by Bob Sullivan
I try to avoid the urge to say someone is lying.
Instead of letting myself suspect someone is lying, I try to find a way to consider that he or she is simply mistaken. This approach can help respect the dignity of the other person. It may kick the can down the road a bit, but it helps me remember there is probably a cause for the misinformation one is using.
Additionally, even if people intentionally lie, and they are the ones who came up with the lie, I am no worse off because I know the lie is there. Therefore these people do not benefit from their deception. If anything, they are taken off their game a little because they have to wonder why you are reacting differently to them than some people react.
In the past few years, it has become more and more common to hear lies. Lies are so prevalent that they permeate presidential campaigns, news sources, even the highest levels of the Church, through people like Theodore McCarrick and those who covered for him.
Of course, lies have been around since the beginning of the human race. The father of lies himself slithered into the Garden of Eden in order to deceive our first parents. It is important to remember that Satan did not use murder, threats of violence, or anger; he used a lie to set the first sin into motion. Then Adam and Eve resorted to half-truths and deception in response to that first sin. “… the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8)
Today, it seems the biggest lie known to Man is transgenderism. It is common to see videos and news clips which portray a man as a woman. The videos often show men sitting at a table with a microphone, testifying to lawmakers about their transition into becoming a “female.” This is a lie.
Are these people liars or are they the victims of a lie? Most often, they are victims of the lies of our culture. Regardless of the source of the lie, what is our obligation as Christians in dealing with these people when we meet them?
First, let’s consider who the liar is here. It may be the man at the microphone, wearing women’s clothing, makeup, long hair, and jewelry. Most of the time, I don’t think this is the case. In most of the situations of which I am aware, it seems there is something much deeper and usually beyond the full control of the person who claims to be transgender. The belief that the individual is transgender is the symptom that has been teased out of the person by the lies of our culture. However, this is not an isolated condition in a person who is otherwise mentally healthy and free from trauma. At its root, gender dysphoria seems to come from other causes, and fundamentally from the fall in the Garden of Eden.
This brings us to the next question: What is our Christian obligation? Do we ignore it, confront it, or support it? As you know, we cannot support a lie any more than we can tell one. Lying to a person is one of the purest forms of hatred. Remember that this is how Satan started this whole mess. And when we lie about something important, such as a person’s identity, it will almost certainly have harmful repercussions, possibly even for all of eternity.
But it is not just the individual’s future at stake, it is ours, too. “Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble.” (Luke 17:1-2)
Ignoring the deception is not an option either. Jesus teaches that we have an obligation to love our neighbor. Common sense has told us this for centuries before Jesus taught it to his disciples. The “golden rule”: Treat others as you yourself would hope to be treated, is an ancient adage in many cultures. Truth, while sometimes painful, is love.
This leaves us with one option when dealing with people who are confused about their identity: Truth. However, this does not mean that we give it bluntly. It is much better, much more Christian, to give the truth in a caring, careful manner.
You should not walk over, grab the microphone at the legislative hearing and begin publicly humiliating the man dressed like a woman as mentally ill, destined for the fires of Hell, or as the victim of some past trauma which led him to this point. That will not only get you arrested; it will cause people to wonder if you yourself have a few “issues.” Worse yet, the truth will be lost on people.
The better way is to pray for the person, and for all those who are confused, deceived, victimized, etc. Ask God to heal them, and to give you or someone else the opportunity to help them overcome their confusion. Pray that hearts and minds will be open to the truth.
Meanwhile, be an example to those around you, so they can see that even when we are confronted with the most bizarre and unscientific lies of the culture, our reaction is one of truth with charity. Speak the truth, but speak it with charity, and at the right time. Start with your own children so they are armed with the truth as they grow up in a very dishonest culture.
