Facebook has been taking a great deal of heat for some time now for censoring conservative, libertarian, Christian, and alternative views on current events. But the social network has taken its censorship to a new level recently when it removed a video teaching the important Christian aspect of American history.
The topic of the video is part of an ongoing argument between atheists and Christians over whether or not the United States was in fact founded on Christian principles. The atheist activists argue that the right to religious freedom and freedom from religion means that our nation is not uniquely Christian in nature, and the Founders themselves were “deists” that took a hands off approach to God.
What opponents of the idea that America has a strong Christian heritage fail to recognize is that the very values of personal liberty, the sovereignty of the individual, the subservience of the law to the individual, property rights, merit and virtue over group identity are particularly Christian ideas. The very fact that we value the right of a person not to follow any given faith – to be free of coercion by law to conform to any particular religion – is a Christian principle.
These are ideas that Christian-inspired philosophers have passed down to our culture. They are made distinct by the story of the crucifixion, which enables each individual person to work out his or her salvation personally with God. It is our Christian heritage that teaches us not to judge others, and this is the foundation of our system of law.
This is a story that has become lost in today’s postmodernist thinking where logic, accomplishment, and virtue are seen weapons of the oppressor. We are left without the one remedy for existential angst that is provided to us by the Christian belief system- the purpose-driven life.
The video in question, produced by Bill Heid of Heirloom Audio Productions is called, “The Lost Secrets of Liberty.” It was scheduled to be released on Independence Day, and discusses Christianity’s influence on our nation and culture as well as what liberty meant to our Founding Fathers. The presentation also explores a number of religious historical figures such as Ethan Allen and his victory at Fort Ticonderoga.
Certainly, even if Christianity is not enshrined in our law, many of its principles are. Virtues such as Christ’s admonishment to do unto others as we would have done unto ourselves are among these principles. What’s more, it is undeniable that many influential men and women throughout our nation’s history have been inspired by the written Word of the Bible, and the right to discuss their effect on our history is valid.
What’s more, we know that if a Jewish history of the westward expansion were posted on Facebook it would receive no such opposition. If a litany of Muslim leaders in the United States were published, Zuckerberg’s censorship algorithms would not touch it. No doubt, if an atheist account of the founding of our nation were foisted on children in public schools, parents would probably not even be notified.
But when someone wants to share a patriotic and Christian-inspired video on the social network, it’s blocked.
There are those who argue that Facebook is a privately owned entertainment company with the right to block or sanction any content or user as it sees fit. There may be a sound legal basis for this argument, however, the importance of social media as a communication platform for modern purposes should be reviewed.
From a marketing perspective, the move to block content of a conservative or Christian nature may be poorly conceived. Preventing Christians from sharing their beliefs is certainly a hostile gesture toward those beliefs and those who hold them.
In today’s climate of resurging populism, growing Christianity, and a rising tide of support for patriotic views, Facebook may be shooting itself in the foot by trying to suppress Christian voices.
~ 1776 Christian
