One of the most emphasized virtues in
the Bible is to love the truth, and to tell the truth.
We are commanded: “Speak the truth to one another” (Zechariah 8:16) and promised that whoever “speaks truth in his heart” will be blessed and live with God (Psalms 15:2). Jesus Himself declared “I am … the truth” (John 14:6) and asked God to “sanctify them [the disciples] in truth” (John 17:17).
Today it appears that Paul’s once rhetorical question from Galatians 4:16 (“Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?”) has become an accurate descriptor for a large segment of the culture. This is especially true with social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, who regularly ban or block users for sharing Biblical truth.
Consider the case of PragerU. They explain that their videos promote “what is true, what is good, what is excellent” (a quote from Philippians 4:8). They have garnered a staggering two billion views, often featuring a presenter giving a Biblical perspective on events in the news.
Despite this popularity, YouTube actively restricts more than 100 of their videos. They censor their videos that are pro-Israel, anti-abortion, pro-Ten Commandments, promote two genders (male and female), condemn persecution of Christians, and other such topics.
But PragerU is not the only one being censored for telling the truth. Candice Owens, a black Christian commentator and civil rights leader was cut from Facebook for sharing statistics proving that the presence of a father in the home is one of the most accurate indicators of poverty in the black community. For sharing evidence affirming what the Bible teaches, she lost access to her account.
Additionally, Facebook has closed dozens of Catholic websites (with a following of nearly 8 million). They also blocked a Gospel song called “What Would Heaven Look Like,” which called for unity among various people groups. (Facebook claimed that the song had “political content” and deleted it.) There are many similarly ridiculous examples.
The fight to be able to openly disseminate truth has led the White House to set up a website to report instances of censorship, because, as the page explains: Social media platforms should advance freedom of speech. Yet too many Americans have seen their accounts suspended, banned, or fraudulently reported for unclear “violations” of user policies.
Some state legislatures have begun considering legislation that would allow citizens to take legal action when Christian or conservative principles (such as pro-life) are targeted.
May the nation return to a point where, along with the psalmist, we ask God to “Lead me in Your truth and teach me” (Psalms 25:5). When this happens, we will no longer consider those who proclaim Biblical truth to be enemies.
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