In the article titled “Privacy vs. Transparency” (online: “What makes a secret so shameful?”) Claire Yetley appears to present an argument that perceived “secrets” should not be part of public discourse. Quite frankly, I struggled to understand the point of the article. Yetley begins the article by quoting a definition for “secrets” from Merriam-Webster as “something we keep hidden or concealed from others,” and then subsequently redefines “secrets” as “something not discussed completely openly by everyone in everyday life.” She goes on to argue these sorts of issues should be forsaken in place of issues that affect all of us. She even goes as far as to say, regarding religious issues: “When did religion become okay to talk about outside of church?”

Firstly, it goes without saying that discourse about religion is included in the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Essentially, the answer to Yetley’s question is December 15, 1791, when the Bill of Rights was adopted. She questions whether two members of a “popular Protestant church in the area” understood the significance of their actions in openly studying biblical stories in a coffee shop, and then asks if anyone else notices the significance.

To be honest, I am not sure what Yetley was trying to get at by asking this question. My response to her question, though, would be that these two Christians probably didn’t understand the significance of their actions. They probably weren’t even thinking about the fact they were exercising their right to freely practice their religion, which doesn’t exist in many countries. Hearing these two people “studying biblical stories religiously” caused Yetley to question whether they “would feel as comfortable speaking in public if they were not followers of a religion so popular in America or with such a prominent presence in this area.” Again, Yetley seems to have forgotten America is a country founded on the understanding that people have the right to exercise their religious beliefs freely.

With regards to Christianity, followers of Jesus have, and to this day continue to willingly suffer persecution and even death for their belief. The New Testament records stories of early Christians suffering physical persecution and even death. One such example is the apostle Paul. In Acts 14, it records an account of Jews from Antioch and Iconium and their unsuccessful attempt to stone Paul to death. Paul’s response is to get back up and continue in ministry. Even today, people like Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, who is awaiting the execution of a death sentence for apostasy, have willingly subjected themselves to persecution and potential martyrdom for their faith in Christ.

Yetley proposes that issues such as personal finances, health and religion ought to be private matters absent from public discourse. As an active member of a church community, I contend that people ought to have the freedom to choose which issues they want to be public and which issues should remain private. However, I also stand in agreement with the U.S. Constitution and its guarantee of individual freedoms of speech, religion and so forth.