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THE TRUTH ABOUT FREE SPEECH I suspect that many Christians actually enjoy living in politically correct Laodicea because it gives them an excuse to not do or say anything that might "offend" someone. I've even heard Christians excuse themselves from handing out tracts because "I'm not sure which one to give a person, and I don't want to give something that will turn them away." So doing NOTHING is a better alternative? What a mess. People say, "Well, you can't say this anymore, and you can't say that." That's a lie straight from the depths of hell. This is the United States of America with the First Amendment right of FREE SPEECH, and you still have that right, if only you will USE IT. I preached for an hour today about "Pride Month," and no one even attempted to silence me. Then I posted the message on the Internet, and people are freely reading it . . . or at least so far. Even if I'm "jailed" by Facebook, the message will also be available as a printed sermon, and no one will stop that. We still have free speech, if only we will use it. Jesus said, ". . . For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required . . ." (Luke 12:48) No one in the history of the world has been given more free speech than America. God kicked the doors of American free speech wide open in 1787 (Rev. 3:8), and those doors are still open today. Time and time again in the courts free speech has won. So (except in isolated cases) it isn't the laws of the land that stop free speech; it's the spirit of FEAR and INTIMIDATION, and it doesn't come from God (II Tim. 1:7). Christians are simply SCARED to witness, scared to pass tracts, scared to have a scripture yard sign, scared to place scripture magnets on their vehicles, scared to wear a scripture cap or shirt, scared to hold a scripture sign on a street corner, and scared to attend a church that ISN'T scared! We aren't scared of being arrested or physically harmed. No, we are scared of what someone might think or say. We are scared of not fitting-in with the crowd. In essence, we are scared of BEARING A CROSS because of the REPROACH that comes with it (Heb. 11:26; 13:13). We want to be accepted, liked and loved, not mocked and despised. Fear is contagious, and it is spreading like wildfire among God's people, causing us to voluntarily cow-down and give up the sacred freedoms that God handed to us out of the sacrifices of our ancestors. SHAME ON US! Shame on us for playing make-believe with one of our most sacred rights, pretending that we have lost our free speech, when, in reality, we have lost only our boldness to use it. We STILL have our free speech, and God will hold every one of us accountable for our stewardship with it. FREE SPEECH: Use it or lose it . . . and a whole lot more.