Quick to speak, slow to hear, quick to get angry

If you have seen the news lately, no doubt you have been overwhelmed with news about Brett Kavanaugh's hearing. I also have no doubt that you've already formed an opinion about the topic.

So have I, but it is not about the accusations brought against him. I am going to be writing about our opinion about the Brett Kavanaugh accusation.

In the #MeToo era, men who have been able to keep their sin under wraps for so long are finally being exposed. They may have thought that they could escape the consequences of their actions, but their past has come back to haunt them--as it should. Not that we should be surprised: Numbers 32:23 warns, “ Be sure your sin will find you out.”

Unfortunately, I am sure that there are a few, perhaps only a few, but still, a few men that have been falsely accused. Furthermore, it seems that when someone is accused of this type of assault, the reaction is not even “Guilty until proven innocent.” It is just, “Guilty!” Whether the accusation is entirely legitimate and the accused is truly a perverted criminal who should be in jail or the man is being falsely accused by a bitter, or bribed, individual, he is, in the public perception, already guilty.

Well, not always. For some people, he is just simply, “Innocent.” No matter what evidence is presented, he is not really guilty as far as they are concerned. “Obviously,” they may think, “the other person is just bringing this up now for political reasons.”

Too often, we believe what we want to believe. If a politician says, “I believe her,” she is not really saying, “the evidence has convinced me that Brett attacked her.” They are saying, “I think she is right, and I have chosen to believe her.” The same applies to some who says they believe Brett Kavanaugh. The fact is, none of us were at that party. None of us really know what happened. Yet, we still all have an opinion about it.

And, most likely, that opinion was formed before the accusation was even made, or no more than 0.1813 seconds after we saw the headline about it in our news feed. Our bias determined our opinion on this accusation.

Unfortunately, our bias does not get to change history. Our opinions do not have the power to change facts. Either Brett attacked her or he did not, and our view on it really does not matter--at all.

That is why we should refrain from sharing our views on a topic (any topic, really) until we have researched the issue for ourselves. The world has enough ignorant opinions floating around already, it will be just fine without any additions from us. Proverbs 18:13 gives a warning to people who talk about issues they really do not know a lot about: “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.”

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). This is frequently the opposite of what we like to do. We are quick to speak, slow to hear the other side, and quick to get angry about it. Instead, we should seek to study out a matter thoroughly, and then share our well-thought-out, evidence-based findings with a culture that needs more than soundbites.

I believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt. I also firmly believe in giving the guilty no less than they are due in criminal matters. However, I don’t believe in giving ignorant, bias-based opinions any place in discussions.