FREEDOM OF SPEACH

Happy Friday everyone!!! Let the Black Friday festivities begin. 

I watched a show called "extreme Christmas celebrations". There was one about a man who "celebrated" Christmas everyday, 365 days a year. Wow, how did he do that? Well, he cooked a massive dinner everyday, he kept his Christmas tree fully decorated  and with gifts too.His house strewn with lights and he played Christmas music 24 hrs a day.  His daughter had recently set him up on a blind date, but the poor lady after stepping into the house, left soon after. To this man Christmas represented "solace". His wife had left him a few years ago, and his children were adults and were really stressed at his behavior. I noticed that in all of his decor, there were no Nativity scenes, and he didn't mention "the baby Jesus" at all.

In another show, a woman had amassed a collection of 25000 teddy bears, in which she dressed them in Christmas attire and they inhabited every inch of her small 3 bedroom home. She had lost a family member, maybe about 2000 bears ago.

Recently a man from a popular reality show answered a question, and voiced his own opinion about God and other hot topics such as race and gender;popular events of the day.( It doesn't matter if I found his words offensive or not, but I support everyone's right to speak their own mind.) 

He was called into the court of public opinion and was asked by "what right" do you have to speak this way. You are ignorant, you are a bigot, you hate gays and blacks. The reality show was taken off the air, and the Red Queen yelled "Off with his head". I would ask "What is reality?" "What is truth?"

In the book of 1 Samuel, the children of Israel demand a king, they reject Samuel the prophet because he is old, and they want to be like the"other " nations. So Samuel is troubled and complains to Jehovah about this; The Lord in effect tells him, "Why are you so upset, it is I that they are rejecting , not you.

I asked the question in my Gospel Doctrine class; "Is freedom of Speech compromised? Have the guidelines been rewritten? Can we still have the freedom to" assemble" and speak freely, or worship freely? Freedom as it applies to everything is based on Truth. What is truth? 

"THE BIBLE" Ceelo Grenne: Mary Did You Know?

After Jesus had ascended into Heaven, His disciples continued His work with much opposition. For testifying of the TRUTH, they were arrested, beaten, thrown in prison, held without counsel.

Acts 4

1 And while they [Peter and John] were talking to the people, the high priests and the military commander of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,

2 Being vexed and indignant through and through because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in [the case of] Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

3 So they laid hands on them (arrested them) and put them in prison until the following day, for it was already evening

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7 And they set the men in their midst and repeatedly demanded, By what sort of power or by what kind of authority did [such people as] you do this [healing]?

8 Then Peter, [because he was] filled with [and controlled by] the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and members of the council (the Sanhedrin),

9 If we are being put on trial [here] today and examined concerning a good deed done to benefit a feeble (helpless) cripple, by what means this man has been restored to health,

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23 After they were permitted to go, [the apostles] returned to their own [company] and told all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

24 And when they heard it, lifted their voices together with one united mind to God and said, O Sovereign Lord, You are He Who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them,

25 Who by the mouth of our forefather David, Your servant and child, said through the Holy Spirit, Why did the heathen (Gentiles) become wanton and insolent and rage, and the people imagine and study and plan vain (fruitless) things [that will not succeed]?

26 The kings of the earth took their stand in array [for attack] and the rulers were assembled and combined together against the Lord and against His Anointed (Christ, the Messiah).

27 For in this city there actually met and plotted together against Your holy Child and Servant Jesus, Whom You consecrated by anointing, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and peoples of Israel,

28 To carry out all that Your hand and Your will and purpose had predestined (predetermined) should occur.

29 And now, Lord, observe their threats and grant to Your bond servants [full freedom] to declare Your message fearlessly,

30 While You stretch out Your hand to cure and to perform signs and wonders through the authority and by the power of the name of Your holy Child and Servant Jesus.

31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage.

Happy New Years Everyone......