Trial in the Court of Public Opinion
I recently realized that the court of public opinion resembles the court that tried Faithful in Pilgrim’s Progress. When Faithful was tried in the town of Vanity, Judge Lord Hate-Good was presiding, and the jury consisted of men like Mr. Blind-man, Mr. Malice, Mr. Love-lust, Mr. Live-loose, Mr. Liar, and Mr. Hate-light. They predictably condemned Faithful to death at the stake.
Do you see the resemblance between this court and the American court of public opinion? The media presiding over the trial could go by the name ‘Lord Hate-Good,’ given the frequency with which they call good evil and evil good. And the jury trolling the internet could also bear names like Liar, Love-lust, Live-loose, and Hate-Light.
This realization made me fear that I may one day be tried in this terrible court of public opinion and find myself strapped to a stake on a pile of faggots. In an effort to avoid this dreadful day, I wanted to offer some biblical counsel to Christians who might serve on my jury.
What principles can guide Christians as they take their seats on the jury of this great court of public opinion?
First, when you judge make sure you are not fooled by appearances and innuendo. Jesus said, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (Jn.7:24) Beware of journalists who shrewdly make insinuations using photos that make a person appear distasteful or imply guilt by association. Note also when journalists quote people speculating about a person’s guilt. By this sly maneuver, they can escape the charge of slander by merely quoting a speculative slanderer. Christians must look for real evidence of guilt, lest they be guilty of judging according to appearances.
Second, when you judge, make sure your standard of judgment is just, for your standard will be used against you. Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Mt.7:1-2) If you condemn a person on the basis of hearsay and innuendo, without 2 or 3 reliable witnesses, then expect the same to be done to you. If you judge according to popular values rather than the word of God, don't be surprised when the rules change and you are condemned to be burned at the stake.
Third, Christians must judge according to the procedural laws of God. What are these biblical procedural laws? One prominent procedural law requires the testimony of two or three reliable witnesses to convict a person. “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.” (Dt. 19:15) Jurors in the court of public opinion are not exempted from God's procedural laws. These laws help prevent unjust judgments.
Biblical procedural law also requires diligent inquiry into the veracity of the witnesses. Are they telling the truth? “And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you.” (Dt.19:18-19) Contrary to popular opinion, it is wrong to simply believe a witness making an accusation. A witness must be carefully examined to make sure they are telling the truth. Witnesses making public accusations must be required to face a public cross-examination. Judges in the court of public opinion must carefully inquire as to the truth of the testimony!
Part of this careful inquiry involves hearing both sides of the story, because “the first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him.” (Pr.18:17) The wise juror listens to both the accusers and the accused. The juror must go to the primary sources (the accused and the witnesses themselves); he cannot rely on the predigested and edited third-hand stories dished out by the media. To render a judgment before hearing the first hand testimony of all parties is “folly and shame.” (Pr.18:13)
Fourth, Christians must judge according to God's moral law. You must distinguish what’s truly right and wrong from popular morality. Refusing to bake a cake may be considered a crime against homosexuals in popular morality, but it is not a sin against God, and definitely not a crime. Adultery is not considered a crime in the current culture, but it is a capital crime according to God’s law. (Lev.20:10) Judging righteous judgments means judging according to God's moral law not popular opinion.
Finally, the juror on the court of public opinion must also make a distinction between sins and crimes in God's moral law. Coveting your neighbor’s jewelry is a sin, but it is not a crime. Stealing your neighbor’s Rolex, however, would be both a sin and a crime. So judging righteous judgments requires you to evaluate whether the alleged actions are sinful, criminal, or just contrary to popular opinion. If we do not judge according to God's standard, we will end up straining gnats and swallowing camels like the Pharisees of modern media.
In our day, a person’s life and reputation can be ruined by journalists unleashing unsubstantiated accusations on the internet. Christians must oppose these internet witch trials and judge righteous judgments (Jn.7:24). We must judge according to both the moral and procedural laws of God. If we will not, then men like Faithful will burn at the stake, and we may burn alongside them (Mt.7:1-2).
God save the court of public opinion.