Shutting Down Free Speech

God has equipped us to be able to speak and to speak with the intent of bringing glory to His name by communicating Biblical truth. Proverbs 31, prior to the description of a godly woman, contains these words:
8 Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Thursday, October 31 was a dreadful day for free speech in the United Kingdom, because that is the day that a new law establishing so-called "buffer zones" around abortion clinics went into effect.  The Christian Post reported the following Monday:

Buffer zones around abortion facilities went into effect in England and Wales, a development that pro-life advocates contend criminalizes silent prayer and offering help for women and families in need of pregnancy resources.

The zones, which were approved last year after Parliament passed the Public Order Act 2023, went into effect last Thursday. Under the law, it is a criminal offense for someone to be within 500 feet (150 meters) of an abortion facility or the access point of a building that has an abortion facility located inside.

The article goes on to say:

Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 states that “influencing” abortion-minded women or people performing abortions is now illegal. The law also prohibits actions that constitute “causing harassment, alarm, or distress” to abortion workers or someone entering an abortion facility.

And, the Post also notes:

On the day that the new law was rolled out, the Crown Prosecution Service also released new guidelines that Right to Life UK fears could create “confusion” about what activities outside abortion facilities are considered illegal.

While threats, assault and verbal abuse are illegal under the Act, the guidelines also list silent prayer, singing around religious pictures, holding vigils and passing out leaflets with what it described as “misinformation” about abortion.

The article mentions a man named Adam Smith-Connor, described as a "military veteran." He was "found guilty of praying silently near an abortion facility in England. The Pool Magistrates Court granted Smith-Connor a conditional discharge, which means the veteran will face sentencing if convicted of future offenses within the next two years." 

He is quoted as saying: “Today, the court has decided that certain thoughts — silent thoughts — can be illegal in the United Kingdom,” adding, “That cannot be right. All I did was pray to God, in the privacy of my own mind, and yet I stand convicted as a criminal?”

Faithwire refers to the ruling in the Smith-Connor case in a recent article, in which it describes how British citizens are fighting back, stating, "In the wake of a series of arrests of pro-life advocates praying silently outside abortion clinics, thousands are petitioning the prime minister of the U.K. to safeguard the rights of British citizens."  The article states:

The newly published petition, with some 60,000 signatures, is calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to defend those who choose to pray silently and keep it from being classified as a criminal offense.

In the letter, authored by the Alliance Defending Freedom UK, the religious freedom advocacy group argues “buffer zones” have “quickly become thought- and speech-restricting ‘censorship zones.'”

The letter also says: “The slippery slope is clear; if the criminal law requires us to refrain from ‘offensive’ thoughts anywhere, there is simply no logical endpoint,” adding, “Today, it’s pro-life views that offend progressive social orthodoxies; tomorrow, it could be gender-critical views and gender-critical buffer zones. A genuinely democratic society must champion diversity of thought and the free and frank exchange of views.”

Good for these tens of thousands of British citizens who are appealing to their government to address an unjust law.  This is a totally appropriate action, and can provide encouragement for Christians in our country to make sure that we are up-to-date on issues and engaging. Faith Radio appealed to Christians to take part in the electoral process earlier this month, and we continue to provide a Biblical perspective on issues that are affecting us today and could impact us tomorrow.  While we can do our part in selecting good leaders, we can also make sure that we are praying and acting as God leads.

What is happening in the U.K. can also remind us that there are those who want to shut down speech with which they disagree.  Freedom of speech is a bedrock principle of our nation, and we can be reminded that engaging in speech and association is an effective way to share the gospel.  When we have the freedom to live out our faith without restriction, it provides conditions through which we can testify to what God has done in our lives and strengthens our Christian witness.  

One area in which we can be bold to speak is regarding the unborn - while some would rather not talk about, we still have unborn children whose lives are being taken in abortion clinics, and, unfortunately, in the homes of women across America who can order life-taking pills online, which are dangerous, certainly to the unborn child and potentially to the women who consume them.  As people who are aligned with Biblical justice, we can continue to raise our voices to affirm life.