freedom speech in english
Answers
Most people think freedom of speech is necessary for a democratic government. In countries without free speech, people might be afraid to say what they think. Then, the government does not know what the people want. If the government does not know what they want, it cannot respond to their wants. Without free speech, the government does not have to worry as much about doing what the people want. Some people say this is why some governments do not allow free speech: they do not want to be criticised, or they fear there would be revolution if everyone knew everything that was happening in the country.
A well-known liberal thinker, John Stuart Mill, believed that freedom of speech is important because the society that people live in has a right to hear people's ideas. It's not just important because everyone should have a right to express him or herself.
Few countries with "free speech" let everything be said. For example, the United States Supreme Court said that it was against the law to shout "fire" in a crowded theater if there is no fire, because this might cause people to panic. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also says that it is not okay to cause national, racial or religious hatred.[1] Also, some countries have laws against hate speech. [2]
As Tocqueville pointed out, people may be hesitant to speak freely not because of fear of government punishment but because of social pressures. When an individual announces an unpopular opinion, he or she may face the disdain of their community or even be subjected to violent reactions. While this type of suppression of speech is even more difficult to prevent than government suppression is, there are questions about whether it truly falls within the ambit of freedom of speech, which is typically regarded as a legal right to be exercised against the government, or immunity from governmental action.
Today is Independence Day, one of the most celebrated American holidays. This day marks our freedom as a nation secured 241 years ago. Perhaps you will celebrate this freedom today at a parade, park, backyard barbeque, beach, ball game, or somewhere else of your choosing with family and friends. However you choose to celebrate, you do so as an expression of the freedom you have received, even if it is simply living a normal day—freely.
Your freedom, of course, was not free and is not free. Thousands of soldiers gave their lives in the American Revolution, and thousands more have paid the ultimate price to maintain our freedom. As many have said, the ongoing price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Ronald Reagan warned, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We did not pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. … We must fight for it, protect it, defend it, and then hand it to them. … They must do the same.”[1] We, therefore, cannot say “thank you” enough to the men and women of our U.S. armed forces who have fought for our freedom and continue to fight for it today.
The freedom we have and hold in America is an amazing thing. It is truly priceless. Yet, those of us who know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior know an even greater freedom. We not only know a human freedom that comes with being an American; we also know an eternal freedom we received when Jesus bought us with His blood, adopted us into the family of God, and set us free from the bonds of sin and death forever. This is ultimate freedom!
Of course, Jesus alone secured this freedom, but who introduced it to you? Who was vigilant? Who was intentional to pass it on? Who fought for you by telling you about it?
The churches that dot the landscape of America today are numerous but not perfect. In fact, there is no perfect church. Broadly speaking, the churches in our land are struggling. Our struggles are many, but one issue stands out as most acute. Coincidentally, the day on which we celebrate our birth as a nation can point us to the solution, revealed most clearly in the days when the church was born.
Think of it this way: Our American freedom is something we must be vigilant to secure. Ultimately, the battle for freedom is never over. In stark contrast, our spiritual freedom is eternally secure. What remains is the responsibility to share it—to proclaim the message of freedom so that others may be free. This is exactly what the newborn church did in the book of Acts.
Just think about it … Jesus gave His followers one primary responsibility: to witness (Acts 1:8). Jesus commissioned His followers to speak of what they had seen, heard, and come to know, and, in doing so, to produce additional followers of Jesus Christ. They had the task, now they just needed the power. It came profoundly in Acts 2. From there, the disciples literally opened their mouths and spoke the Gospel everywhere they went. Their empowered proclamation caused the Word to spread, and the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved (Acts 2:47). Why? Because they simply spoke the Gospel.
I believe one of the main problems with local churches in America is that we are silent. We pray for revival, but we do not speak the Gospel. We gather to hear one man preach the Word, but we do not scatter to speak the Gospel everywhere we go. We read our Bibles, we worship corporately, we seek to live godly lives, we train our children at home, we prayer walk, and we take the occasional mission trip, but rarely do we personally speak the Gospel to a lost person. We enjoy our national freedom while our silence ensures the bondage of the spiritually enslaved.
On a day when we celebrate our American freedom, this is a call to speak for the sake of spiritual freedom. This is a call to speak up and end our silence, a silence that leads to death for the lost and internal decay for the church. Brothers and sisters, let us speak up! Invite a lost person to your backyard barbeque and speak the Gospel. Take your neighbors to the lake and share the hope you have with them. Ask the person seated next to you at the ball game or parade if he knows of the freedom Christ offers. Seek out a lost person and speak the Gospel to him. You have freedom of speech, but do you voice the speech of freedom?