Should Christians Worry Free Speech Is Eroding?

Quick to Listen

Christianity Today

Religion, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.3 • 622 Ratings

🗓️ 21 January 2021

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Transcribed highlights of the show can be found in our episode summaries. For years, one of the primary ways that people experienced Donald Trump was through his tweets. All of that changed on January 8, when, in the aftermath of the capitol insurrection, Twitter banned @realDonaldTrump. “Due to the ongoing tensions in the United States, and an uptick in the global conversation in regards to the people who violently stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, these two tweets must be read in the context of broader events in the country and the ways in which the President’s statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence, as well as in the context of the pattern of behavior from this account in recent weeks,” read the statement, which included the text of the tweets. “After assessing the language in these Tweets against our Glorification of Violence policy, we have determined that these Tweets are in violation of the Glorification of Violence Policy and the user @realDonaldTrump should be immediately permanently suspended from the service.” Twitter was not the only social media service to crack down on Trump. Snapchat banned him permanently. Facebook banned Trump's account through the remainder of his term and suggested it could ban "indefinitely." Last week, YouTube suspended Trump for a week because they said he violated a violence policy. This flurry of tech moves has raised questions about free speech and left some Christians wondering how well their First Amendment rights will be protected in the midst of this. John Inazu is a professor of law and religion at the Washington University Law School. He is the author of Confident Pluralism: Surviving and Thriving through Deep Difference and more recently, with Tim Keller, Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference. Inazu joined global media manager Morgan Lee and editorial director Ted Olsen to discuss the complexity of defining “free speech,” what people misunderstand about the First Amendment, and the blind spots that Christians can have when advocating for free speech. What is Quick to Listen? Read more Rate Quick to Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow our hosts on Twitter: Morgan Lee and Ted Olsen Follow our guest on Twitter: John Inazu Music by Sweeps Quick to Listen is produced by Morgan Lee and Matt Linder The transcript is edited by Yvonne Su and Bunmi Ishola Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you in part by The Apologetics Guy Show, the podcast that helps you find clear answers to tough questions about Christianity.
0:11.0	Learn to explain your faith with courage and compassion.
0:14.5	Join Moody Bible Institute professor Dr. Mikhail del Rosario at apologeticsky.com.
0:22.6	For years, one of the primary ways that people experienced Donald Trump was through his tweets.
0:28.6	All that changed on January 8th, when in the aftermath of the Capitol Insurrection, Twitter banned at Real Donald Trump.
0:40.5	In their statement, making the announcement, Twitter offered two tweets as evidence, which they said led to the ban, both which were published
0:45.3	two days after the attacks of the Capitol. I'm going to read these tweets.
0:51.5	The 75 million great American patriots who voted for me, America First, and Make America Great
0:57.4	Again, will have a giant voice long into the future.
1:00.7	They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape, or form.
1:06.3	Here's the second one.
1:07.8	To all those who have asked, I am not going to the inauguration on January 20th.
1:13.3	And this is what Twitter wrote.
1:16.3	Due to the ongoing tensions in the United States and an uptick in the global conversation
1:20.5	in regards to the people who violently stormed the Capitol on January 6th, 2021,
1:25.1	these two tweets must be read in the context of broader events in the country
1:29.0	and the ways in which the president's statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including
1:33.4	to incite violence, as well as in the context of the pattern of behavior from this account
1:37.6	in recent weeks. After assessing the language in these tweets against our glorification of violence
1:42.5	policy, we have determined that these tweets are in violation of the glorification of violence policy, we have determined that
1:44.1	these tweets are in violation of the glorification of violence policy, and the user at real Donald
1:49.9	Trump should be immediately permanently suspended from the service.
	...

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