The following are the views expressed by Olufemi Oguntokun in the May 28, 2026’s episode of the On the Lord’s Side Podcast – Christian perspectives on news and current events.
ON MARY, CONSENT, AND THE TWISTING OF SCRIPTURE
We live in an age where almost every major cultural debate eventually attempts to recruit the Bible for validation.
And one of the most fascinating — and frankly disturbing — examples of this recently came from an American politician and seminary-trained progressive Christian commentator named James Talarico, who argued publicly that God sought Mary’s consent before the incarnation, and that this somehow supports modern abortion-rights arguments about bodily autonomy and consent.
Now, immediately one hears that and asks: where exactly is that in Luke 1?
Because when one goes back to the biblical text itself, what we actually see is Gabriel announcing God’s sovereign redemptive plan to Mary:
“You will conceive and bear a son.”
That is declarative language.
It is not:
“Mary, would you like to volunteer for this?”
It is not a negotiation.
It is not contract language.
It is not God saying:
“Well, let us discuss whether you would like this arrangement.”
No.
The text presents a divine announcement met with humble submission and obedience from Mary:
“Behold the servant of the Lord; let it be unto me according to thy word.”
And for over 2,000 years, Christians have celebrated Mary’s response not as bodily-autonomy negotiation, but as humility, obedience, faith, and trust in God’s sovereign plan.
That distinction matters enormously.
Because what we are increasingly seeing today is people attempting to import contemporary cultural preferences directly into biblical texts.
And that is dangerous.
Now, let me be absolutely clear: consent matters.
Nobody should touch another person sexually without consent. Such acts are morally evil and criminal and should be punished fully under the law.
But that is not the real issue here.
The real issue is the twisting of Scripture to support modern ideological battles.
And Christians must learn to recognize when that is happening.
ON CULTURAL IDOLATRY
What drives many of these reinterpretations of Scripture is what can only be described as cultural idolatry.
The culture says:
“This is what we value now.”
“This is what we prioritize now.”
“This is the framework through which all reality must be interpreted.”
And then many people — including some who claim to be Christians — subordinate God’s revealed Word beneath those cultural assumptions.
That is idolatry.
Anything placed above God becomes an idol.
For many modern people, culture itself has become the idol.
If the culture celebrates bodily autonomy above all else, then every biblical text must now be reinterpreted through bodily autonomy.
If the culture celebrates sexual liberation, then Scripture must be bent until it appears to affirm sexual liberation.
If the culture celebrates self-definition, then God Himself must now be remade in man’s image.
And that is exactly the inversion taking place.
Psalm 100:3 says:
“It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves.”
That is the proper starting point.
God made us.
We did not make Him.
When people begin speaking as though God must first seek permission from man before acting sovereignly, they have inverted authority entirely.
They are approaching God as though He were merely another democratic participant within creation rather than the sovereign Creator Himself.
And that is the spirit of the age.
ON THE DANGERS OF LIBERAL THEOLOGY
James Talarico describes himself as a seminarian and holds theological credentials from a Presbyterian seminary. He is also a Democratic politician in Texas known for progressive political positions, including vocal support for abortion rights.
Now, there was once a time when hearing that someone attended seminary immediately inspired confidence.
Not anymore.
Many seminaries today openly embrace liberal theology and train students to reinterpret Scripture primarily through the lens of contemporary ideology.
And the result is exactly what we are witnessing:
people approaching Scripture not asking,
“What has God revealed?”
but rather,
“How can this text be reshaped to affirm modern preferences?”
That is not faithful exegesis.
That is ideological manipulation.
And Christians must become more discerning.
One cannot merely listen to a preacher, politician, or online commentator say:
“Well, the Bible means this…”
You must go back and read the text yourself.
Because if believers abandon careful reading of Scripture, they become vulnerable to every fashionable reinterpretation that emerges from the culture.
ON THE “AFRICAN MOSES” AND THE THEOLOGY OF MIRACLES
Another story making rounds online involved a man on an African beach attempting dramatically to “part the sea like Moses” while cameras rolled. Unsurprisingly, the waves did not part. Instead, the sea overwhelmed him and those around him.
Many people laughed at the clip.
But honestly, the matter is more tragic than funny.
Because it reveals how deeply confused many people have become about the theology of miracles.
When Moses parted the Red Sea in Exodus 14, he did not wake up one morning saying:
“Today I will perform a spectacular miracle so people can admire my faith.”
No.
God commanded him.
The miracle served God’s redemptive purpose:
to deliver His covenant people,
to judge Pharaoh,
and to glorify Yahweh before the nations.
