Free Speech
The freedom to speak honestly is the bedrock of a Just Society. In this ever-changing world filled with fallible mortals, mistakes are inevitable, both at an individual and a societal level. The best way to correct these mistakes and progress on our eternal journey towards God is to listen to uncomfortable truths.
One of the flaws of human nature is the emotional rejection of criticism. All people, and especially the immature, instinctively react to disagreement with hostility, especially when core beliefs are challenged. Giving in to these emotions steers us towards damnation, so we must instead embrace humility and consider the merits of any criticism given in good faith.
At an individual level, this feedback is vital since it lets us learn from others, avoid unnecessary mistakes, and steer towards God. At a larger scale, constructive criticism is the primary tool a Just Society relies on to identify blind spots and avoid dangerous overcorrections.
Conversely, censoring bad actors only makes the problems worse. People don’t go away just because you can’t hear them. They only get angrier and more dangerous as they are forced to move in the shadows, drawing more people to their cause and creating a bigger problem down the line.
Furthermore, we flawed humans can’t reliably determine who is and is not a bad actor. Thus, any attempt to use censorship, no matter how well-intentioned, will inevitably impact good-faith critics in addition to bad actors. Over time, this oppression will change these people from trying to work with the system to actively opposing it, and they will eventually be forced to resort to violence, the ultimate redress of grievances.
Thus, a Just Society must actively protect freedom of speech. This is not limited to avoiding legal restrictions, but must encompass the active rejection of all forms of censorship. A company firing a dissenting employee or a bank refusing to do business with a political rival is no different from the government arresting peaceful protesters.
While a legal system that aggressively prosecutes censorship in all its forms is essential, protecting free speech is the responsibility of all individuals within a Just Society. Citizens must proactively develop a thick skin so they can remain calm and rational in the face of criticism. They must build critical thinking skills to consider the merits of the feedback they receive. They must learn how to give useful constructive criticism so they can effectively communicate the problems they see with others. They need to make a deliberate effort to challenge their beliefs on a regular basis to ensure they remain true. And finally, they must embrace pointed humor because jokes are often the best way to communicate difficult truths.
In practice, truly protecting the freedom of speech is difficult. There will always be challenging edge cases and conflicts. There will always be bad actors on all sides. There will always be external enemies trying to use free speech against us. Careful consideration and public deliberation can help to resolve these issues and protect this essential pillar of a Just Society. However, at the end of the day, we’re only human. We imperfect beings can never achieve perfect results. All we can do is remain humble and work together as best we can to build a Just Society in God’s image.