By Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
When a "regime" gains power, one of the first things to go is freedom of the press. Usually one of the next things to be severely limited is freedom of religion. In fact, they often are one and the same. For if one is not able to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, then there must be no freedom of speech.
Peter and the Apostles experienced this phenomenon in Jerusalem after Jesus ascended to heaven. They were beaten and put in jail for preaching the gospel. In Acts 4:18 the Sadducees commanded Peter and John "not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus." Acts 4:19-20 demonstrates the civil disobedience of Peter and John against those who would shut down freedom of speech and religion. It says "But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." The scene repeats itself again in Acts 5 when Peter and the Apostles continued to preach the Gospel. The Sadducees put them in prison, but an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and told them (verse 20) "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." When the high priest, the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard that the Apostles were again preaching Jesus, they sent officers to bring them before the council, (verse 28) "Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name?" Acts 5:29 says, "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."
You see freedom of speech and freedom of religion are inextricably tied together. For if there is not freedom of speech, how then can the gospel be preached? And if there is not freedom of religion, who shall speak of it? And if there is no speech, neither religion, how then shall there be justice and morality in a society?
These are all questions that you will be asking soon if we do not stand against this man who occupies the Oval Office as Peter and the Apostles stood against the Sadducees. Though the media is liberal and is supporting the socialist agenda, there is starting to be concern about freedom of the press.
Liberal columnist Dana Milbank decries the White House's totalitarian image during the recent nuclear summit. He writes that world leaders arriving for the Nuclear Security Summit "must have felt for a moment that they had instead been transported to Soviet-era Moscow." Milbank continued, "In the middle of it all was Obama - occupant of an office once informally known as "leader of the free world" - putting on a clinic for some of the world's greatest dictators in how to circumvent a free press." This is change - socialist change.
Related Links
Obama's disregard for media reaches new heights at nuclear summit - Washington Post White House press corps sued for doing Obama's 'bidding' - WorldNetDaily Poll: Obama Slips to New Low - AP Palin urges less government, lower taxes at Boston Common Tea Party rally - Boston Globe That Pesky First Amendment - CNS News 2010: Take Back America: A Battle Plan - Dick Morris (Book)
