RESOLUTION 74:05 Freedom of Speech

The Christian is mandated by the Lord Jesus to preach the Gospel to every creature in every place at all times.

Our forefathers stated that part of their purpose in coming to this continent was the propagation of that Gospel.

To ensure this liberty, while protecting the rights of others, they included in the very fabric of our founding documents both freedom of speech and freedom of religion. They did this because they had no need to silence others, believing that the truth, unlike deception, has nothing to fear from the free market of ideas.

The first official visitor received, without prejudice, at Independence Hall (called the Pennsylvania House at the time), was a Muslim sheik, a demonstration of the spirit of freedom our forefathers believed in though they were predominantly men of a Christian world view.

Recently, a disturbing trend has been developing across North America in general and in the United States in particular. Random, but continual examples of the restriction of Christians in the exercise of their rights to free speech and the freedom of religion keep making their way into the news. Whether it is the seemingly unwarranted arrest of Christians at a recent Muslim festival in Dearborn, Michigan, or the prohibition of quiet, private prayer in schools, or the public areas of the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C., or attempts in New Hampshire to force students into the public school system because parental instruction too strongly imposes the Christian faith of the parents on the children, there is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates a hostility toward Christianity on the part of government authorities in a way that is not evident in regards to other religious bodies.

We, the 74th General Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Church, meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, August 5-10, 2010, call on Christians everywhere to boldly exercise their liberty in matters of speech and faith; fulfilling Christ’s command in the spirit of the Apostle Paul: requiring government officials to honor the freedom guaranteed to them by the law of the land (Acts 16:37), while rendering honor to whom honor is due, and submitting themselves to every legitimate ordinance for Christ’s sake.

We also call on our government officials to protect the rights of all citizens—favoring none and respecting all equally.