Disguising the Bad
A nearby bakery shop has a reputation for making some absolutely incredible cinnamon rolls. These rolls are huge, and are literally packed with brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter, and are topped with thick, gooey icing. The very thought of these can make one’s mouth water.
But, alas, the health food craze has surely taken its toll on the cinnamon roll business. And though we love our sweets, we’ve been warned about all those calories – and we shutter to think of the cholesterol! What’s a baker to do when cinnamon rolls are getting so much bad press?
The answer, of course, is to offer people an option that appeals to their health conscious sensitivities. And so, the baker of those delectable cinnamon rolls is now selling an oat bran muffin. Well, everyone has heard of the great benefits of oat bran. It has been touted as the remedy to a whole host of health problems. Surely then an oat bran muffin is just what the doctor ordered. Never mind that these particular muffins are as big as a softball, have more than a fair share of sugar, butter, calories, and even contain a huge dose of cholesterol! Which simply proves that if we can hide something bad behind a name that sounds good, most folks will “swallow it”.
This same trick is being used by Satan in the spiritual realm. Homosexuality is now an “alternate lifestyle” and no longer no longer called an “abomination” (Lev. 18:22). Alcoholism sounds better than drunkenness, and it is easier to “swallow” if we call it a disease rather than a sin. You get the idea. But, remember, calling something bad by a good name does not change the outcome.
– by Greg Gwin