Likewise in the New Testament, signs and wonders authenticated the gospel message and pointed people toward Christ.
The miracles were never ultimately about glorifying the individual servant.
In Acts 3, after healing the lame man, Peter immediately deflected attention:
“Why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man walk?”
That posture is crucial.
Modern miracle culture often reverses it entirely.
Many people now treat miracles as spectacles designed to advertise personalities, ministries, brands, and social-media relevance.
And that is spiritually dangerous.
ON TEMPTING GOD
Jesus Himself refused Satan’s temptation to throw Himself from the pinnacle of the temple merely to prove divine power publicly.
Why?
Because true faith submits to God’s timing and purposes rather than demanding spectacular displays on human terms.
When people stage dramatic miracle-attempts primarily to demonstrate their own faith or spiritual status, they are often tempting God rather than glorifying Him.
God is not an ATM machine.
God is not obligated to validate every dramatic human idea simply because someone invokes His name.
And frankly, one must always become cautious whenever cameras are deliberately arranged around supposedly miraculous displays.
Because the line between ministry and performance becomes dangerously thin.
God does not require theatrical reenactments to prove His existence.
Creation itself already testifies to His glory.
The Word of God already testifies to His truth.
The gospel itself remains “the power of God unto salvation.”
ON TRUE MIRACLES
This is not to deny that God still heals, delivers, and works providentially.
Of course He does.
But true miracles happen according to God’s sovereign will and always ultimately point back to His glory rather than human ego.
The apostles themselves did not wake up each morning planning miracle quotas.
They preached Christ.
They served faithfully.
They prayed.
They obeyed.
And God sovereignly chose when and how to work signs and wonders through them.
That distinction matters.
The Christian life is fundamentally about faithfulness, submission, humility, and glorifying Christ — not chasing spectacles.
And often, some of the greatest miracles are not dramatic public displays at all.
Sometimes the greatest miracle is a transformed heart.
Sometimes it is perseverance through suffering.
Sometimes it is faithfulness in obscurity.
Sometimes it is the courage simply to proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ faithfully in a hostile generation.
ON JOHN FASHANU, FAMILY, AND THE PAIN OF PUBLIC CONTROVERSY
Another story that caught attention involved former football star John Fashanu, popularly known in the UK as “Fash.” Older Nigerians will remember him well from his football career and his connection to Nigerian football during the 1990s.
Reports emerged suggesting concerns about his health and family tensions, prompting him to release a video attempting to address public rumors.
And honestly, whenever public family disputes unfold this way, one cannot help but feel saddened.
Because there is something deeply painful about seeing families fracture publicly.
Especially when the individuals involved have lived long, prominent lives.
One always asks:
What went wrong?
What happened behind the scenes?
How did relationships deteriorate to this point?
And this serves as another reminder that success, fame, money, and public admiration can never substitute for healthy family relationships, peace, forgiveness, humility, and godliness.
Many people achieve great public success while their private lives quietly collapse.
And that is tragic.
ON OPEN MARRIAGES, “RELATIONSHIP ANARCHY,” AND THE CULTURE OF BONDAGE
Finally, another astonishing cultural story involved a woman publicly celebrating what she described as a “one-sided open marriage,” where she engages in multiple sexual relationships while her husband remains monogamous and faithful.
The woman described herself as embracing “relationship anarchy” and argued that people should define relationships however feels “authentic and consensual.”
And honestly, one of the most dangerous things about modern culture is its ability to use sophisticated language to normalize destructive behavior.
Not everything that sounds intellectually polished actually contains wisdom.
People can rationalize almost anything if they possess sufficient command of language.
That is why Christians must evaluate ideas by truth rather than rhetorical elegance.
What modern culture repeatedly presents as liberation often turns out to be bondage.
The devil has always sold bondage disguised as freedom.
“Break all limits.”
“Reject restrictions.”
“Follow every desire.”
“Define yourself however you wish.”
That sounds liberating initially.
But eventually people discover they have become enslaved to appetites, addictions, lusts, substances, impulses, and destructive desires.
Jesus said:
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
That is true freedom.
Not slavery disguised as self-expression.
And honestly, when someone publicly boasts about such arrangements, it is not the flex they think it is.
It is actually a confession of bondage.
But Christians must respond not merely with mockery, but with compassion.
Because many people trapped in these lifestyles have genuinely been deceived by a culture that continually tells them evil is freedom and submission to God is oppression.
When in reality, the exact opposite is true.
The yoke of Christ is easy.
His burden is light.
And His truth alone leads to genuine freedom.
