In recent decades, ‘hate speech’ laws have been making their way across the world. These laws have been weaponised by the wicked and brutally wielded against the voice of the Christian church.
Hate speech laws are specifically designed to silence Scriptures and establish a comfortable space for Satan and his reprobates to advance their unrighteous agenda.
The deceiver wants the world to believe his litany of lies. So, shutting down the voice of truth makes way for his arsenal of falsehoods.
Millions have been indoctrinated to believe that those who quote Scriptures are hateful bigots who must be spectacularly dragged before courts, criminalised and imprisoned for life.
Only recently, Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen was convicted for ‘hate speech’ in the Supreme Court of Finland for circulating a church pamphlet on the biblical meaning of marriage. Though she was acquitted of a 2019 Bible-verse tweet, she was fined and ordered to remove the text after a seven-year legal battle.
Reprobates pushing the LGBTQI agenda have banded together, claiming to be like an oppressed race demanding legal protection. They have branded their LGBTQI insurrection against heaven as human rights and have won the support of powerful Satanic pawns strategically positioned in governments, local and international agencies and courts of justice.
Know this, the notion of ‘hate speech’ is a ploy from the pit of hell targeting nations, and Jamaica is in the bullseye. Less than two years ago, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, while addressing a virtual diaspora conference in Washington DC, hinted that hate speech laws could make their way to the tables of Gordon House.
The pronouncement drew the ire of the Christian community and was slapped down the moment it left the Prime Minister’s lips. The pushback forced Holness to change course, and he hurriedly explained that the idea was born out of a need to control the verbal vitriol on social media and nothing more.
Despite Holness’ vehement denial, it was not lost on Jamaicans that his trolling the hate speech law abroad came merely hours before the European Union (EU) Commission adopted a communique entitled “No place for hate: a Europe united against hatred”.
Europeans were encouraged to stand up against hatred and speak up for tolerance and respect in the communique. The directive was implemented through policies in different sectors such as security, education, culture and sports.
Money has always caused many to move. the European Union, one of Jamaica’s primary international partners, had been throwing millions behind its mission to get nations it brands as homophobic to bow. Jamaica is one such nation. So when Holness hinted at ‘hate speech’ laws, any reasonable mind would think that EU money was in the mix.
While Holness stepped back from his initial floating of the ‘hate speech’ idea, he did not administer the last rites on it, nor did he declare it dead, so a resurgence of sorts in Jamaica is still possible.
Meanwhile, the EU has continued its stridency, and Canada has now signed and sealed a C-9 Bill, which immediately criminalises ‘hate speech’, slamming the doors shut on anyone who dares to speak out against the LGBTQI lifestyle that many follow in that country.
The C-9 Bill, dubbed the Combating Hate Act, makes it a crime to intentionally lash out against identifiable groups in public using what it describes as ‘certain hate- or terrorism-related’ symbols.
The bill establishes “hate crime” based on factors like race, religion, or sexual orientation. Hate crimes carry increased maximum penalties (ranging from five years to life imprisonment, depending on the underlying crime).
Nations in Africa have also logged on to the hate speech band waggon. In 2020, Ethiopia’s Hate Speech and Disinformation The Prevention and Suppression Proclamation was enacted.
The United Nations is not to be left out. This unrighteous agency defines hate speech as any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour that attacks or uses discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender or other identity factor. This sweeping definition has largely been used to prevent persons from quoting Scriptures or stating that homosexuality and its derivatives are sinful.
The inclusion of religion among the groups that are frequent targets for ‘hate speech’ attacks is no assurance that the Christian church will be protected by nations that have adopted these laws. The assignment of the Church, which is to preach the good news of the gospel, will land a Christian in prison in any of these countries.
To spread the gospel, the church was given a power-packed voice, shaped and sharpened to transcend languages, cultures and ideologies when it was birthed. It is equipped to defeat the kingdom of darkness, set captives free, tear down spiritual wickedness, break the back of oppressive regimes and disband hostile policies and operations. Silencing the church is the enemy’s primary mission, and the UN, EU and purveyors of hate speech laws are the appointed missionaries.
For centuries Satan has infiltrated the church, dividing congregations, corrupting and compromising pulpits with his wickedness. A weakened and divided church is powerless; it speaks in splinters and has no impact.
Even if Holness and his government insist on going the way of Canada, the EU and the UN, the church in Jamaica must wake up from its slumber, repent and return to the divine assignment.
We still have the indomitable power to preach. The Word of God must be declared in the streets and lanes, in communities and from every pillar. If there is one nation on earth that must never bow. That nation is Jamaica.