Recently, I was having a conversation with a friend and the phrase: “I may not agree with what you say but I shall defend to the death your right to say it?” came up. This phrase is often attributed to Voltaire, though there is some evidence that someone else may have come up with it instead. However, it really doesn’t matter who said this stupid phrase, since I’m going to refute it anyway.
After my friend said this I immediately told him how stupid I though that phrase was. Why would I die for freedom of speech? Better yet, why would I die for someone else’s speech that I disagree with? As a Catholic, there are a small amount of things that I would “defend to the death” for and freedom of speech doesn’t even come close.
In fact, in the Gospel of John, our Lord says:
Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
– John 15:13
Notice that there is nothing about freedom of speech in this beautiful verse? In fact, no verses in the Bible support freedom of speech. I don’t know of any Catholic Saints, Popes, Doctors or Fathers of the Church who believed in freedom of speech. I don’t know of any Catholic political Philosophers who support it.
I was recently having a discussion with a young lady who is a member of the Orthodox Church. When I told her about my opposition to freedom of speech, she seemed shocked. I asked her if she agrees with what Putin is doing in suppressing homosexual propaganda? She said yes then realized the irony of her agreement. Putin is suppressing homosexual propaganda and restricting freedom of speech not to punish his people but to protect them. He sees what’s happening in North America and Western Europe and sees two scenarios. He could allow freedom of speech and let his country adopt homosexuality like the West has over the next five to ten years. The second scenario is to protect his citizens from this nonsense that the West is now promoting.
With the possible exception of America, no country in the world has full freedom of speech. However, those who fight for freedom of speech do so because of American influence. Many countries have hate speech laws, laws against the denial of the Holocaust or the Armenian genocide, and other dumb laws. Just because I deny freedom of speech doesn’t mean that I support much of the speech suppression going on.
A righteous Christian government has the obligation to protect its citizens from people promoting evil in the public square. The Church and the state need to work together for the suppression of speech promoting evil. The Catholic Church has always opposed the ideas of the French Revolution and the Enlightenment. I’m happy to stand in that tradition and keep promoting what is right and opposing what is evil.
What folly it was to grant everyone freedom of speech. This is what has ruined us.
– Joseph de Maistre, St. Petersburg dialogues
Ha good one!! And you snuck Maistre in there. Even better. You bated that hook well. I still feel as if I need to wait till I have read more of my other ‘must reads’ till I even consider Maistre, but I can feel the tug.
Hi Maria,
You have no idea of the gems you’re missing out on! I’ve been promoting him on Thursday nights at our group hangouts after Mass and one girl has started to read him. Very good stuff Maria! You won’t regret it. My goal is to read every word he’s ever written. I’m fluent in French as well so if anything wasn’t translated I’ll read the French.
God Bless,
Allan
“I don’t know of any Catholic Saints, Popes, Doctors or Fathers of the Church who believed in freedom of speech. I don’t know of any Catholic political Philosophers who support it.”- Hmm, if I recall correctly, Aquinas has written in a commentary on Aristotle something that could be interpreted as a defense of freedom of speech: “We must love them both, those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject, for both have labored in the search for truth and both have helped us in the finding of it.” I don’t agree with him to full extent, but this thought deserves some reflection and consideration.
Hi Orangehunter,
I don’t think that’s promoting freedom of speech. Aquinas approved of the execution of heretics which obviously contradicts freedom of speech. However, I should look at the entire context. I’ll admit that I haven’t read that commentary.
God Bless,
Allan
Neither do I think so. It just sounds like something close to approval of this freedom. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve read it in Aquinas’ “Commentary on Aristotle’s De Anima”.
As Allan pointed out, Aquinas was quite far from approving freedom of speech. He’s explicit when it comes to the closely related topic of freedom of religion. Rejection of freedom of speech follows closely behind rejection of freedom of religion.
Do you have a citation for that quote? The context could help in understanding it.
This almost feels like when people ask Muslims “in your ideal Muslim state…”
But in a catholic state what would be the limits to speech and religious rights for non Catholics?
Freedom of speech is not demonic.
We are free to proclaim the gospel, we are free to promote what is good.
Like all freedoms though, it can be misused. But that is what comes with being free, and having Free Will.