It’s the middle of October, and as my son likes to say, “Halloween’s coming up!”
I’m not personally big on Halloween. It’s just not my cup of tea – or apple cider, for that matter – but my son loves it for the candy. However, my family and I do like to celebrate Reformation Day because we’re Protestant and theology nerds.
I grew up in a faith tradition that had a reticence towards studying the writings of other church leaders and theologians. Doing so was seen as studying the traditions of men rather than the inspired word of God.
But a few years ago, my husband and I read the biography “Martin Luther,” by Eric Metaxas, which shows Luther’s impact on Christianity and the world. (By the by, Metaxas is one of my favorite authors, and he’s speaking at the 1819 News benefit dinner next month. I highly recommend going!) Reading that book was eye-opening, and I’ve been hooked on the world of theology and church history ever since.
Luther lived in a time where no one was allowed to question the church, much less the pope. Average parishioners were not allowed to read the Bible. The pope was vastly abusing his power, and the theology of the Catholic church was going off the rails. This led to that fateful Oct. 31, 1517, when Luther nailed all 95 of his problems with the Catholic church to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church.
At the end of the book, Metaxas highlights some areas where Luther made an impact in areas beyond the church. One of these areas was Freedom of Speech.
Freedom of Speech is like a torch fueled by bravery and passed through history. Luther was one such fueler and torch-bearer.
A parishioner of Luther’s day absolutely could not question the pope or the teachings of the Catholic church. To do so would result certainly in death. Indeed, after Luther refused to back down, he faced trials in front of the pope where he was ordered to recant and was expected to be sentenced to death. Nothing but the help of unlikely friends kept him alive. Luther knew this and famously said, “Here I stand. I can do no other.”
Luther showed immense bravery! The Catholic leaders were telling him to recant or be burned at the stake and go to hell for his sins. Luther refused because he stood by the truth.
Thanks to Luther, we are no longer tied to the Catholic church by necessity. Though Protestantism has its divisions, we are not held under authority of a man inflated by poor theology. We can disagree and not be burned at the stake. We can now all read the Bible for ourselves and interpret it ourselves. But we still face barriers to speaking the truth.
A few months ago, Facebook/Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg admitted the Biden-Harris administration pressured Facebook to censor and suppress all content they deemed misinformation. Of course, we know that misinformation is just content that goes against the official policies of the administration. Facebook and Instagram are among the largest platforms for speech today. As a society, we don’t read paper newspapers anymore. We don’t exchange letters or attend public lectures. I would wager you’re reading this article because it popped up on your newsfeed. So to censor content that goes against the official teachings of the Biden-Harris administration on social media is to severely limit speech.
The real world is not much better. Try speaking out that homosexuality is a choice, that men can’t be women, or that not all treatments recommended by the government are good for you. You will be called names and pushed out of society. In some circles, stating 2+2=4 is racist, and you should check your white privilege for asserting it as fact.
One thing we learn from Luther is not to remain silent, but to stand with the truth. Luther did not shrink into silence and say, “You know, I think the Catholic church is wrong on these 95 things, but for the sake of unity, I’m gonna remain silent and keep my opinions to myself.” No! He refused to recant or stop speaking loudly. The door of the Wittenberg Castle Church was like a community bulletin board. He posted his document where it would be read by more than just the church leaders. He posted his grievances for the world.
We can and should do the same. The world is gaslighting you into submission. They tell you to be silent for the sake of unity and love. But the world fails because it doesn’t know the true definition of those words. Neither unity nor love can be achieved through silence in the face of corruption and falsity. The truth must be said and must be preached.
Here we all stand, we can do no other.
Laura Clark is a wife, mother, and community activist. She currently serves as the interim president of Alabama Center for Law and Liberty, a conservative nonprofit law firm that fights for limited government, free markets, and strong families in the courts. Anything written by Laura for this publication does not constitute legal advice.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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