“In the long history of con artists, George C. Parker holds a special place of dishonor. He is remembered as one of the most successful and daring swindlers in American history. He set up an office in New York City and “sold” some of the city’s most famous attractions to tourists. His favorite was the Brooklyn Bridge, but he also sold the Statue of Liberty, Madison Square Garden, and Grant’s Tomb. He produced elaborately forged documents and deeds to convince his targets that he was the rightful owner of the landmarks he was selling.
“Parker was so persuasive that on more than one occasion, police had to come and explain why the new “owners” of the Brooklyn Bridge couldn’t put up tollbooths to collect money from those who tried to cross. After his third conviction for fraud, Parker was sentenced to life at Sing Sing Prison in New York, where he spent the last eight years of his life. He dishonestly made a fortune preying on people who foolishly believed his empty words. He not only was an expert salesman, but he realized that many people were gullible and he could use that to his advantage” (ministry127.com).
Con artists can even be found in religion (Matthew 7:15; 2 Peter 2:3). The stakes are even higher here because the deception can have eternal consequences. Maybe that’s why the Bible has so many warnings about not being gullible. We need to be grown-ups in our thinking (1 Corinthians 14:20). We should live wisely (Ephesians 5:15-17). Why? Because not everyone who quotes the Bible has our best interests at heart (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). That’s why each of us needs to study the Scriptures for ourselves and not just trust someone else to have the answers for us (Acts 17:11). We need to develop the skills to handle the word of truth accurately because not everyone else will (2 Timothy 2:15). Don’t be a sucker for a religious huckster! There’s no excuse for it.
God loves you!
Mike
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