Neal Pollard
It allegedly happened in 2014, but now Fred Maldonado is taking In-N-Out Burger to court for what he said he found at the bottom of his cup. While their is some “fishiness” to his story and the restaurant “will vigorously defend [against] these baseless claims,” Maldonado “found a napkin and two capsules in the bottom of his milkshake cup” and “later testing revealed that the capsules contained methamphetamine” (from “Businesstech” article).
Search the internet a little and you will find more stories than you can probably stomach about what people have found in their prepared or packaged food and drinks. As a consumer, the thought of such is enough to make you grow everything you eat and never eat out again. In the supposed “meth” incident, add danger to disgust! There is a certain amount of faith and trust one has that those responsible for getting his or her food (or drink) will give them what and only what they paid for.
Tragically, every Sunday in churches across the globe, people sit down to receive what they sincerely believe to be the “bread of life” (cf. John 6:35) and the “water of life” (John 4:10). They trust that the one who is delivering it to them, maybe one they consider a friend and a spiritual brother, is giving them exactly what is claimed—the Word of God. Yet, Scripture warns that there are those who taint the message with something far more appalling and dangerous than anything else could be. Instead of truth, they get myths (2 Tim. 4:4). Instead of the sure word of Scripture, they get destructive heresies (2 Pet. 1:19-2:1). Instead of light, they get darkness (John 12:46). Instead of Christ, they get philosophy, empty deception, tradition of men, and elementary principles of the world (Col. 2:8).
Paul wrote that divine judgment awaits any who “did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thess. 2:12). The hearer has a responsibility to check what the teacher says, to make sure it is right and true (Acts 17:11). God will hold everyone responsible for what they did with His Word. Even though teachers face a stricter judgment (cf. Jas. 3:1), He holds you and me responsible for avoiding dangerous, disgusting doctrine. It takes practice to have our “senses trained to discern good and evil” (Heb. 5:14). Take charge of your own spiritual nourishment, from what you hear on Sunday to what you read every day!
