Free speech, free expression, and the freedom of religion are excellent rights which our constitution’s 1st amendment promises cannot be taken away. These elements, though not the Gospel themselves, allow the Gospel to be proclaimed freely within our borders. Our nation’s commitment to protecting and preserving these rights has led to a lot of good. America is a world leader in the production of Christian resources. You and I can acquire virtually any supplemental resource we could imagine to help us study the Bible as a result of this protection.
Admittedly, American is also a world leader in the production of bad Christian resources. That’s the trade off, though, isn’t it? Your local Christian bookstore’s commentary section is probably a lot smaller than its section on self-help. That’s a rant for another day…
Frequently we see someone lose their high profile position or get punished by their employer over something they said. The initial reaction we might have is to ask, “what about their freedom of speech?” Are their rights trampled in this situation? The quick answer is “No,” but I want to explore the issue a bit deeper.