God is real—He lives in heaven, and He has an opinion!
Guess whose opinion don't count.
Some time ago I received a phone call from a woman conducting a public opinion poll. Telling me that my opinion mattered, she suggested that it would go into a data bank where it would be taken into consideration by important people and organizations who would often make big decisions based upon the information I give them.
I asked her, what if my opinion is uninformed and not based upon any facts or knowledge about the issue at all—but based more on how I might feel about the matter, or what I may have heard?
She insisted that it was still important to collect the information.So, I said to her, let me make sure I understand what you are telling me—you are saying that my opinion, which may be totally based upon air, with no real objective knowledge about the subject, will be used to make important decisions that will affect our very future? I went on to ask her if she understood how ridiculous this is? She did not want to talk to me anymore.
My friend, make no mistake—this is the world we now live in. Uninformed opinions now dominate public discourse. I recently posted the following on my Facebook page, Too much information...too little patience = too many uninformed opinions. We have officially moved into the age of IGNORANCE.
No one cares any more about objective facts and we have evolved into a culture that lacks patience and the ability to apply critical thought. We now go on what we feel or believe to be true driven by popular notions, spin and marketplace manipulation of the masses. We are at a place where even the notion of objective truth is met with disdain.
Even though history teaches us that when mankind tries to make up the rules as we go it always leads to failure—we do not learn. So, you pick the hot button subject—immigration, abortion, the death penalty, the acceptance of homosexuality and gender distortion, global warming, the list is never ending. Decisions about these and a myriad of other important issues are being made based upon a high percentage of uninformed public opinion driven by special interest marketing strategies.
I want to suggest here that many of us who call ourselves Christian have fallen into the same trap. Just look around and see all the new thinking out there being driven by popular opinion. Some of our most influential Christian leaders are finding creative ways to re-interpret the Bible to line up with the more open and tolerant nature of our culture.
In what is supposed to be the most enlightened era, with access to more information than any time in history, we are the most uninformed and ignorant generation to date. Don’t believe it?—go on to any college campus and start asking students questions about important matters and then ask them how they reached their conclusions. Or go to a protest and ask someone what they are protesting—follow up with asking for an example that would back up their claim.
Before I offer some takeaways for us to consider let me suggest something many are missing—everything I am describing here is being deliberately planned and executed by dark forces bent on destroying our very way of life by pitting us against each other. Divide and conquer is one of the oldest and still most effective strategies for destroying a culture.
I want to suggest that as of this writing we are experiencing a real-life example of what this article is unpacking. Our world is on the brink of all-out war and people from all sides are weighing in with their opinions about what our President needs to do. Most, if not all these opinions are uninformed and driven by personal bias. Our job, as believers in God, is to pray for the man our country voted into office. Pray that God gives him special wisdom and discernment for the decisions he is about to make—then trust that He will.
OK, so what are the takeaways here? Much of what we are experiencing is driven by the natural self-serving nature of man. What we can do is be examples of people who do not succumb to this trap—we can be informed and not give way to cheap gimmicks and fine sounding arguments that attempt to cause doubt and divide. Here are some practical things to consider:
I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
Colossians 2:4
- When someone sends you something they saw on the news or read on the internet, don't believe it until you diligently check it out.
- Become an informed voter—do not just blindly follow your political leanings without researching both sides of an issue.
- When using God’s word to defend a position make sure you know all the appropriate references and how to accurately interpret them.
- Resist giving uninformed opinions or feelings about anything—at least let people know you will study the issue and get back to them.
- Display patience with people who may not have the same opinion as you.
- Pray for Godly insight when forming a position on any important issue—remember there are always two sides to consider.
- Most important, pray that the enemy’s strategy here, to divide and conquer, is exposed and overcome.
Finally, a good rule to apply here might be to avoid offering an opinion until you can adequately understand and communicate the opposing viewpoint.
The above article is a revised version of an article Vince D’Acchioli published 8 years ago.At On Target Ministries we believe this information is more relevant today than at any other time in our history—IF YOU AGREE PLEASE REPOST AND PASS THIS ON THROUGH YOUR NETWORK.