An Important Election Message From Dr. James Dobson

This past summer, the federal government announced the creation of a "Disinformation Governance Board" to define whether something is "true" or not. The idea of political leaders determining what is true is hauntingly Orwellian. Politicians are far better known for distorting the truth! Thankfully, this bureaucratic creation was put on hold—hopefully never to return.¹ But don't count on it. The desire to control what is "true" has been seen all too often in recent history.

After communists came to power in Russia in October, 1917, Vladimir Lenin spent the next few years attacking opposition. He suppressed real or perceived political enemies. When Joseph Stalin took power, all citizens were required to give unquestioning allegiance to "truth" according to government leaders, and enforcing this was a "sacred social task." This resulted in terrible human suffering and loss of life. In Stalin's "purges" in the 1930s, millions of innocent people perished. By the time the Great Terror ended, Stalin had subjected all aspects of Soviet society to strict party-state control, not tolerating the slightest independent expression or political opposition. Only accepted "truth" was allowed in education, religion, or media. Any departure from this "truth" got you deported to Siberia or killed. All told, this misery lasted seventy-four years, until the regime finally crumbled in 1991.²

Adolf Hitler was dictator of Germany from the early 1930s until his suicide in 1945. Shortly after taking power, he assumed the title of führer ("leader" or "guide"). Joseph Goebbels led propaganda campaigns to silence opposition. The Nazis abolished freedom of speech and assembly, creating an atmosphere that first ostracized, then slaughtered Jews and others deemed enemies of the state. In 1933, Goebbels created the Reich Chamber of Culture. Only those who spoke the "truth" of Naziism were allowed to work in cultural professions—the arts, music, radio, films, education, and entertainment. Millions lost their lives before Hitler took his own life on April 30, 1945.³ The next day, Goebbels did the same.

In 1949, Mao Zedong took power in China. A "Suppression of Counter-Revolutionaries" began in 1950. "Speaking Bitterness" hearings were held for any who opposed Mao. Suspects were publicly shamed, intimidated into self-criticism, beaten, or executed. At some public meetings, more than 200 were shot. Citizens were bombarded with propaganda. Opponents were accused of infringing on people's rights. Mao boasted of executing 700,000 "class enemies." Historians say it was more. Half a million committed suicide; more than a million were held in forced labor camps. In 1966, Mao launched his "Cultural Revolution" aimed at purging all who opposed his teachings. A selection of Mao's sayings referred to as the Little Red Book became a sacred text of "truth." "Denunciation rallies" were held for those who were deemed in opposition. Massacres took place nationwide. Historical relics, statues, artifacts, and religious sites were destroyed. Tens of millions of people were persecuted. Education was undermined; only Mao's "truth" was allowed; thousands of teachers and scholars were killed or committed suicide.⁴

These are just three examples of leaders who used their power to impose their own "truth" on the masses. Leaders in China, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and some Muslim nations continue to exercise this power today. When man sets himself up as the standard of truth, there is no truth. In a world where truth as fundamental as gender is denied, we would be wise to recall Voltaire's warning: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."⁵

We must be aware of the effects censorship and government defining what is "truth" can have on culture. Haven't we seen this in America in recent years? As Christians, we proclaim "capital-T Truth." Truth is not subject to a "disinformation board." It is not established by an autocratic political leader or party. It is not controlled by Silicon Valley or academic demagogues.

In a world that denies the existence of God, we proclaim it. To scientists who teach the universe and life all evolved from nothing, we declare the biblical creation narrative. To a culture that has abandoned sexual mores, we assert that a man and woman united in marriage for life is the only proper expression of sexual love. To a generation that promotes killing babies in the womb, we declare the right to life of every person. These and many more "absolute truths" are grounded in the Bible, God's inspired revelation to mankind.

The greatest truth in Scripture is the focus of Jesus Christ from Genesis to Revelation. He declared, "I am…the truth" (John 14:6). When we declare the gospel, whether others accept it or reject it, it remains what Francis Schaeffer termed "true truth."⁶ We were saved by the word of truth (James 1:18), our hope of heaven rests on the word of truth (Colossians 1:5), we are told to accurately handle the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15), and as the body of Christ on earth, we are "the pillar and support of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). May we never shrink from declaring truth, even (especially!) in a land of lies.

—Pastor Phil Congdon, New Braunfels Bible Church. Used with permission.

Amen, and amen! Pastor Congdon has astutely identified with great clarity what is now happening in America. Many powerful neo-Marxist leftists in government, media, and our educational systems are relentlessly propagating lies throughout every sector of life. Appallingly, they even have the guile to do it from the Oval Office of the White House and in the halls of Congress. And much of their focus is aimed right at our youngest.

These corruptors of truth know if they can capture the hearts and minds of children, they will eventually take over our country and obliterate any and all institutions that align with God's Holy Word. And that is their ultimate goal.

They teach our sons, daughters, and grandchildren a perverted version of American history and slander our founding heroes who gave their lives and fortunes for our freedoms.⁷ Sadly, their distortion of truth is running rampant in our schools, media and major news outlets. Here is just a sampling of their radical lies:

• Our liberties come from government, and not God.
• Chromosomes don't define sex, and boys and girls can choose their gender.
• Biological men who identify as women can compete against biological women in sporting events.
• Youth can mutilate their own bodies to become the sex they want to be.
• It's a fundamental Constitutional human right to kill an innocent unborn baby, while also contending there is no right in the Constitution to defend one's family.
• Our nation's borders are secure and our streets are safe.
• Our country is systemically racist to the core.
• Socialism is compassionate, big government knows best, and our freedoms must be surrendered when there is an "emergency" at hand.

Do you see what is at stake? Unless we rise up and speak the truth, this culture of lies will destroy our families, our country, and our future. The foundation of morality that upholds our Republic cannot withstand two more years of this maddening rhetoric. If we fail to act now, everything we know to be beautiful and righteous in this nation will crumble and fade away. How utterly tragic it would be if the children born today never fully come to know and understand the meaning of "my sweet land of liberty?"

Yet, God's mercy abounds even when we don't deserve it. I pray that we will not shrink back from this divine opportunity that is set before us this November. Our generation must not be the one that lets the light of truth go out in America.

Please join Shirley and me as we lift up our nation in fervent prayer once again. And then go vote and bring every God-fearing man and woman you know with you.

In His Mighty Hands,

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