What is the Meaning of the First Amendment?

What is censorship? Is it legal? What are our true rights when it comes to our free speech? What should be our reaction to censorship we find in our daily lives on social media, government and the wonderful world of journalism??

These questions, and more, are what we hope to cover in the next several articles we have for you. But first, I think it is important to start this topic off with the first amendment right that started it all:

The Right of Free Speech

Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

Now, there are actually 5 rights mentioned in this amendment, but we are just going to be looking at 2 this time:

• The right to freedom of speech and freedom of the press

This is a right we all like to spout off a lot.

When someone doesn’t like something we say, we respond with “I have the right to free speech!” “It’s my right to say what I want!” In fact, this is an easy right to abuse in most situations…and actually has been more times than I can count.

The right to freedom of speech and freedom of the press are two of the biggest rights that confuse people and often set off debates about what they do and do not mean. I agree…these can be confusing, and in some ways, there really is a fine line between exercising this right and abusing it. However, for us as Christians, the line should be far less blurred than it is. I’m hoping that there will be some clarity by the end of this article. 🙂

Why the 1st Amendment??

Have you ever wondered why these rights won the #1 spot in the amendments? Our founders must have thought it was pretty important!

In those wretched countries where a man cannot call his tongue his own, he can scarce call anything his own. Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech; a thing terrible to publick traytors.

-Benjamin Franklin, Dogwood Papers 1722

So what prompted them to write the first amendment and put it in first place? to understand that, we need to go back to the history that brought us to these shores:

In the early 1600s, a group we know as the “Pilgrims” fled England after years of persecution. The reason? They had different beliefs and opinions than those the king of England wanted. According to Governor William Bradford, those who disagreed with King James “were taken and clapped up in prison, others had their houses beset and watched night and day, and hardly escaped their hands.”

For simply voicing a difference of opinion, or saying when the king was wrong according to scripture…people were arrested, their property taken away, and some were killed. Yet even outside the borders of England, there was no escape. The Pilgrims still felt led to minister to their countrymen, so William Brewster started printing books and smuggling them back to England. The writing contained in these books was considered “illegal speech”, and King James pressured aid out of the Holland authorities to squelch this.

Fast forward to the 1700s American Colonies. It should be better by this time, right? Living in the “New World”, the sea between them and the tyrannical crown. Yet time and distance did little to bring about the freedom they so sought. The current king of England (King George III) was little better than his predecessor…in that he sent his troops to invade, harrass and intimidate the colonists, take over their homes and, yes, arrest and detain whomever they liked. Thomas Jefferson had this to say about the matter:

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.… He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.… In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.

The Declaration of Independence, 1776

And we could go even further back in history and view the lives and fight those such as William Tyndale and Martin Luther… who fought against censorship in some form to bring to light the basic human rights, and God’s DESIGN for society!

Why is the first amendment in first place? Because they knew, firsthand, life without it. And they knew that, for the growth of true knowledge, wisdom and to be able to have TRUE freedom, we must have freedom of religion, speech and press.

Application

So now, what does this mean, and how do we apply it?

In general, the First Amendment guarantees the right to express ideas and information. On a basic level, it means that people can express an opinion (even if it is unpopular) without fear of government censorship. Yet that is not the only things that should be guiding our tongue or pen.

Just because you have a right to something, or it is legal, does not make it necessary or edifying…or, as Christians, God-honoring.

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

Exodus 20:7

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Ephesians 4:29

Words, both written and verbal, have power…for good or evil.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:21

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

James 3:10

For all of us, but especially for Christians, when exercising our first amendment rights, our words should always be spoken with truth and love. To edify and build up, not to tear down or humiliate, to honor and respect…and to glorify the God who gave us these rights.

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Colossians 4:6

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Proverbs 29:20

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

Proverbs 15:28

Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

Proverbs 17:27

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Proverbs 6:16-19

You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:16

When it comes to applying our first amendment rights, as Christians, I think Paul summed it up very nicely:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.

Philippians 4:8

We need to ask ourselves: Is it true? Is it pure? Does it edify and encourage? Will God be glorified through these words? Is my attitude in this honoring to God? Just because we have the RIGHT to speak or write how we wish, does not mean we SHOULD. Even a fool is considered wise when he does not always speak:

Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

Proverbs 17:28

If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

Proverbs 18:13

Going along with the message of this verse, I want to point out one other thing that seems to have been forgotten in our desire to exercise our first amendment rights: if we don’t want to look foolish, we need to make sure we know what we are talking about and be able to back it up, and not just talk to hear ourselves talk or spout off things that we think or feel as if they were facts. This is a lesson very few people have learned, yet is a very important part of making sure we are not abusing this right.

Conclusion

If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

George Washington

Without Freedom of Thought, there can be no such thing as Wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without Freedom of Speech.

Benjamin Franklin, Silence Dogood Letters, 1722

Without the basic human dignity of being able to call our minds and tongues our own, to speak and think freely, we can scarce call ourselves free. Without the freedom to speak and learn from listening to the thoughts, perspectives and opinions of others, we are just as sheep, being led here and there, willing to listen to whoever holds the staff of leadership before us.

Yet, even having the freedom of speech isn’t enough, and our founding fathers new it. Knowing the course of sinful human nature, they knew that, if left to wander completely free, and not given to follow the dictates of our God-given conscience…we would find ourselves in a lot of trouble and pain. That is why they believed another document should be read right alongside the Constitution: the Holy Scriptures.

These two go hand in hand, and our founding fathers knew it. They were on the right track: teaching the Bible is public schools and universities and hanging the 10 Commandments in the halls of Congress.

The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.

Benjamin Rush

The most perfect maxims and examples for regulating your social conduct and domestic economy, as well as the best rules of morality and religion, are to be found in the Bible. . . . The moral principles and precepts found in the scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws.

Noah Webster

We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments of God.

James Madison

True freedom is not the power to do whatever you want, but the ability to choose to do what is right and fitting. Without the Bible we would not be able, or know how, to rightly apply what is written in our Constitution. Without the heart, which is the scriptures, the freedoms and ideals in this document are meaningless and the reason for having them becomes non-existent.