
of freedom of speech is that it allows new and truthful ideas that
can strengthen and morally orient the confused or misled. Is our
problem today too much unbridled, unauthorized speech and discussion?
Hardly. Our problem is highly concentrated power in mass media, which
shuts down true discussion and non-mainstream voices. The dissenting
voices that do exist are threatened by fierce efforts, primarily
led by ADL, to restrict freedom with hate, bias and speech laws.
ADL ceaselessly searches for a way to outlaw criticism of matters
Jewish as well as homosexuality on the internet. We need much, much
more total truth-telling, not less.
Big Brother Obama
Media already portrays Obama as another Martin Luther King Jr. with
a dream of freedom for all. Don’t believe it. Obama’s
new brand of liberalism stands for ending freedom of speech for critics
of federally protected groups. Obama will attempt to pass the federal
hate bill and pro-homosexual ENDA as well as “lobby reform” bills
meant to cripple and penalize Christian/conservative and pro-life
activist groups. He will almost certainly allow Democrats to also
pass the freedom-stealing Fairness Doctrine that will run conservative
media off the airwaves.
Obama wants to sweep America into hate law bondage as in Canada.
Last year, a prominent Canadian hate law bureaucrat commented that
Canada tolerates free speech but is not in love with it. Freedom-loving
Americans must fall even more deeply in love with God and His priceless
gift of free speech!
We must also act. With the Senate and House now overwhelmingly empowered
to pass Orwellian legislation, lovers of freedom must be ready to
protest as never before. Calls must flood the House of Representatives
just as soon as the new hate bill arrives there, probably in early
January.
Are the odds against freedom now insurmountable? Again and again
they seemed that way over the past nine years when hate bill forces
always commanded a numerical majority in Congress. But God repeatedly
intervened, creating disarray in the hate bill ranks and defeating
it five times.
Can we do it again? Yes! Exactly the same way we succeeded earlier.
Call first to God. Then call Washington!
Endnotes:
1. The original 1968 federal hate law, upon which present federal
hate bills greatly expand, criminalizes speech. It says that if anyone’s
public speech encourages another to an act of hate-motivated violence,
the original speaker can be tried as a federal hate criminal along
with the active offender whom he has influenced.
Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 2a says:
(a) Whoever commits an offense against the United States or aids, abets, counsels,
commands, induces or procures its commission, is punishable as a principal.
