On sexual assault claims: God hates unequal weights and measures

By Michael Brown, Op-ed Contributor Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Michael Brown holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and has served as a professor at a number of seminaries. He is the author of 25 books and hosts the nationally syndicated, daily talk radio show, the Line of Fire.

Are the women who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault telling the truth? What about Brett Kavanaugh’s accusers? What about Joe Biden’s accusers? Ultimately, only the people involved know the full details. But for us on the outside, those of us watching and reacting, one thing is required: consistency. As Scripture teaches, God hates unequal weights and measures.

This theme is found throughout the Bible, in passages like this, having to do with buying and selling: “You shall not have in your pouch alternate weights, larger and smaller. You shall not have in your house alternate measures, a larger and a smaller. You must have completely honest weights and completely honest measures, if you are to endure long on the soil that the Lord your God is giving you. For everyone who does those things, everyone who deals dishonestly, is abhorrent to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 25:13-16).

Yet we do this all the time when it comes to allegations and accusations.

If the charges come against someone we like, we reject the charges as specious and unsupported. If the charges come against someone we don’t like, we embrace the charges as strong and believable. How can this be right?

At the moment, and for good reason, many of us on the right are pointing out the hypocrisy of the left in dealing with the Tara Reade accusations.

This is because the same media pundits and political leaders and celebrities who were pushing the #MeToo movement when Trump and Kavanaugh were being accused now look the other way when it is their man, Joe Biden, who is being accused.

What about “believe the women”? What about equal weights and measures? What about treating candidate Biden the same way candidate Trump was treated? Or the same way Judge Kavanaugh was treated?

But here’s the problem. Some of us are hypocrites too.

Some of us instantly dismissed all charges against Trump, despite the long list of accusers. Some of us didn’t even entertain the charges against Kavanaugh. But we want the accusations against Biden to be taken seriously. To repeat: how is that right?

Some would reply, “But there’s a difference. The accusers of Trump and Kavanaugh had no credibility. Biden’s accusers are much more credible.”

But those on the left say it’s the exact opposite, claiming that the accusers of Trump and Kavanaugh are credible while the accusers of Biden are not.

All I’m saying is that if we want to call out hypocrisy, which we should, then we need to call it wherever we see it. As I often say, the sword cuts both way.

Proverbs states that, “Partiality in judging is not good” (Proverbs 24:23; note that the Hebrew idiom for “partiality” is literally “recognizing the face,” hence being a respecter of persons, treating the rich one way and the poor another).

Or, in the words of James (Jacob): “My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1). That is pretty clear: show no partiality.

This does not mean that we do not investigate or that we do not come to conclusions. Not at all.

The key is that we do it as fairly and impartially as possible, taking account of our biases and proclivities. The key is to use equal weights and measures.

A great Jewish thinker once stated that, when it comes to our religious practices, it is unfair to compare the best of our tradition with the worst of someone else’s.

It’s the same with other areas of life, where we tend to contrast the best examples on “our side” with the worst examples on the “other side.” In turn, those on the “other side” do the same thing with us. And what is the end result? We polarize even more and understand the real issues even less.

When it comes to a subject as serious as that of alleged sexual assaults (we’re not talking about consensual acts here), it behooves us to move beyond political biases and personal prejudices.

Let all things be examined fairly and accurately, and that means holding the accusers accountable if they are lying while holding the accused responsible if they have broken the law.

If we are to make judgments, let us make them righteously and consistently. The same God who hates unequal weights and measures takes delight in equity, fairness, and justice. To quote Proverbs once more, “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight” (Proverbs 11:1).

Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Jezebel's War With America: The Plot to Destroy Our Country and What We Can Do to Turn the Tide. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.