
(Pixabay)
A columnist has reported at the Washington Times that Facebook called "Jesus" hate speech and said it was censoring the reference.
The stunning report comes from Billy Hallowell, an interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and a co-host of "Quick Start Podcast."
Advertisement - story continues below
He writes at the Times that he was taken aback recently when Facebook sent him a notice that, "Your post goes against our Community Standards on hate speech."
He doubled-checked the social media giant's wild claim and found it was referring to his explanation of the Christian message of salvation documented by the story of the Resurrection.
TRENDING: Joe's escalator
What he said his offending post was, "Jesus died so you could live."
"It was a message I recalled posting early last month in an effort to summarize the central message of the Gospel: Jesus’ sacrificial death for mankind and his ushering in of hope and salvation. The message is essentially New Testament 101," he wrote.
Advertisement - story continues below
"Though some might disagree with the proclamation, there’s certainly nothing about the wording that any rational person would call 'hate speech,'" he said.
Then, he said, Facebook doubled down.
WND is now on Trump's Truth Social! Follow us @WNDNews
"Facebook proceeded to declare that its 'community standards' are meant to ensure everyone feels 'safe, respected and welcome,' though, in those moments of confusion over the hate speech flag, I didn’t feel any of those sentiments," he wrote. "An ominous line about future infractions was included in the warning. It read, 'If your content goes against our Community Standards again, your account may be restricted or disabled.'"
Ultimately, Facebook sent a follow-up that confirmed, "We have removed your post from Facebook" because the post was in violation.
Advertisement - story continues below
Hallowell wrote, "The entire ordeal was surreal and, frankly, disturbing. I’m not at all interested in purporting to be a victim, but as an advocate of free speech and religious freedom, the idea that a message as innocuous as 'Jesus died so you could live' would be censored or banned is patently bizarre."
And he noted Facebook has refused to respond to further inquiries.
It might have been an error, he confirmed.
"Of course, if this wasn’t an error, there’s a much bigger problem brewing at Facebook. It’s worth noting that the original post from April 2 was still up and active even after the warning and claim of removal, adding even more questions into the mix."
Advertisement - story continues below
IMPORTANT NOTE: "Election denier!" "Science denier!" "Climate-change denier!" "Conspiracy theorist!" And then there's "hate speech," "fake news," "disinformation," "misinformation," even something called "MALinformation." A bizarre new lexicon has been conjured up by America's elites, the SOLE PURPOSE of which is to discredit and ridicule – and if at all possible, CENSOR ENTIRELY – speech that doesn't support their increasingly dark and deranged agenda. Tucker Carlson is just the latest.
In the greatest imaginable irony, the nation once boasting the most robust culture of freedom of speech and the press – undergirded by the strongest constitutional protections for those rights – is now ground zero for a total war on free expression.
How could this possibly happen in the United States of America? It's all explained as never before in the sensational new issue of WND's critically acclaimed WHISTLEBLOWER magazine, titled "THE ELITES' ALL-OUT WAR ON FREE SPEECH." WHISTLEBLOWER is available in both the popular print edition and a state-of-the-art digital version, either single issues or discounted annual subscriptions.
Advertisement - story continues below
Content created by the WND News Center is available for re-publication without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
SUPPORT TRUTHFUL JOURNALISM. MAKE A DONATION TO THE NONPROFIT WND NEWS CENTER. THANK YOU!