Timely Topics: Freedom of Speech

8:45 & 11:45 AM SUNDAY, APRIL 6 IN THE CHAPEL WITH PASTOR STEPHEN

Among other cherished values, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech. “Congress shall make no law . . .  abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” What does this mean today?

Generally speaking, it means that the government may not jail, fine, or impose civil liability on people or organizations based on what they say or write, except in exceptional circumstances. The question of what constitutes free speech and what are its limits has been a hot topic in recent weeks. The U.S. Supreme Court has struggled to determine what exactly constitutes protected speech. For this Timely Topics, Pastor Stephen will discuss some broader definitions and limits of free speech as determined by past Supreme Court cases, and look at questions raised today through the lens of one particular Supreme Court case: Texas V. Johnson, which dealt with the act of burning an American flag.