It is always good to escape your own bubble and understand the unusual ideas circulating throughout the world. It did not occur to me the other day that when I said, “Christ is King,” some people would interpret that as racism. Some might think I must be one of those racist conservatives their left wing liberal or secularist thought leader warned them about.
Could a racist, bigot, or evil person use the words “Christ is King”? Of course they could. If you believe in freedom of speech, anyone can say anything. The issue is not simply what you say, but whether you act in accordance with what you say.
So if you say Christ is King, are you living your life as a Christian? That is not for an atheist to decide. It is amusing when an atheist or non Christian attempts to judge Christians. As Christians, it is not our place to judge other Christians. That approach is more characteristic of secular thinking.
Hate Speech and Christian Freedom
If you believe in hate speech laws, you believe in censorship, and censorship is anti Christian. Many Christians who are uncertain in their faith struggle to understand this.
Ultimately, this is not a complicated debate. Yeshua was a Jew, yet many Jews do not acknowledge Christ as the Son of God. From a Christian perspective, this means the Holy Spirit is not recognized in that framework. That is one reason some Jews align with secularists and support censorship, often out of insecurity about perception.
As Christians, we are called to bring souls to God in the name of Jesus, who revealed the Word of God. Unlike the Laws of Moses, Christ commands us not only to love God with everything we have but also to love our neighbor as ourselves. That is the foundation of the Christian understanding of freedom of speech.
Mark 12: 29-31
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Respect, Self Defense, and Moral Limits
If you do not believe in Christ, I must put myself in your position. As a Christian, I am not to bully or manipulate you into conversion. At the same time, I am not a stepping stool. Loving your neighbor as yourself means mutual respect. If you are openly disrespectful, I will distance myself. Even in the face of hostility, Christians aim for restraint. That does not mean Christians allow themselves to be bullied, which is often what censorship advocates prefer.
None of Christ’s commandments forbid self defense. Christ commands us not to murder. We are not to initiate aggression against our neighbor. Many assume Christians are soft, but many non Christians do not truly believe in freedom either.
If you visit Singapore, for example, you will find a beautiful and orderly nation. However, one must conform strictly to its secular framework. Spreading the Gospel there would be extremely difficult because secular governance prioritizes control and censorship in the name of stability.
Mark 10: 18-19
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Secular Control Versus Christian Liberty
That is the trade off with secular systems. They often seek comprehensive authority over thought and expression. In such systems, governance that challenges centralized control is viewed as destabilizing and therefore must be censored.
Christians approach this differently. We even allow our own children the right to question or drift from the faith because belief must be voluntary. Faith cannot be coerced.
Hate speech laws seem incoherent from a Christian perspective. Christians value debate and discussion. A censored life is an intellectually stagnant life.
Idols, Censorship, and Intellectual Pride
When a society rejects Christ yet claims to support freedom, it often lacks moral boundaries. Without commandments rooted in God, freedom can be misused. Instead of avoiding someone whose words offend you, you may attempt to censor them.
The Bible teaches that worshiping idols leads to decline. When you create an idol and defend it from criticism through censorship, you reveal insecurity. If your belief is strong, it should withstand debate.
Christians are criticized constantly. The only time strong responses emerge is when censorship is imposed. If you are confident in your ideas, why silence opposition? God does not censor humanity. People use the Lord’s name in vain daily, and I may disagree, but I do not demand they be silenced.
Christianity, Jews, and Debate
Secularists often seek comprehensive control, which Christians reject. This refusal to submit can be misinterpreted as hostility. Yeshua was a Jew. If you hate Jews or anyone else, you are not acting as a Christian.
Censorship fosters resentment. Attempting to silence people creates opposition. As a Christian, I love Jerusalem and the Jewish people. The New Testament is not a cult, but censorship can become one when enforced as moral doctrine.
Some Christians oppose war and resist political alliances. Israel is not the only nation facing threats. Establishing censorship precedents is dangerous. Debate is wiser than suppression. Debate does not require confrontation. It means presenting ideas openly and allowing others to evaluate them.
War, Context, and Final Reflection
If my own country were attacked, I cannot predict how I would respond. I will not judge those living in conflict zones. I do not verbally attack Israel. I have previously identified as agnostic and even atheist in my youth. Where I differ now is that I follow Christ, whom I believe is the Son of God.
Those who benefit from freedom of speech but reject Christ often misunderstand its spiritual roots. Without the context of Jesus Christ, censorship laws can become idols.
Christ is King, and Christ does not force anyone to follow Him. If the Son of God does not coerce belief, why would I submit to secular authorities who claim absolute knowledge and push hate speech laws as moral law?
Consider making Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior today.
