10.24.08
Free to Speak Part 2
A couple weeks ago my hard drive crashed, but since my boys each have a computer I didn’t feel cut off from the internet as all I had to do was push one of them over for a few minutes, heheh. So I still had access to new emails coming in and have been operating business as usual checking in on my usual websites. However, I’m only now starting realize the extent of my loss. As I start to search for things, I realize I lost so much stuff as a result of my hard drive crashing. Luckily, I’ve been getting some emails from friends, so at least my email contacts list is being reconstructed. However, aside from that, I lost a great deal of notes and letters that I have been storing up throughout the “years.” Information on health, and blood, and emails of others updating me on their health status, and other notes I’ve gleaned from books and news articles are all gone. . . I think I backed up my computer about two years ago, but still have yet to find that disc, but even so, I would still be missing two years worth of stuff that I’ve saved, wah. Oh well, until I find that backup disc, I’ll have to start from scratch.
For this post I wanted to write about an article I read on the net a couple weeks or so ago, but alas since my computer hard drive crashed, I don’t have the link anymore to the article, and I can’t seem to locate the article through Google, hmmm. So I’ll try to recap what the article was about. I had been searching for information on Ahmadinejad and Zionism when I stumbled across the article (I don’t even remember the title of the article). I think it was written a couple years ago or more regarding the uproar that was created when the news reported that Ahmadinejad called the Jewish Holocaust a “myth.” Here’s the full quote per WashingtonPost.com’s article entitled, Iran’s President Calls Holocaust ‘Myth’ in Latest Assault on Jews
“They have created a myth in the name of the Holocaust and consider it above God, religion and the prophets,” Ahmadinejad said in an address carried live on state television.
Claiming that the Holocaust was a myth had the media in an uproar, but the “whole” of Ahmadinejad’s statement was not highlighted. The whole of the statement was the thrust of the article I can not find! Grrr. That article pointed out that Ahmadinejad made a very profound statement wherein he was essentially saying that the Western world has elevated the Holocaust and Zionism to a higher level than Christianity and any other religion. Now that’s a big paraphrase, but it’s the gist. To support his position he wrote that in certain countries such as in Germany, it is against the law to deny the Holocaust, and people (such as Dr. Toben at the Heathrow Airport) have actually gone to jail for it. According to Wikipedia, “Holocaust denial is explicitly or implicitly illegal in 13 countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Switzerland.” While on the other hand, there are many books written against Islam and other writings stating that Jesus was a fraud or that the Bible is full of errors and just a myth, yet there is no law against that, and the media actually embraces those who question the validity of Christ and the Bible. One fairly recent example is the DaVinci Code popularized in a movie directed by Ron Howard starring Tom Hanks, and Richard Dawkins’ book The God Delusion. Books like those are blasphemous, but there is no law anywhere prohibiting it, much less anyone being thrown in jail for it. To the contrary, the authors are invited as guest speakers at talk shows and news interviews. Yet, just to deny the holocaust is punishable with jail time. Why is holocaust denial worse than denying Christ?
While I do think Ahmadinejad rashly claimed the holocaust to be a myth, I think Ahmadinejad was right to ask for more studies on the Holocaust, not because it didn’t happen, but to know more about it. The world, particularly the middle east, has been greatly affected as a result of the holocaust, so naturally they would like to examine it further. The reaction Ahmadinejad got I do find interesting in that there are certain subjects that are very touchy to bring up because others jump on them like crazy just at the “questions.” Another such taboo is to question the 9/11 incident. While viewing some of Jesse Ventura’s interviews, he brought up the Twin Towers anomalies. And again, just to “question” the 9/11 incident generates accusations that if you don’t believe in the official explanations of 9/11, then you’re a conspiracy theory nut. Certain subjects are so charged that some people don’t even want to hear or discuss any other possibility. Essentially they would like to silence any opposition. This “fear of questioning” can be dangerous to freedom of speech.
Apparently, freedom of speech is already in danger as a result of the Federal Hate Crimes Legislation. While technically, if there was no physical violence committed, then one can say anything he liked, however Rev. Ted Pike’s outreach helped publicized internationally the arrest and imprisonment of 11 Christians in Philadelphia on October 10, 2004. They were threatened with 47 years in prison for the “hate crime” of publicly witnessing to homosexuals. According to Rev. Pike’s biography, “he is also the primary national opponent to federal hate crimes legislation, proposed by the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith. He and his National Prayer Network have played a pivotal role in defeating such legislation the last four times it has been introduced in Congress.” In addressing this very important issue of freedom of speech, Rev. Pike writes, “Should Ahmadinejad Have Free Speech?“ In that article he addresses why he feels that people should be able to speak freely, no matter who they are or what they think. Here’s a short excerpt from his article using one example from scripture to support his belief.
“Are some people so evil they should be denied freedom to speak in the international arena? Almost every evangelical lover of Israel says “Yes!” and believes Ahmadinejad is one of them.
“But does God endorse their opinion? What if we could ask God what He thinks of banning speech, even for those considered exceptionally evil?
“God reveals His point of view in the Biblical book of Job. There we find Satan in the presence of a holy God, free to express any evil or malicious idea (short of reviling God to His face). In this ancient inspired Scripture, God taunts Satan that He enjoys the complete loyalty of a perfect man, Job. Satan audaciously boasts that he can make Job curse his Creator. The wager is laid between God’s power to redeem and Satan’s ability to demoralize and destroy. Job is steadfast. God wins, despite staggering demonic persecution of Job. Through one man’s life, God created an eternal testimony to those who trust in Him: although it may seem that He has forsaken us, He is very near and will everlastingly reward.
“Could God’s faithfulness have been so established if He had not first allowed free speech to Satan? It couldn’t. Having created us free will beings, God warns that the wages of sin is death. Yet He defers judgment for periods short or long, respecting our freedom to speak lies if we wish. He may be very angry at what we say, yet He always allows free will and resultant free speech.”
Rev. Pike goes on to discuss what the founding fathers of the U.S. thought about freedom of speech, and in conclusion Pike writes:
“The Founding Father’s endorsement of revolution, if necessary, also implies that whatever inflammatory speech is required to incite such overthrow should be allowed. “
My final thought for tonight regarding freedom of speech is the information with which our current mainstream media is inundating us. With the current Presidential election, it can be irritating to read the lies, half-truths, and misleading statements promulgated by our media outlets. I know some people wish they would just stop. But those lies, half-truths, and misleading statments are not the worst of it. The worst of it is the censorship, the stuff that we “don’t hear.” The stuff that we are “prevented” from hearing. And the reason why there is so much happening in other countries that the U.S. is involved in that we don’t even know about. We aren’t allowed to know about. I shuddered when during the third Presidential debate between Obama and McCain, McCain stated in passing that, “We will be hearing the names of places that we never heard before.” What did he mean by that? What else is the U.S. involved in or are going to be involved in?
Marlakins
