Free Speech

It has been said that true freedom is the freedom not to do what we want, but what we ought. How would that apply to "freedom of speech"? Well, to Christians it would look something like this. "Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." (James 1:19)

Now, there is surely more to it and there is a broad range of "speech" and its applications, but I got to thinking the other day about our "speech" on the Internet. There is a sense to most people that the Internet is somewhat "safe" (in the sense of being able to say what you want without serious repercussions), even anonymous. It's a simple thing to say things online that you wouldn't say face to face because there is a buffer, a distance between the speaker and the hearers. So we speak with some sense of impunity. As James aptly says, "Brothers, these things ought not to be so." (James 3:10)

I would contend that if there are biblical commands about how we should speak, they should apply to how we speak online as well as in person. So what are those biblical commands? How should we speak online?

Well, first, there are those three factors from James. Hear first and foremost. We are always too quick to respond rather than to listen, examine, question for clarity, and figure out what is being said. A response, then, should be "slow". That is, planned, worded intentionally, carefully examined and weighed, and then offered "audibly". And while anger may, at times, be appropriate, it should be rare. We should be slow to anger. Now, that's just one set of instructions on the subject, but you can ask yourself already, "Do these three items characterize my Internet speech?"

But we're not done. In our speech there needs to be two clear components. We are always supposed to be "speaking the truth in love" (Eph 4:15). It must be truth. (And I've seen far too many, including myself at times, who have made claims that were not true. Not enough examination, "homework", etc.) It must have love as its motivation. So, if you can't see a way for sarcasm, insensitivity, rudeness, or insults to be classified as "love", perhaps you ought to refrain from using them. (Note: I said it that way for a reason. We are warned not to answer a fool according to his folly because we might end up being like him, but we are also told that there are times when doing so is necessary (Prov 26:4-5). We need to discern the difference and the need.) Truth and love ought to be the benchmarks of our conversations in person and online.

There is more. "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (Col 4:6) Does that command describe your Internet presence? "Set the believers an example in speech." (1 Tim 4:12) Do your Internet conversations set an example for believers? Paul tells Titus, "Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us." (Titus 2:7-8) Notice the motivation: "so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us." We ought to be models of, among other things, "sound speech" and we ought to be models so that our opponents will have nothing evil to say about us. Does that characterize your Internet discussions?

As in everything for believers, there is one underlying, overarching purpose in everything. "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor 10:31) It's really easy to get caught up in the moment. God's name is being slandered. People are saying false or foolish things. There is someone wrong on the Internet. It's easy to get caught up, but when our responses don't line up with the commands we're given, it probably is not because we're so caught up in glorifying God, being examples, aiming at being gracious, or loving our hearers. These, however, are key components of what God's Word says should characterize our speech. That would include Internet speech. And we should to be free to do what we ought rather than merely what we want -- to speak as we are commanded. That's the kind of free speech we should practice. That's the kind of conversation we should model.