How You Can Help Stop the Censorship of Religious Speech
This past week, we saw the true face of Big Tech—the massive online companies which serve as the platforms for America’s once-revered freedom of speech. One by one, social media companies like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Apple, Amazon and even Pinterest banned the president and thousands of law-abiding Americans.
But even more telling—and perhaps more disturbing—is the fact that Amazon has the power to deplatform a social media company like Parler and completely shut it down.
Much like a communist government, Twitter had already launched its own official “fact-checkers” to ban any articles that disagreed with the company’s ideology. If you tried to share a post outside of what Twitter wanted you to share, first they warned you in a popup box. Then they tried to distract you with their own version of the “facts.”
But now, people are being suspended and completely kicked off Twitter for sharing an article outside of what Twitter wants them to say. Just recently, Twitter deleted 70,000 accounts from its platform.
A Free Country Requires Freedom of Speech
Imagine if your cellular provider censored your speech or discontinued your service because the carrier didn’t like who you voted for or disapproved of your lawful communications. Yet, that is exactly what Big Tech is doing to Americans.
I sometimes hear defenders of these social media giants say that they are “private companies.” True, but so are those who operate media companies using radio, TV, cable and phone channels.
These providers cannot refuse you access to their communication channels because they don’t agree with your viewpoint. Federal laws and state laws must protect Americans in this new age of information highways.
About 99.4% of all cell phones are controlled by either Apple or Google. When those two CEOs decide you shouldn’t have something on your phone, both you and the app provider are powerless to object.
This unbelievable assault on free speech is troubling enough when it targets political speech. But with millions of American churches forced into online services by lawless governors, what happens when Facebook or Amazon decides religious speech should also be banned?
We need key state governors and attorneys general to stand and protect law-abiding people and businesses. Send your urgent fax to Republican state leaders and urge them to act now.
The fact is we are suffering under the worst censorship in modern history. Social media has censored Trump supporters and the president himself, along with anyone who questions the integrity of the 2020 election. And, as you know, social media did almost nothing during the many weeks of riots and police shootings. But, because these companies do not agree with your viewpoint, they censor you.
For many across the country, the internet has been your connection to church. Lawless governors ordered churches closed, issued criminal charges, massive fines and potential jail time for ministers who insisted on keeping their churches’ doors open.
It has now been illegal to worship in California for over six months.
We represent these pastors, churches and churchgoers in six state and federal cases, not to mention the more than 2,000 pastors in other states we are counseling through these treacherous legal times.
If a governor is allowed to shutter churches, and Big Tech is allowed to censor the leader of the free world, it won’t be long before the church is silenced as well. We must push back before law-abiding Americans are silenced and the church is forced underground.
We must work with all our might now to firmly restore freedom of speech.
We Must Keep Freedom of Speech Free
Last year was the busiest litigation year in Liberty Counsel history. Given the state of several church closure cases we have before appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, it is clear that 2021 will be even busier.
Freedom can only die if we stop working diligently to defend it. Please continue to pray for America, our leaders and our churches.
“For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). {eoa}
This article originally appeared at libertycounsel.org.
