Biblical truth is no longer debated in our culture, it is treated as an offense. That reality was put on full display after a quiet but revealing change inside a federal government building sparked national outrage.
An official portrait of Admiral Rachel Levine, the Biden administration’s Assistant Secretary for Health, was altered so that the nameplate reflected Levine’s biological name, Richard Levine. As an NPR affiliate reported in its coverage of the incident, a photo from inside the Department of Health and Human Services showed the name under Levine’s portrait changed back to a prior name, rather than the chosen name and identity that activists demand everyone affirm, and that alone was enough to light a firestorm of criticism from the left. You can see that framing in the piece from NPR affiliate KNKX.
At the same time, a conservative outlet covered the exact same facts very differently, openly stating the name Richard Levine and pointing out how mainstream media avoided saying that out loud. That framing came from The Gateway Pundit’s report on the controversy, which did not hide the biological reality at the center of the story.
What struck me immediately was this. No one disputed that the name was accurate. No one argued that biological reality was false. Instead, the outrage centered on the idea that acknowledging truth itself was offensive.
That should stop every Christian in their tracks.
When biblical truth is acknowledged publicly, our culture increasingly treats it as harm rather than reality, revealing a deeper spiritual conflict beneath the headlines.
A Reaction That Reveals the Real Issue
The anger surrounding this incident was never really about a portrait. It was about authority. It was about who gets to define reality.
When biblical categories collide with modern ideology, ideology demands submission. There is no room for disagreement. Even passive acknowledgment of truth is framed as violence or erasure.
That reaction tells me something critical. The left is not simply asking for tolerance. It is demanding affirmation. And when affirmation is withheld, even quietly, it is treated as an act of aggression.
Truth is no longer something to be discussed. It is something to be enforced or erased.
Scripture warned us this would happen.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.”
Isaiah 5:20
This is not new. It is the same rebellion dressed in modern language.
Biblical Truth Has Always Been the Line
From the opening pages of Scripture, God establishes reality before humanity ever weighs in.
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.”
Genesis 1:27
That declaration is not poetic. It is not symbolic. It is foundational. It establishes identity as something given by God, not discovered inwardly or reinvented over time.
I have written before in “Biblical Truth vs. Cultural Relativism: What Should Christians Believe?” that truth is not a moving target. God’s Word does not shift with public opinion. When I look at this portrait story, I do not just see political drama. I see yet another example of a culture that refuses to accept that God has the right to define what is real.
When Christians affirm that truth today, we are not making a political statement. We are simply agreeing with God.
But agreement with God is precisely what our culture now calls hate.
The moment truth stops being negotiable, rebellion labels it cruel.
That is why this story matters. Not because of who is involved, but because of what it exposes.
Why Biblical Truth Is Treated as Harm
Biblical Truth and Moral Authority
At the heart of the outrage is a refusal to accept moral authority outside the self. Scripture says God defines reality. Modern culture says identity is self created.
Those two claims cannot coexist.
Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”
John 14:6
Notice He did not say truth is personal or evolving. He said truth is embodied and exclusive. That alone offends a culture that worships self expression above all else.
When truth is external, it confronts us. When truth is internal, it never challenges us.
That is why acknowledging biological reality provokes such hostility. It reminds people that they are not sovereign. In my article “The Christian Response to Gender Ideology”, I unpack how this ideology demands not only space, but celebration. This portrait controversy is a perfect example. The problem is not that a lie was told. The problem, in the eyes of the left, is that truth was allowed to stand.
The Media’s Role in Softening Reality
Another revealing aspect of this moment is how carefully language was handled. Certain facts were acknowledged indirectly. Clear terms were avoided. Pronouns were chosen intentionally.
This is not accidental. It is editorial theology.
When words are softened, truth is blurred.
Scripture places enormous weight on words. God speaks reality into existence. Christ is called the Word made flesh.
So when institutions manipulate language, they are not being compassionate. They are participating in deception.
“Let your yes be yes and your no be no.”
Matthew 5:37
Clarity is not cruelty. It is obedience.
Compassion Without Truth Is Not Love
One of the most dangerous lies of our time is the idea that love requires agreement. Scripture teaches the opposite.
“Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.”
1 Corinthians 13:6
Biblical love never affirms a lie. It calls people out of deception, not deeper into it.
Calling truth offensive does not make it less true. It simply reveals how far we have drifted from God’s design.
The gospel itself offends human pride.
That has always been the case.
Why This Matters to Christians Right Now
If a name on a wall can trigger accusations of hatred, then faithful Christians should prepare for worse. Scripture tells us plainly that standing for truth will cost us.
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
2 Timothy 3:12
That persecution often begins with language. First we are called offensive. Then dangerous. Then unfit for public life.
This is why clarity matters. Silence will not save us. Compromise will not protect us.
Biblical truth must be spoken calmly, clearly, and without apology.
Not because we enjoy conflict, but because obedience demands it.
A Final Word on Fear and Faith
I understand why many Christians feel tired. I understand the temptation to stay quiet. But Scripture does not call us to comfort. It calls us to faithfulness.
Jesus did not soften truth to avoid offense. He spoke it with grace and authority, knowing it would divide.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:5
That remains true today.
This moment is not about a portrait. It is about whether truth still has a place in public life. And more importantly, whether Christians will stand on Scripture when culture demands silence.
I know where I stand.
Biblical truth is not hateful. It is holy. And I will not apologize for agreeing with God.
Arch Kennedy
Bold, Unfiltered, and Unafraid
Watch my full commentary below:
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