Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should
The web is wild with posts concerning the Indiana Lieutenant Governor’s “sermon” on July 26, 2026. I thought I’d add to the conversation.
Like any self-respecting political figure, Indiana’s Lt. Gov., Micah Beckwith couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share what was on his mind when offered the stage. And so, when invited to speak at the Elkhart First Baptist Church (sermon starts at 33:15), he used his time to share a topic near and dear to his heart, “How to Hate Properly”.
You may be familiar with Beckwith’s infamous publicity. He’s made a name for himself spewing hate-filled rhetoric of all sorts: From his mischaracterization of Islam as a “demonic death cult” and a military-political ideology, to his idiotic attack on a local high school marching band’s performance which used classical pieces of Carmen and Bolero, calling it “demonic filth.” He let his white hood show from under his pastoral robes when he asserted systemic racism doesn’t exist while also vigorously opposing DEI initiatives and declaring the 1787 Three-Fifths Compromise “a great move”.
But why stop with religion, race, classical music and marching bands? He’s attacked Indiana colleges because of their diverse and open campus groups, and their newspapers for their reporting with promises to investigate anything he deems inappropriate. He even suggested it would be better to attend out-of-state colleges rather than suffer at the hands of Indiana’s higher education institutions.
One of my favorites happened this past year when Beckwith referred to Pride Month as a “rainbow beast” and claimed it is “coming for your kids”. His deranged hatred crossed into wackadoodle conspiracy by stating, “It’s a state-corporate-pagan alliance to reprogram society.”
So, it’s no surprise that his theme of hate followed him back into the pulpit last month.
If you are unaware, Beckwith attended Huntington University and obtained a degree in business. He has started several small businesses with one being a company who trains worship leaders. It brought in a whopping $23,000 in 2025 and had expenses of nearly $22,000. A second venture, Attaboy LLC, perhaps better known in the Indy area as Attaboy Plumbing, is either closed (according to the Better Business Bureau) or under new ownership with a 2.5 Yelp rating. A third company, EmbroidMe lasted all of two years.
His path to the pulpit was a bit more successful. His credentials are “hands-on experience” rather than any seminary or graduate school training. Other than the $6,500 in garnished wages due to non-payment of credit cards and a unpaid settlement with EmbroidMe, there doesn’t appear to be any bumps along the way. Instead, Beckwith led worship at a Noblesville church, which is the natural next rung up the non-denominational ladder to children’s pastor and then Campus Pastor. Never mind seminary. Don’t worry about studying church history, theology, or hermeneutics. That’s why we have the internet.
Now, I’m not questioning Beckwith’s sketchy work history or the validity of his ministerial calling, (okay, maybe a little), but I’ve seen it before…and certainly see it here: Untrained pastors often misinterpret and misuse the Bible to bolster their personal opinions and agendas. Without proper instruction on exegetical study and Biblical accuracy, they claim personal opinion over scriptural truth. An untrained speaker as charming and convincing as Beckwith can make it up as they go along and convince the audience that they know what they’re talking about. In Beckwith’s case, his theology is so skewed, his scriptural interpretation so warped, the primary conclusion he reaches when he speaks about Jesus on the cross is that we should hate. He’s good. So good that he can still raise a enthusiastic “Amen”.
A perfect example of making it up as you go along is his assertion,
“Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands. You will do what I do. You will learn to walk the way that I have shown you how to walk, and that is to love what is good and hate what is evil.”
It’s beautiful, right? The problem is Jesus never once said that. He DID say, “If you love me, you will keep my commands,” but it was Paul who wrote in Romans to hate what is evil and love what is good. And this is no minor issue. If we are to follow the commands of Jesus, we ought to know what they are. We can’t just make it up because it fits our topic for the day.
Now, Jesus DID have strong words for the religious leaders of the day because Jesus hated their hypocrisy. He DID tip over the tables in the Temple because he hated the authorities’ abuse of the system that robbed the people.
But he never hated the outcast and the rejected. Instead, he welcomed them to the table without any qualifiers or expectations.
He never hated the leper, the blind, the lame. He touched them and restored their lives, their livelihood, and their souls.
He never hated the demon possessed. He called out the demons and returned the sufferers to sanity.
He never hated the masses, no matter how wretched they might be. He fed them. He cared for them. He gave them love and hope.
He never hated the adulterer. He spoke gently, honestly and offered a new path.
He never hated the people who nailed him to a cross. Instead, recognized their ignorance and prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
I’m no activist. It’s just not in my blood. But listening to Beckwith’s words has reminded me, once again, that the Church needs to stand up against blatant lies and evil. The Body of Christ must recognize falsehoods when they present themselves and call out the misinformation at every opportunity.
Beckwith used the example of the wolf and the sheep. “So, if you’re a shepherd, you have to love the sheep, feed the sheep, work with the sheep, nurture the sheep. Absolutely. But there’s also something you have to do when a wolf comes into the pasture. You know what that is? Kill the wolf.
“I know a whole lot of Christians that are good at loving, but when a wolf comes into the pasture, they say, “Oh, God made the wolf. The wolf is a creature of God. We should love the wolf. Wolf, come and join us. Sit down with our sheep. Sheep, this is the wolf. Be nice to the wolf, right? Wolf, this is sheep. We are so happy you’re here.”
“And then pretty soon the shepherd looks around: “Where did all the sheep go?” (hearty laughter follows)
“Well, that’s what’s happening in America.”
I suspect few, if any, in the congregation realized they were the sheep and it was the wolf who was speaking to them that day. This wolf’s words are deceptive. His arguments will lead astray. His message will eventually kill the sheep.
This blog series will examine the Beckwith Message and unpack it’s the political and moral agenda deceptively wrapped as a poor man’s gospel. It’s unfortunate that the church can’t see it coming.
I am hesitant to write this, because Beckwith sees any pushback or disagreement as confirmation that he’s on the right track. “You know, if you’re doing it right, both sides are probably not going to like you very well, okay?” Even this statement is a lie, but it got a nice laugh. But the reality is, Beckwith’s ability to bend the truth using cherry-picked and invented scriptural references that fit his Right-Wing, hate-filled agenda is second only to David Beckham’s ability to bend a soccer ball’s arch to get it past the defender and into the goal. Unfortunately, both Beckwith and Beckham leave the defender looking like a fool.
