One of the great things about America is its constitution.1 In it the foundation of our nation is laid out so that it can be preserved for generations to come. It spells out the form of government the nation is to have and has provisions for granting certain rights to its citizens. It also has the ability to be amended to make necessary changes for the betterment of our nation’s citizens as it is deemed necessary.
You might ask yourself, “What does that have to do with a website about studying the Bible?” That’s a good question. The answer is quite a bit. One of the rights granted to citizens of the United States of America is the freedom of speech.
I might not always agree with someone’s message (even if a majority of other people do) but I can’t deny them their right to speak. The same is true for what I say or write. I’m not so foolish to think that everyone will agree with me (I’m sure there are some who don’t), but that doesn’t mean that I have to stop speaking or writing.
Of course with the freedom of speech comes a huge responsibility, knowing what to say and what not to say. There are certain kinds of speech that are limited due to its very nature. I won’t go into those here but there are plenty of speeches, books, magazine articles, etc. that have been produced over the years that you could find by searching the internet or a librarian might be willing to help you find if you want to do some research on the subject. So wisdom in presenting a message is important.
There are some who disagree with others and as a result want their freedom of speech squelched or denied because of their disagreement with the message. The ironic thing is that while someone might be demanding censorship, they will be advocating tolerance, yet being intolerant to the person’s freedom of speech.
I might not always agree with a person’s message for moral or spiritual reasons but that doesn’t necessarily mean they should be censored, with certain caveats (see two paragraphs up), even though it might benefit society if the subject matter weren’t openly discussed or displayed. However, I can choose not to listen to or view their message, or I can seek to open a dialog with them regarding their position.
Just as each citizen has the right to free speech, each citizen also has the right to not listen if they don’t like or agree with the message being presented. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that person should be denied their right of free speech (again with certain exceptions).
As I mentioned before, I know that not everyone will agree with what I say or write, and they have that freedom. Even if the message might help them in their relationships with God and their fellow man. They can choose to agree or disagree but the right to free speech remains the same.
While some might not agree with my belief in the truth about God as revealed in the Bible, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t true. The more I study the truths found in the Bible and the reliability of the manuscripts used to develop the various translations, the more I have come to believe that the message of the Bible can be trusted.
Additionally, I might not agree with someone on a certain subject matter but that doesn’t preclude their being fellow human beings and thus a part of God’s creation and worthy of my respect. My ultimate desire is for them to have a relationship with God as outlined in the Bible, but they can choose not to.
The reason for this site is because I want to help people to make informed choices by knowing the consequences of their choice either way. I have come to believe that at the end of our time on earth, the truth of God’s reality will be evident. Hopefully, people will be choosing what I have come to believe is a good choice, a relationship with God as a disciple of Jesus, His Son. I pray that you will always choose well.
1 I am not nor do I claim to be a legal expert by any measure and if I am mistaken in my understanding regarding free speech in America, it is out of ignorance.
