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Herland Report: Free speech as rudeness: To lie, slander and speak ill of others has been one of the evils of men since the beginning of time.

History is filled with examples of horrifying stories of how the lynching mob went after philosophers, politicians and religious leaders alike.

We are returning to the ills of the past in the New Left Liberal media structures, says Hanne Herland in her weekly column at World Net Daily, the world’s largest leading Conservative news outlet.

Free speech as rudeness was never a Western Value: The fate of Jesus of Nazareth serves as an example. There seemed to be no end to the religious leaders’ willingness to mock and belittle him, have him condemned based on false allegations, subjugated him to the worst form of torture and, finally, ordered his death.

What becomes evident is that limitless free speech, defined as the right to say wh**ever you want to whomever you want – without moral constraints – easily becomes the means to demean, lie and defame others.

It may easily used as a scare tactic with the aim to shut down opposition against your own view. In this sense, free speech “bullies” people in order to silence them.

If free speech is not morally contained, it becomes the very characteristic of an intolerant, totalitarian state ruled by the lynching mob.

It represents the very opposite to a free democracy, where diversity and plurality is respected. This, sadly, seems to be the current state of affairs in much of the mainstream Western media.

When right becomes wrong and the moral codex is no longer respected, society disintegrates into a remarkable form of anarchy.

The ancient Greek philosopher, Plato wrote in the Apology of Socrates, that the hatred towards Socrates was immense, because he taught the young virtues in his quest for humility and wisdom.

Free speech as rudeness was never a Western Value: Socrates always pointed to the God whom he felt was leading his path and pushing him into the debates. He pointed out that his accusers condemned the t***h, by stating it to be evil and unjust.

They sought to radically change the definition of justice, not unlike the current Western elites’ attempt today.

Socrates lived in a time much like ours, of massive mainstream media propaganda, when the t***h is called a lie and criminals are hailed as heroes.

The famous philosopher, C.S. Lewis vividly spoke of the law of nature in The Case for Christianity, of morality as a universal, inner compass which guides us to do what is good and fair to others.

We refrain from stealing, as we wouldn’t like to be stolen from. This implies a sense of “do unto others what you wished they did unto you”.It did not mean that everyone was allowed to say wh**ever he wished, disentangled from good manners, politeness, and civility.

Today free speech has become something completely different than its original meaning. In a twisted way, “free speech” is the very weapon used to shut down free speech.

In the same way, “freedom” has been redefined as the “right to agree” with the extreme-liberal elitists.

If you avert in any way from that which is considered politically-correct, you are instantly abused and demonized as someone who is “opposed to freedom”.

This is a totalitarian push away from the civil liberties and respect for plurality that once defined the freedom in the West.

Limitless free speech and lack of respect for others has become the ideal – rudeness is the norm and the means of coercion.

Another weakness in today’s definition of “free speech” is its sole focus on rights, not moral duties. The whole concept of morality – of politeness, kindness and respect – somehow got lost in our culture.

In 1949, when freedom of expression was stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it was advocated as a human right.

It is a universal moral codex that regulates the relationship between citizens in such a way that justice is served. Christianity, as we know, states that man is divided between good and evil, thus the need for a moral codex and firm laws to guide him on the right path.

Free speech as rudeness was never a Western Value: As we see, free speech without moral constraints is not necessarily a good thing.

Historically, it was first was introduced in the UK House of Commons in the 1600’s, as a means to ensure that speakers were not interrupted in the middle of a political argument.