The need for courage in speaking the truth continues.  Consider one last recent news story, the case of Saeed Abedini.

Saeed Abedini, American pastor imprisoned in Iran, beaten in hospital, family charges

By Perry Chiaramonte (Source – edited for size) | The American citizen being held in Iran for alleged crimes related to his faith and work as a Christian pastor was yanked from a hospital bed, beaten and taken back to one of the Islamic Republic’s infamous prisons, his family charges.

Pastor Saeed Abedini had spent the past two months in a hospital for injuries allegedly suffered at the hands of guards and inmates in Iran’s Evin and Rajai Shahr prisons when he was once again beaten and hauled back to prison, according to family members who say they witnessed the beating.

“This news is devastating to our family,” his wife, Naghmeh Abedini, told FoxNews.com. “This development also came as a complete shock to all of us. Saeed’s family, who was present at the hospital when this occurred, witnessed the severe beatings that Saeed received – at one point seeing him collapse before being taken away. We’re very concerned about his health.”

Abedini had often made trips back to his native country of Iran to see his parents and extended family. Before leaving for America, he spent many years in the Islamic country as a Christian leader and community organizer developing underground home church communities for converts.

It was in September 2012, while in his homeland to help build a secular orphanage, that he was pulled off a bus by authorities, imprisoned and sent before a judge in what supporters say was a sham trial.

“Despite this troubling news, we continue to move forward with our efforts in this country and abroad to work to secure his freedom, Sekulow said.

“Pastor Saeed is an American citizen who is being punished because he’s a Christian. That was unacceptable when he was taken into custody nearly two years ago, and it is unacceptable today.”

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So how does this affect someone not directly involved?  It should make us ask ourselves a number of questions and then, based on our thoughts, consider a number of actions.

• Is it inevitable that an artist’s views will from time to time be provocative or even offensive to some?
• Is there any benefit to an artist expressing controversial views?
• Is satire a viable form of artistic expression?
• Should all “offensive” art or speech be banned from publication to avoid international events such as this one?

While all of these instances involve Muslim criticism, this course experience is asking us to consider something across all ideological, political, religious, and ethnic lines:  What should be done when an artist questions some aspect of public opinion?  Is there a way to interact with such expressions other than violence and death threats?  The current call for “tolerance” usually seeks to silence the artist, rather than call the critic to careful dialogue.  How do you behave when someone says something critical of you?  How you seek to “speak the truth with love?”

Would you speak the truth even if the probable reaction to it would be violence?  We live in a world where this is a real question, for each of us.