Idea Vendors Closed Out of the Market Place of Ideas

Every single person reading these words, whether they know it or not, is a Vendor of Ideas. Each of us possesses a host of ideas on many subjects. We like to call them opinions, points-of-view, or positions we take. They comprise everything from what we believe about God to how we view the origins of homosexuality. We all have ideologies. Some of us have ideologies formed out of the processes of critical thinking. We've resorted to principles of sound, rational thought, and logic to come up with what we believe.

Then, there are those who fly by the seats of their pants and depend on the shifting sands of emotions to form their ideologies. They feel, therefore, what they believe is right-to them.

No matter how you've formed your ideology, your world-view, when you express what that ideology is, you become a Vendor of Ideas. Whether we got our ideology from the process of sound thought or from silly subjectivism, when we express what we believe about anything, we are trying to sell our ideas to those who will listen.

The place where we do this is in the Market Place of Ideas where our ideas, our philosophies, our theologies compete with other ideas for examination or scrutiny. What is so vital, so critically important in a true and thriving democracy, is that in this Market Place of Ideas, Truth collides with Error. It is in this Market Place where Right confronts Wrong. It is in this Market Place where a proper and sound epistemology surfaces and shows you whether you've been thinking rightly about what you are trying sell in the Market Place of Ideas.

The Market Place of Ideas, that place where the best test of truthis conducted, that place where the power of thought is used to get one's ideas accepted, where propositions collide in heartfelt civil discourse between two competing ideas, is no longer as open as it use to be. It is, in fact, closed in favor of enforcing a kind of fascism in which those with ideas now rebel against Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.

The ideas of Christianity, the origins of homosexuality, the true motive behind abortion, and much more, are but three concepts that have been closed out of the Market Place of Ideas.

If you try to take a position on any of these concepts, present them in the Market Place of Ideas, or attempt a meaningful debate in any venue, you are hammered.

What is the non-Christian so afraid of in the Market Place of Ideas in discussing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and debating whether man is a sinner and in need of a Savior? What is so appalling about that?

What is the homosexual so afraid of in the Market Place of Ideas in which a discussion is undertaken to examine the evidence whether or not homosexuality is genetic or whether it is a choice? Why is that challenge a hate-crime? Why is someone homophobic for offering dissent? Why does the homosexual close the door to Market Place of Ideas as though all the evidence is in their favor? The jury is still out on this issue. The organized and politically savvy Gay Movement knows how to keep this fact out of the Market Place of Ideas where the truth about the origins of homosexuality would collide with the error of their position.

Why do the abortion activists resist helping women have their unwanted babies and then adopting those children out? The years-long waiting lists for couples wanting to adopt children could be shortened if N.O.W. would put its energy and efforts into securing financial support for women to have their children for couples to eagerly adopt. Why is this idea closed out of the free exchange of the Market Place of Ideas?

When one attempts to offer any dissent whatsoever in these three areas, this dissent is met with the door to the Market Place of Ideas slammed in their faces. One's right to free expression is denied.

The dissenter is threatened, or even harmed, for his dissenting view by the political crowd who determines truth by a majority vote instead of by critical thought and an exchange of ideas.

The dissenter is denied fraternity for his dissenting view.

You can know you've crossed the fascism threshold when you,

• Are so insanely possessed by the politically correct view of the majority, a view not arrived at by a careful and well-articulated argument, that you want to squash and suppress anyone who dissents from and contradicts your ideas.
• You wish harm, wish death, threaten, or do anything in word, thought, or deed to those who dissent against your ideas. You stop treating the person as an equal.
• You stop loving your dissenting neighbor as yourself. You deny fraternity to the one who dissents with your positions and ideas.

That is what fascism is all about.

It is a rebellion, ideologically, against Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.

A fascist is one who denies someone liberty, equality, and fraternity all because that person offers a dissenting view in the free exchange of ideologies in the Market Place of Ideas.

Which are you?