Freedom To Speak Our Minds

Next Tuesday is the Fourth of July! Independence Day! Freedom! Set off firecrackers!

Someone asked me if the British had a fourth of July. I told them, “Probably — unless they go from July 3 to July 5.”

It took him a minute to get it, also.

Today I want to talk about a different type of freedom — not political, but personal interactive freedom. The freedom to speak our minds without offending others. The freedom to speak our minds without becoming offended. The freedom to think independently, but not oppressively. And, if I may say so, the freedom to remain cool emotionally when someone purposely attempts to offend us.

Why? Because if we allow that type of freedom to prevail, families would not fight; local churches would not split into factions; the town-hall officials could work together; the Republican party could become unified. Same for the Democratic party. (However, as long as the Republican and Democratic party platforms are diametrically opposed, I’m not sure this concept would work for the U.S. Congress. But it could if both sides truly wanted what is best for the nation.)

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that people will suddenly start agreeing with each other. Not at all. But I am saying that we can learn to give each other the right — the freedom — to speak our mind. We can be kind and courteous to each other without interrupting. That freedom alone can quell personal conflagrations and produce the atmosphere for peace.

When someone told me that he/she did not like what I wrote in several of my Reflection articles, I didn‘t defend or argue about it. I merely asked, “What didn’t you like?” That diffused the potential land-mine and we discussed it like mature people. Guess what? Although we still disagreed, we understood each other and we became friends.

Back in the mid-1700s, if King George III and his Parliament had been mature enough to listen to their colonial representatives, if they had been interested in understanding and preserving the empire rather than conquering it, the American Revolutionary War might have been averted.

I have every reason to believe that we would still have become an independent nation, but we might not have gone through that gruesome eight-year war to achieve it.

This concept of listening to each other, giving each other room for independent thinking, granting each other the freedom to disagree, only applies when both sides truly want peace. This concept does not apply when one or both sides has decided to destroy the other side. Therefore, this does not apply in situations regarding entities such as Radical Islam, ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hitler, Stalin, and others like them.

We must not foolishly ignore history and deceive ourselves. If adherents of Radical Islam continually assert their obsession to destroy Israel and kill infidels (non-Muslims), don’t believe them when they say they want peace. And if American politicians break the law — Republican and Democrat — we must not exonerate one side and condemn the other. We must enforce the law equally. But honesty is required to do that. Back to the main thought. When someone gives an opinion about something, don’t badger or harangue him or her. Feel free to voice your opinion, but don’t pressure or belittle the person. Even though you believe you are right, be courteous; be kind; be respectful. You will not win the person over by anger, rejection, or argument. Treat the person as you might like to be treated.

Jesus said it quite well in Matthew 7:12, “In everything, do to others what you would like them do to you; for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Don’t fuss over personal opinions, likes, or tastes. And if someone makes the mistake of trying to force their opinion on you, don’t react in like manner. You be the mature one and overlook the other person’s immaturity.

In First Peter 4:8 we read, “Above all, truly love each other, because love covers a multitude of sins.” Love — maturity — also overlooks brash immaturity. So grant others the freedom of thought and expression without condemning. You will reap what you sow.

I want to remind you that our Siloam Springs Writers Guild Summer Conference will take place in 9 days. If you have any interest in enhancing your writing, learning to write, or associating with writers, contact me (e-mail below) or Ted Weathers (ted@tjweathers.us) for information.