A Personal Anecdote
Many years ago, I was having trouble finding a job after graduate school. The situation lasted for some time, and I became quite depressed [1]. In desperation, I prayed earnestly: I wrote down a specific list of things I was looking for in a job, and even made a vow that if I ever found one I would confess the name of Christ before everyone. It was sort of like when people vow to dance naked in public if something improbable happens. As it turned out, I got the type of job exactly as I prayed for. Being overjoyed, and, with youthful naivety and brashness, I added a personal quote to my company email signature, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), to fulfill my vow,
In all the years I worked in the company, nobody complained about my signature, except one, who emailed me saying that I was shoving religion down people’s throat and that he would report to his manager, but I heard nothing of it afterwards. The fact is, apart from my email signature, I never made any overt religious expression at my workplace. It was a scientific research division full of young professionals, where political or religious discussions were very rare, if not non-existent. I neither discussed religion with my coworkers, nor attempted to evangelize them. However, I did meet a Christian coworker who sought me out after reading my email signature, and through her found a church where I had great fellowship with other believers for many years.
I think there are significant differences between free expression, propaganda and hate speech, and a reasonable person should be able to discern them.
Expression As Telos
Aristotle writes that the purpose (telos) of a human life is to act and think. Actions and thoughts are both expressions in a broad sense. Therefore, freedom of expression is none other than the freedom to be human. There is no human right more unalienable than this.
To the ancient philosophers, philosophy is not an abstract science, but a concrete way of life. The Cynics, the Epicureans and the Stoics, to name a few, all have distinct ways of life that are in accord with their doctrines. Similarly, Christianity is a way of life. It is a way of expressing a sanctified Life, or what a human life ought to be. As an expression of Life, religious freedom cannot be confined to one sphere of activity, but necessarily permeates all spheres, the whole of human existence. To make an artificial separation between religious and civil sphere, or between private and public life is quite facile[2].
As beings endowed with free choice of will, man’s freedom to be also includes the free choice to err and sin. Aristotle also writes to the effect that the only way for a human not to err, and incur criticism, is not to exist at all. In other words, freedom of expression is why there is evil in the world.
Paul the Apostle exhorts Christians to “overcome evil with good”. If I understand it correctly, there are two ways to overcome evil with good, viz. to express the Good which is more powerful than evil. One is to live by the dictate of conscience, which is the law of God written in the hearts of men; A more excellent way is the Christian way: To live according to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, who alone is Good, and who alone has the power to overcome Evil and Death.
Notes:
- ^1. I blogged about this experience in a previous post: Suffering and Christian Hope: III. Where is My Hope?
- ^2. For a more detailed argument, see John Locke: A Letter Concerning Toleration
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