Political figures are sometimes morally blackmailed by handlers who attempt to force them to renounce an ally who has offended part of the electorate. These handlers try to guilt the politician into doing what they say. They tell them that they no longer want their political organization to be associated with the former ally. If they don’t break ties, others will think that the political figure is evil, as are those who support him or her. However, it may very well be that the spurned ally has actually done nothing wrong. 

This is subtle manipulation. It says to do something, not because it is right, but because you don’t want to be accused of something. You don’t want your character attacked. You don’t want to be called a racist, for example. It is an attempt to gain the approval of the majority. For politicians, the temptation is strong. 

We can be morally blackmailed theologically as well. People can accuse us of moral failure in an effort to get us to change our views. They can make us feel false guilt. 

I have seen this happen in several different ways. Suppose you tell someone that you believe in the Biblical doctrine of rewards. They’ll likely say, “You need to reject that doctrine. If you are motivated by rewards, you are selfish.” Who wants to be accused of being selfish? 

If you tell someone that you have the assurance of salvation and know you have eternal life that can never be lost, you will almost certainly be morally blackmailed. Someone will tell you that you are full of pride. You think you’re better than other people. They know plenty of godly people who don’t know whether or not they have eternal life. How can you possibly go around saying that you know? Who wants to be accused of being arrogant? 

Another example is one I’ve seen, but haven’t experienced myself. A woman abused by her husband might be told by a believer, or even a Christian leader, “You just need to forgive him and put up with the abuse. If you don’t, you are not being Christlike.” I know this one is controversial, but it shouldn’t be. Forgiveness cannot (and should not) be given if the person committing the sin does not ask for forgiveness. In addition, it isn’t a sin for a vulnerable person to leave a dangerous situation. But the wounded woman is morally blackmailed. Her counselors add to her wounds the false guilt of being called unmerciful.   

If you are a person who contends for fundamental Christian doctrines, you will be morally blackmailed. You will be reminded that “Christ wants His body unified.” Doctrinal disputes are unloving and bring division. Who wants to be thought  of as an unloving jerk? 

Politics is a brutal sport. We have seen politicians drop their association with past friends because of what others say about them. The politician does not want to be associated with what people think about their friend. Sometimes, those friends have done nothing wrong. In fact, they may have spoken the truth, and others were simply uncomfortable with it.  

The same is true of our Christian faith. Others might want us to feel bad about what we believe and teach. They might tell us that we shouldn’t be associated with such issues as eternal rewards, assurance of salvation, and other fundamental teachings of the Bible.  

Moral blackmail will be used. If you believe those things, you are said to be a bad person. You should drop your association with these issues and with those who hold such views. 

But moral blackmail does not deal with the truth. It peddles false guilt. A politician shouldn’t drop an old friend simply because others don’t approve of him. As believers, we should contend for the truth, no matter what the world accuses us of (Jude 3).