Michael Clary@dmichaelclary
Christians, you have got to stop being so gullible. Seriously, your naivete might feel warm and nice and friendly, but that's not how Christian love works.
A friend shared a viral post that listed all the un-Christlike things ICE is supposedly doing, such as using "children as bait," "shooting unarmed protesters," "teargassing families," and "terrorizing immigrant communities and people of color."
The whole post goes on and on like this, and it's dripping with moral outrage and emotional manipulation. What troubles me is that so many people share this like it's wise and insightful. This is textbook emotional ambush. No argument, no evidence, just big feelings.
But I'll tell you what isn't Christlike, and I've got scripture to back it up. Being GULLIBLE.
It isn't Christlike to be gullible. It isn't Christlike to believe and share debunked propaganda. It isn't Christlike to be led by your emotions. It isn't Christlike to outsource your critical thinking skills to the leftwing activists in the mainstream media.
So why are Christians so gullible? It's because they've been trained to think love means whatever it feels like in your happy place. If you do something that *feels* compassionate and think that's what Jesus wants you to do, you're wrong. Biblical love isn't about pointing your emotions in a particular direction. Rather, biblical love is defined by actions and attitudes prescribed in scripture. How you feel about it is of secondary concern.
What does the scripture say? "And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ." (Philippians 1:9-11)
First, notice what Paul prays for: that "your love may abound more and more." Clear enough. We're talking about genuine Christian love. But Paul qualifies it.
Second, "with knowledge and all discernment." In other words, Christian love is a thinking love. To discern is to make proper distinctions and draw clear moral boundaries. But why is that important?
Third, these things matter so "you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless." In other words, we need knowledge and discernment to anchor our love in what is good and right. Or as Paul says, to "approve what is excellent."
This sort of discerning love is "pure and blameless." If love lacks discernment, then is ceases to be pure and blameless. In fact, undiscerning "love" is not real love. It is all feelings and no wisdom. That's what we're seeing in Minneapolis. Christians claim to be "loving the stranger" without understanding proper biblical categories. It's love without discernment, and it's causing a lot of harm.
Paul's prayer is for love PLUS knowledge PLUS discernment. Love requires discernment. Period. Discernment is the rope that keeps people tethered to reality. Without it, love becomes a weapon that evil people use against you.
Without discernment, love gets twisted into a sentimental monstrosity. For the gullible and undiscerning, this kind of pseudo "love" claims the moral high ground. It does have some rhetorical advantages, which is why so many people fall for it. It sounds biblical enough to convince undiscerning people it must be right. But it's not. These are not arguments or facts. They are ear tickling slogans, nothing more.
Discerning love is pure and blameless. Undiscerning love is impure and blameworthy. It's obvious that the unhinged rioters and agitators bear the blame for their actions. But their Christian enablers bear some of the blame too. To claim the mantle of Christlikeness in service of lawlessness is evil, even if the one doing it is simply misguided.
The blame belongs to those Christians who are so desperate to feel compassionate that they'll believe anything, question nothing, and call it love.
Christians, we are morally responsible for how we love. We don't just get to feel sorry for an illegal immigrant and "stand up" for them and call it love. That's not love, no matter how strongly you feel it. Love does not spread leftist propaganda, "love rejoices with the truth" (1 Cor 13:6).
So, for all the gullible Christians who are angrily venting about ICE, your Christian love is not pure. It is not blameless. You are functioning as agents of chaos. You bear the blame for your irrational outrage.
So I'll say it again. Being gullible is a sin. Being undiscerning is a morally culpable act. It is wrong to carelessly wield the name of Christ, making false accusations against law enforcement and making excuses for criminals.
Your emotions and subjective ideas of Christlikeness don't dictate reality. Truth does. And truth requires discernment, not just feelings. We don't get to emote all over the place and call it love.
So Christians, stop being gullible. Start being discerning. That's what real love requires.
