It all started with ABC reporting on “Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health” claim to have “recorded the deaths of 15 people, including four children, due to famine and malnutrition over the past 24 hours.” Florida representative Randy Fine questioned the report’s validity on X, noting, “Release the hostages. Until then, starve away. (This is all a lie anyway. It amazes me that the media continues to regurgitate Muslim terror propaganda.” Fine offered no evidence to support his claim about the Ministry of Health’s numbers. The interaction to on a “he said, she said” dynamic when Marjorie Taylor Greene, representative from Georgia, responded to Fine with her own X post stating, “It’s the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct 7th in Israel was horrific, and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza.”
In using the word “genocide” Greene prompted a slew of media reports highlighting the fissure in the Republican party with publications like The Hill writing, “Greene’s stance marks a major break with her party, and an escalation of her criticism of Israel—and U.S. financial support for Israel—as the war in Gaza drags on.” The issue quickly became fodder for television commentators who evidently saw it as something newsworthy. But is it? Should a Georgia representative’s X post have any real bearing on how Christians think about Gaza? I don’t think so. Here’s why.
First, it isn’t clear that either Greene or Fine has any unique insight into or knowledge about the situation in Gaza. It seems unlikely that either politician has been to Gaza. Even if they have visited, seeing the famine and starvation firsthand doesn’t mean they have a full understanding of why there is famine and starvation. Without understanding why something is happening, certain judgments are, at best, underinformed. Fine’s suggestion that the reports of starvation are false is unfounded. Independent NGO reports would seem to suggest that he is indeed incorrect, though he continues to question whether any starvation is actually occurring in Gaza. Greene’s labeling of the situation in Gaza as genocide assumes that she has some insight into Israel’s intent since genocide, according to the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, involves an “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such.”
When our political leaders decide to make unnuanced, unsubstantiated statements on social media, we should not reward them with our attention. If we want to understand what is happening in Gaza, we need to ignore the political bickering and dive back into the complex history of the region. The back-and-forth on X is a fine bit of political theater, but it isn’t a serious conversation—it’s an episode of the real housewives/househusbands of Washington, D.C.
Second, the comments made by Greene and Fine shouldn’t mean anything for the conversation on Gaza because they aren’t really doing anything except expressing a slogan. Think about it. Did they really add anything to the conversation about Gaza? They didn’t provide any new insights. All they did was mark off their positions. Did they offer a real solution? Not at all. They did what we let politicians do too often—allow some sensationalized soundbites to drive a public conversation within the news cycle. Because Price’s and Greene’s posts don’t convey the best possible version of the truth about Gaza, we shouldn’t give them more credibility than they deserve.
Finally, we need to consider how we would go about forming judgments and making decisions on important matters in other aspects of our lives. The topic of how we make decisions, particularly decisions that glorify God, is complex. I am relatively confident that making decisions based on X posts is unwise. I would argue that forming opinions based solely or even primarily on stories in the news is becoming problematic as well. If Christians feel strongly about the Gaza situation, we have to put in the effort to understand the situation from multiple angles, recognize when we aren’t being given the best possible version of the truth, and seek out resources that would provide a more robust treatment of the issues.
Making much of the tit-for-tat between Greene and Fine or assuming that the conjecture and prognosticating of political commentators skews our perspective as Christians. Whatever theological position you may hold regarding the nation of Israel, a Christian perspective on Gaza is, by definition, not formed by the pithy X posts, but by the word of God. So, what does God’s word mean for the conversation on Gaza?
It means that we yearn for justice, knowing that the justice of this world is incomplete and only capable of gesturing toward the coming judgment of God. It means that we don’t authorize or legitimize any and every action Israel takes in response to October 7th and the ongoing challenge of Hamas in Gaza. It means that we view those harmed by the war—whether combatant or civilian—as neighbor (Matt 5:43-45), offering prayer, material support, and—most of all—the gospel. I would also argue that it means being measured in the way we speak about the situation in Gaza (Jam 1:19). We must avoid idle talk and gossip (Rom 1:29-30; 2 Cor 12:20; 1 Tim 5:13). It likely means much more as well.
We have unprecedented access to information today. Why settle posts on X? Christian’s aren’t a people of the platform, but a people of the book—a people formed by God’s word. While
I’m quite sure that politicians will continue to use X and similar platforms to express their thoughts and build a following. I’m equally sure that the world needs to hear and see the faithful testimony of God’s people. That won’t happen if Christians allow Greene and Fine to shape their understandings apart from the word of God.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla/Staff
