Making Sin Sound Moral and Morality Sound Sinful

Beware of “Christian” rhetoric that makes evil sound attractive (2 Corinthians 11:12-15). 

 

I don’t know if Texas politician James Talarico is simply Bible illiterate or intentionally seeking to deceive people. But his rhetoric is a good example of propaganda.

 

So let's look at five sentences of a speech he made recently (source):

1.“In Scripture, Jesus befriended people that others called sinners.”

 

Christ calls all men sinners and wants all to repent and be saved (Luke 24:46-47; Romans 3:23).* 
 

2.“The only people in the Bible that Jesus condemned were religious leaders who used religion to hurt others.” 

 

Jesus said the “world” hated Him because He exposed their evil deeds, and all men are condemned if they reject Christ (John 7:7;  John 3:18).* 

 

3.“Being a Christian is about loving thy neighbor, not bullying LGBTQ people.”

 

Propaganda exaggerates. By “bullying,” he means believing God's Word and sharing God's loving warnings to save people from Hell (Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).*

 
4.“Being a Christian is about loving thy neighbor, not chasing pregnant women across state lines.”

 

More exaggeration. Christians aren't chasing women to another state so they can kill their babies. Christians are seeking to rescue babies from merciless slaughter (Proverbs 24:11-12).*

 

5. “Being a Christian is about loving thy neighbor, not harassing librarians, silencing teachers, and defunding our schools.” 

  

More exaggeration. By “harassment,” he means protecting children from porn and drag queens in libraries and defunding propaganda in colleges (Ephesians 5:3-13).* 

Talarico's words represent popular rhetoric. Let’s prepare ourselves to discern and refute these lies in disguise!

 

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We'll discuss another statement from Talarico on Friday. You may ask why I'm spending time on this candidate. I'm simply using him as an example to help us discern fake Christian rhetoric when we hear it. He is certainly not the only one speaking these lies. Nor is this simply about politics...it's about propaganda that denies moral and biblical principles, and it's present in most nations around the world. We must discuss it and learn discernment.

 

* For each sentence, I offer these devotions below that fully refute Talarico's claims with Scripture, not human opinions. 

 

1.  Did Jesus Hang Out with Sinners?

2. True or False: Christ Didn't Call Out Sinners, Only Pharisees  

3. Who Determines Your Morals?

4. Satan’s Tactic: Use Lies to Scare People

5. Clean Vision 

Also check out The World's Definition of Loving Others and God's Definition. 

For a thorough and thoughtful understanding of these issues, check out Lies in Disguise. It will give you the courage and the tools to speak up for God's truth in a world filled with propaganda.

 

Images of Talarico are Creative Commons. 

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