Censorship and the Christians

Is free speech a nicety that we stumbled on or does it derive from biblical principles

Steve Schlichter 0 2919 Article rating: 5.0

Western society historically values the freedom of speech. The 1st ammendment is an expression of the innate right that humans have right to voice their values. Does this right derive from a biblical perspective or is it something that we arrived at thru other means.

We all value freedom of speech but where does it come from?

Steve Schlichter will be arguing that the freedom of speech is derived from man's delegation of the image of God and from biblical principles. He is an evangelical Christian and has 5 children with his wife, Jenni. As a libertarian, he seeks to demonstrate how the cause of liberty is consistent and necessary in a Christian worldview.

Gregory Richardson will take the position that while good, freedom of speech is not a Biblical principle per se.  Greg is also an evangelical Christian for over 40 years, he is happily married with 3 "children."  While a passionate lover of politics, he believes none of the 3 leading parties accurately encompass the Christian belief system. 

https://zoom.us/j/92716378185?pwd=UXVReWxISE5GUEQ2bVFTdVdYMXhzdz09

 

 

 

Violence and Protection of Life

Including one's own

Steve Schlichter 0 1615 Article rating: No rating


Violence is a tool. It is not a hammer or screwdriver that goes in your toolbox for everyday use. It is a tool of last resort. It is behind the glass broken only in extreme circumstances. What are the appropriate circumstances? We always want to avoid violence but there are circumstances when violence is necessary.
 

The Qur'an and hadiths of Islam teach that violence is an appropriate tool for the propagation of religion. In contrast, the Hebrew conquest of Canaan was a period in which God-ordained violence occurred but the purpose of the conquest was not to gain converts. Later, Jesus and the entire New Testament make it very clear that violence must never be a tool for the Church to spread Christianity or the gospel message.   This brings us to the question of self-defense.

Biblical justice and a fair wage

What is just according to the Bible and can it be used to determine what are fair wages

Steve Schlichter 0 3355 Article rating: No rating

The Bible has a lot to say about justice as it relates to wealth and poverty. The Christian cannot escape the fact that God is concerned about the poor, the oppressed, and those that cannot defend themselves. As Christians, God's concerns are our concern. The Bible not only provides us motivation but also provides us with principles and guidelines.

Absurdity of Laws

How we use force of law to plunder our neighbor instead of love our neighbor

Steve Schlichter 1 3662 Article rating: No rating

In 1696, the legislature of Britain implemented a window-tax. The more windows you had, the more you had to pay. If you were wealthy enough to own a home in London that had a lot of windows then you can pay your fair share (for the common good, of course). Some variation of this law existed for about 150 years. This (even if well-meaning) tax was a swing at the rich but these laws rarely hit their targets. Those with the means just boarded up their windows with bricks leaving a legacy of absurdity making both air and light a government service to pay for. When the law is used to target the rich, it rarely hits the target. In this case, a large tenant building full of middle and lower-class renters would get taxed heavily. The owner would pass the cost down to the tenants. A swing and a miss.

One absurd law played out requires another absurdity to fix it. A similar tax was placed on the number of fireplaces and the number of bricks used to build a home. This, in turn resulted in bricked up hearths, cold residents, and building houses with over-sized bricks. It is not that all laws are absurd. Undeniable laws exist naturally and organically. These natural laws govern all human activity. Natural laws are based on the responsibilities of the individual to bear the image of God. This requires certain rights in order to execute those responsibilities. These rights include the right to your own life. Not being killed. They include the right to your freedom. Not being enslaved. They include the right to property. Property is what you did with your right to life and freedom in the past. Not being robbed or plundered.

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