Freedom Of Speech

John 8:7- But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

Freedom of Speech, our founding fathers felt so strong about it that they made this their first amendment to our constitution. I felt compelled to write about this after I received an email that disturbed me from a member of the writing group I belong to. The Author, Dale is writing an adult Science Fiction novel I will not go into detail on it as this is a work in progress for him and I don't have permission to discuss it, but things are written that are considered disturbing.

From what he said, he was accused of writing Child Pornography from another member of our writing group. I may not have read as much of his story as others but from what I have read it has not bothered me, mostly because I know this is a work of fiction which as I am sure most of you are aware is defined as: An imaginative creation or a pretense that does not represent actuality but has been invented. The act of inventing such a creation or pretense.

The above definition states what fiction is and I understand fiction to be this, so I am in no way offended by his work. We live in a free republic and everyone has a right to say what they want, and anyone has a right to dispute what they say, I feel very strongly about that and I was upset that a member of the writing community took offense to his work.

As writers we should write things that compel reaction from our readers, but what made it worse is that this person sent their email anonymously and he was unable to defend his work, this is nothing short of being a coward.

If someone has offended you by their writing you should either stop reading their work or if you are going to attack them have the decency to give them the opportunity to defend themselves and if you find you cannot come to an agreement, agree to disagree and stop reading their work.

As a Christian I believe Child Pornography is an abomination and anyone who engages in this act has a special place in hell. I in no way believe this Author wrote this for someone to receive that type of pleasure from it, if he did I will leave it for God to judge him as it is written: Do not judge lest ye be judged. So as I said when I began this: Let those who are without sin cast the first stone.

We will all to be judged and nobody is without sin, so do not be so judgmental, and if you are have the decency to give them the opportunity to defend themselves.