Living By Lies: KevinH

“If you post something on social media that is provably false, you have a Christian obligation to remove such and publicly repent for posting it in the first place…if your defense is ‘they do it too”…you are only admitting that your faith makes no discernable difference in your behavior…”

Michael wrote the above words in his “Things I Think” column on Tuesday.  I found his words to be so needed and true, yet markedly just about universally unapplied, at least the part about publicly repenting for posting false information.  I honestly cannot recall ever seeing anyone on my Facebook feed remove a post that contained false information and then repenting for having posted it in the first place.  Certainly there have been tons of opportunities to do so, with all the fictitious and deceitful crap I have witnessed over the years (sadly much more so from my Christian friends than from those who would not claim the faith or would do so very loosely).  Once in a while, I have seen a post removed, but never any repentance or apology.

I’m sure we can recall some postings that were apologized for on a national level, maybe even a full repentance or two, when someone of some prominence posted something false and consequently received tons of backlash.  Likely, they apologized primarily to save their reputation, and one wonders if they would have ever done so if there was not so much pressure to do so.  Yet on a personal level, I have never seen an apology of any kind even once, and I imagine many of you may be in the same boat.

Of course I am not speaking of instances like where someone accidentally posted the wrong score of a ballgame or misidentified an actor in some movie.  But I am speaking of those so many times we see people posting false information that reflects poorly on another person, people, or organization, most times with that express purpose….. to make them look bad.

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” – Exodus 20:16

“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” – Proverbs 12:22

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:31-32

“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.” – Exodus 23:1

“He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.” – Proverbs 17:15

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” – Isaiah 5:20-21

“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” – Titus 3:1-2

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” – Romans 13:1-2

“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” – Leviticus 19:33-34

“The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:31

Time, after time, after time, we have seen Christians on social media brazenly violate these commands from God to be truthful, to be righteous, and to love others.  Oftentimes they go unchallenged, but in those instances where they are challenged, most times the challenges are seemingly then either ignored, deflected by pointing toward some other supposed wrongdoing by the other side, excused by saying the other side does it too, and/or the challenger becomes the newest enemy to be dispelled with animosity and false accusations.

Behavior like this has become so commonplace that many Christians don’t even bat an eye at it anymore, not only those who are guilty of it, but even by those who don’t participate much in it.  In many ways, it has become an accepted practice that we expect to happen and have just learned to live with.

How on earth have we gotten to this place?  How has it become so acceptable, sometimes even celebrated, in so much of the American Church and the American Christian culture to regularly act in such ways that are antithetical to the ways of God….. especially by those who claim to be “biblical” and claim to take seriously the Word of God?  How can we say we are so concerned about spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then boldly and unrepentantly speak and act in ways that bring shame to His Name?

You know my answer to these questions – Partisan politics are poison to the soul.

Jesus is the cure, and I’ll let Him and His Word have the final words here:

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,” – Matthew 12:36

“Whoever says “I know him [Jesus]” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,” – I John 2:4