Exodus 22:28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
These two passages of scripture when stacked together give us the scriptural guidelines on the issues of freedom of speech as it pertains to other religions, and they are given in infinite wisdom from the Creator of the universe. Even though the Bible states that God would have all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth, yet it acknowledges the fact that this will never be the case, and in order that the freedom of both choice and religion might be maintained whilst time lasts, God has instructed Christians everywhere to respect the religious beliefs of fellow citizens, even though we may not agree with their teachings or philosophies.
The first passage above addresses the issue of our attitudes to the other gods that people hold in reverence, whether they be prophets, priests or kings. The word revile means to verbally insult or hold in contempt the one who is the target of inflammatory speech, and this form of religious intolerance is strictly forbidden by God. Now it is true that in ancient times The Lord instructed the Hebrews on several occasions to eradicate those nations that had filled to the brim their cup of iniquity, but God never left it up for His people to decide when the probation of those nations had closed, and when and assault should be made upon them. The judgment calls thus made remain the sole prerogative of God, and all Christians everywhere are thereby commanded to respect His role as sole Sovereign Ruler and arbitrator of the affairs of earth and heaven.
Furthermore, The Lord on several occasions actually prevented wicked nations and pagan religions from being eradicated, for it is not His will that even the wicked should perish but that all should come to repentance. All converted Christians should remember that at one time or another we were numbered with the wicked, and were it not for the great mercy of God, none of us would be saved in His kingdom. Hence the reason for His forbearance and long suffering towards those who are averse to Christianity and godliness in general. Lets read:
Genesis 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
Deuteronomy 2:2 And the Lord spake unto me, saying, 3 Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward. 4 And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore: 5 Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession. 19 And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession" ....
If the instructions from The All-Wise God were carried out consistently amongst all nations and religions of the earth, what a great difference there would be in our world today, where on every hand the tokens of religious intolerance and bigotry are breeding new hatred, animosity, and inciting alienation and violence amongst the nations of the earth. The genius of true Christianity, when practiced according to the spirit and letter of the law, is that it allows each person to choose to serve God or to reject His offers of salvation and pardon, and God does not then withdraw all of His blessings from those who choose not to serve Him, for then He would be partial or bias in His dealings with the children of men.
In our day and in our own experiences we are called upon to follow in the footsteps of The Master, who sends blessings upon those who are Christians and those who are not. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reiterates this very point, and it is the will of God that we be content enough to walk humbly with Him in all things. Let's read:
Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!