The Sound Of Silence

Free speech is an essential right in society. The UK has a historic reputation for being a place where diverse views can be held without heavy-handed repercussions. The principle of freedom of expression is protected both in UK law and under international law.

But there is no doubt that free speech is under threat in the UK. We may not face the kind of horrendous restrictions experienced in places like North Korea, but the trajectory we are on is hugely concerning.

In recent months, we’ve seen a Catholic journalist, Caroline Farrow, investigated by the police for allegedly ‘misgendering’ the daughter of the trans-activist Suzie Green. Apparently, nowadays, referring to someone’s sex at birth is cause for a police inquiry. There was also the case of the street preacher, Oluwole Ilesanmi, arrested in February when preaching the gospel outside Southgate Tube station (front page of en April 2019). He was de-arrested soon after and the police launched an internal investigation over its officers’ handling of the case. When questioned about it, London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan refused to guarantee it would not happen again.

What these cases highlight is how confused the police seem to be about the powers they have and when and how to enforce them. It’s easy to blame them and I don’t think their conduct is always perfect. But recent legislation has made life harder for the authorities. The Government’s zealous and understandable desire to stop people being drawn into terrorism has led to confusing guidance. The Prevent duty guidance, for example, has come into criticism. Critics suggest its ambiguous wording risks suffocating freedom of expression and speech as it seeks to prevent people from being lured into terrorism.

Say what?

Let’s be clear on two things: firstly, criminal law does not exist to protect people from feeling insulted and, secondly, as Christians we must care about free speech. After all, we have a message to share. We want to tell people about the Lord Jesus – God’s determined way of salvation to save sinners. Furthermore, free speech protects our rights to speak up for the value of life, promote traditional marriage and the importance of family life. God has called us to live differently from those around us, not conforming to the pattern of the world, but being a witness in it. Free speech means freedom to explain and reason with others about God, the Christian life, and the gospel.

If these basic freedoms are taken away, that does not mean that we simply go silent. Jesus commands His church to go to all the world to make disciples. Whether the law of the land allows us to or not, we are under orders from our Sovereign to share the good news. The freedom we currently enjoy is a tremendous help to those ends.

Wider implications

It is also true to say that stifling free speech will not simply impact Christians; it will have detrimental effects on the whole of society. The freedom to disagree and to challenge the views of others is an essential right within the context of a democracy. We’re in danger of criminalising perfectly valid viewpoints just because they are out-of-step with the majority view. If offending others becomes the basis for prosecution, we might as well lock up the entire population.

Unless we are careful, free speech is in real danger of becoming a privilege for the few rather than a right for all. Given Christianity’s counter-cultural nature, it is only natural that Christians should look over their shoulders and wonder how much longer our basic freedoms will remain intact. The more free speech is undermined, the more precarious our right to tell people about Jesus becomes.

It’s so easy to take hard-won freedoms such as democracy and free speech for granted. Looking ahead, it’s clear to me that the debates about free speech will be a major theme in 2019. So we need to stand up for free speech while thanking God for the privileges we have. We also need a readiness to engage with politicians when these freedoms and liberties are threatened.