Twisting the Word: The Hidden Danger Behind Newsom’s Use of Scripture

In recent months, the California Democrat’s public language has taken on an unmistakably biblical tone. Even his mocking “patriot shop” — created to parody the merchandise sold by President Donald Trump to fund his political efforts — includes a Bible for sale, though it remains permanently “sold out” as part of the long-running joke.

Newsom has long pointed to his Catholic upbringing as a guiding force in certain decisions, most notably citing his faith as the motivation for halting state executions in 2019, one of his earliest major actions as governor. He has also, on occasion, mentioned his Jesuit education at Santa Clara University. But the explicit, repeated invocation of scripture is something new, emerging only in the past few months as a consistent element of his messaging.

“It has become a much more frequent reference point for him,” said Dan Schnur, a longtime Republican political operative and professor at UC Berkeley.

This rhetorical shift comes at the same time Newsom is elevating his national profile. Just last week, he successfully led a campaign urging California voters to approve a redrawing of the state's congressional maps to benefit Democrats — a move that has propelled him to the forefront of potential 2028 presidential contenders in his party. The campaign also expanded his already large national fundraising network to such a degree that he eventually told supporters to stop donating more than a week before Election Day, saying, quite plainly, that they already had enough money.

When political leaders selectively quote Scripture to justify modern policy, it raises deep concerns for believers who see the Bible as a unified moral and spiritual guide—not a tool for political persuasion. Gavin Newsom’s recent use of biblical language has drawn attention because it represents a growing trend among progressive politicians who invoke Scripture in ways that appear to validate policy positions that conflict with core Christian teachings. To many Christians, the danger is not simply that a politician is referencing the Bible, but that the message becomes reshaped to fit a political narrative rather than the other way around. Scripture is meant to guide human decision-making; human decision-making is not meant to rewrite Scripture.

Newsom’s approach troubles many because it reflects a broader cultural shift in which biblical truth becomes flexible, pulled apart into individual verses that can be reinterpreted according to modern social priorities. By highlighting certain verses about compassion or justice while ignoring biblical teachings about sin, repentance, and obedience, this selective method produces a partial theology built around emotion rather than conviction. The problem isn’t that compassion is unbiblical—it is central to Christian faith—but compassion separated from biblical accountability becomes a tool for justifying any policy that sounds kind on the surface. When leaders apply Scripture this way, they risk leading people toward a worldview shaped by political convenience rather than the consistent truth Christians rely on.

The concern is amplified by the authority that public officials hold. When politicians quote Scripture, many assume they speak with moral sincerity, yet their policies can contradict clear biblical teachings on life, family, sexuality, justice, and personal responsibility. This creates confusion for younger or less-experienced believers who may not yet know how to discern Scripture’s deeper context. The Bible warns repeatedly about false teachers—people who twist the meaning of God’s Word, not always out of malicious intent, but often because they want Scripture to support the path they already chose. When political leaders use their platform this way, it can influence entire communities who may not realize they are being guided toward interpretations that conflict with historic Christian doctrine.

Christians who value biblical truth must recognize that the problem is not a single politician or party, but the growing cultural habit of reshaping faith to fit modern expectations. A society that treats the Bible as a flexible political instrument rather than the unchanging Word of God risks losing the very foundation that keeps moral conviction stable. Scripture calls believers to test every message—even messages that sound compassionate—against the fullness of God’s teachings. The danger is not that politicians speak about faith, but that the Bible becomes diluted into a set of inspirational quotes rather than the authoritative guide it was meant to be. Before it’s too late, Christians must remain vigilant, grounded in Scripture, and willing to challenge any attempt to manipulate faith for political ends.

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