I keep reading articles on freedom of speech that fail to see that it’s a limited right.
Just a few minutes ago, I listened to a popular conservative commentator say, “I’m a free speech absolutist.” But free speech itself is not absolute, by its very nature.
Protecting one person’s free speech may mean curtailing another’s.
If freedom of speech were not limited, what would be the point of opposing racism or sexism? Everyone would be free to say whatever they like, like “Kill the [fill in the blanks],” and justify it on the grounds of having freedom of speech.
Human rights say: You have the right to live a peaceful and undisturbed life provided you observe certain socially-accepted and fair limits.
For instance, you must observe the religious freedom of others, their right to choose a marital partner, their right to access to education, etc.
We can see that one person’s human rights are another person’s prohibitions. If I may be permitted a play on words, human rights flourish where human wrongs are prohibited and prevented.
We have freedom of speech except in the case of [and then we list the exceptions]. These exceptions define the limits of freedom of speech.
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In my opinion, human rights as a concept is something understood only at a certain level of spiritual maturity. Before that, it’s the law of the jungle, living by our strength or wits, brute force, pushing through, etc.
Before that, as well, there’s no acceptance of divine agency – divine will, divine plan, divine direction, etc.
Sooner or later, we all give up the law of the jungle and take up a higher, more humane code of behavior on the one same journey all of us are on. (1)
Once a person surrenders to the life prescribed by a code of human rights, more cooperation arises and more community building.
Next and beyond that, we begin to create global unity, in which case respect and diplomacy become now stressed, rather than simply passively honoring another’s rights.
And then we have a glimpse of domains higher still, perhaps an extended experience of transformative love … and now, introduced to this divine game-changer, this love that sweeps away all sadness and dismay, at last we know how the world will work for everyone. We know the secret to making it work – tcoming into the world from his higher form of love, which removes from everyone’s mind any thoughts of harm.
Footnotes
(1) On that one same journey, see “Chapter 13. Epilogue” in The Purpose of Life is Enlightenment at https://goldenageofgaia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Purpose-of-Life-is-Enlightenment-3.pdf