This nation was founded on Christian principles and is unlike any other in the world. The Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights set us apart from all other nations. The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights states that we will not be prohibited from freedom of Speech, Press, Religion, Assembly, and Freedom to Petition.
Likewise, the gospel of Jesus Christ allows us freedom to choose. Yet our freedom of speech is on the chopping block and we regularly see cases in the media where these freedoms seem to be swept under the rug to cater to those who only believe in free speech from their point of view. All across America conservative people are being attacked for their beliefs. Those who speak in contrast to the liberal bias are being persecuted for not following the masses.
My own freedom of speech was recently challenged when I posted an Internet comment that was perceived as being offensive because it was conservative in nature. I found myself in a firestorm and was told to never again post anything that may offend that persons liberal friends’. Nothing has EVER felt so un-American to me in my entire life! I have also had friends reported on social networking sites for posting Christian thoughts.
At times I too don’t agree with someone's opinion on political or social issues, but I respect their God given right to their opinion. If I don’t like what someone is saying or posting I simply don’t read or listen to it. But I would never dare tell them they weren’t entitled to that God given right no matter how much I disagree with their point of view. I believe it’s against God’s law to take away the freedom of others!
Carrie Prejean, Miss California, was in the Miss USA Pageant. During the question and answer session she was asked,
“Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage (followed by cheering). Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?” Her answer was, “I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman, no offense to anyone out there.”She was booed and lost the pageant. She also lost her job because of her answer. She was punished for exercising her God given right to freedom of speech. People have tried to silence, embarrass and humiliate her for her statement. They have publicized her past moral indiscretions and called her a hypocrite. Her opinion on this topic isn’t the point. The point is—someone shouldn’t be punished for sharing their opinion on an issue! In our society it seems that it’s not okay to express your opinion if it’s a conservative one, but it is okay to call conservative people horrible names and persecute them for their opinions.
In an interview on the Today Show she said,
“There is an extreme double standard out there that conservative woman (people) are under attack. ..If Sean Hannity went out there and said some of the things that Keith Olbermann has said about me…if he said things about Sonia Sotomayor or Michelle Obama, he would be off the air. Why is there this double standard?”It’s so true! People are welcome to mock and persecute some while forbidden to do so to others. There is a lesson to be learned in this though. What history has demonstrated time and again is that those who so eagerly take away the freedoms of their opponents eventually find that they too have lost their freedom as well. The old adage, “What goes around, comes around” is right.
“Without Freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as Wisdom; and no such thing as public Liberty, without Freedom of speech” ~ Benjamin Franklin
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