I believe it was Phil Elmore who said:
“Liberals’ hatred for freedom of speech, freedom of thought and
freedom of action always expresses itself as terrorism. It is not
enough that they disagree; they must force you to change your mind.”
True? I think so. Perhaps it wasn’t always, but it does seem to define people who espouse a ‘my way or the highway’ approach. And for some eerie reason their voices always seem to be the loudest and drown out any differing opinion. Personally, I’ve never appreciated a mindset that says that my way is the only way, unless it was the Lord’s and since I trust Him I will always try to follow Him and then to understand. Actually, the loud voice may be ‘right’ but sometimes the ability to express a differing view will confirm this or provide a whole new way. It’s the freedom of expression that’s at issue.
I believe that the entrenched view never allows for discovery of the new or even of refinement. It’s almost that intolerance becomes the norm. In the demand, tolerance for one view translates into an intolerance for a different belief. And now the minority opinion becomes the only opinion. Squelching freedom of speech, thought, and action does become the only option. The caveat in demanding YOUR freedom means that you cannot do so at the harm of the opposite view.
“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the
death your right to say it.” Voltaire
I really have always believed that this was our standard in any disagreement or argument. Sadly, this no longer appears to be the method. If I can yell louder than you and continually interrupt what you say then my opinion is the prevailing one. “Come let us reason together…” is not the standard to determine ‘truth’.
We all should be allowed not only the freedom but the opportunity to express our beliefs. It is not the ‘politically correct’ that should dictate what is said. Besides, who is the authority of politically correct? But we have passed into this minefield. Forcing others to accept only your view is definitely a form of terrorism and terrorism leads to anarchy. One of Webster’s definitions of anarchy is: ‘absence or denial of any authority or established order’. Without God being acknowledged as the Supreme Authority, we do head into anarchy. Man is still fallible.
