Michael Avenatti has been charged with domestic violence. Avenatti denied the charges. “I want to be clear: I DID NOT commit domestic violence nor have I ever committed domestic violence. I did not strike any woman nor have I ever. I did not strike my ex-wife in the face nor did I hit anyone else in the face. I am a decent man & I look forward to being exonerated.”

I’m confused. Avenatti’s defense sounds a lot like Brett Kavanaugh’s defense. Innocent until proven guilty. Should we assume Avenatti’s guilt because all women should be believed? Unlike Kavanaugh’s case, there is physical evidence of abuse. The Los Angeles Times reports that the “allegations were made by a woman who had ‘visible injuries,’ including bruises, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.”

Of course, this does not mean the bruises were made by Avenatti. Reports are that Avenatti was heard screaming, “She hit me first.…This is bulls***, this is f***ing bulls***.” So maybe he did hit the woman, but maybe they were defensive. It’s possible that Avenatti was set up by this woman. It’s her word against his. It seems, however, that Avenatti’s former leftist friends are pulling the plug on their once-prized bulldog lawyer:

The fallout for Avenatti began almost immediately. Within hours, the Vermont Democrat Party canceled scheduled events with the CNN star, who has already announced that he will run for president in 2020. Left-wing actress and #MeToo activist Alyssa Milano publicly “disavowed” Avenatti after the news broke.

When Alyssa Milano disavows you, you know you’re in trouble.

Sean Hannity summed up the reversal of fortune for the lawyer who represented a woman who claimed she had been sexually assaulted by then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh:

I will be consistent on the issues of due process and the presumption of innocence. But one can only wonder if now maybe Michael Avenatti would apply the same standard to himself that he applied to Justice Kavanaugh, or maybe tonight he would prefer that the country give him due process and the presumption of innocence. Or will you lock yourself up and just throw away the key? I believe he deserves presumption of innocence, due process. Let the legal system do their job, and hope and pray that the right justice and answer comes through.

Did you know that that the Bible has something to say about all of this type of double standard judging? How many times have you heard someone say, “The Bible says ‘do not judge'”? Without a context, the Bible can be used to say anything. For example:

• “Judas went out and hanged himself (Matt. 27:5).
• “Go and do the same” (Luke 10:37).
• “Whatever you do, do quickly (John 13:27).
• Because “there is no God” (Ps. 14:1).

The above passages have a  meaning only within their specific context.

An often misused passage is a partial, out-of-context reading of Matthew 7:1: “Do not judge….” Further contextual reading shows that Jesus adds the caveat “lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it shall be measured to you” (7:1a–2). In fact, what follows is Jesus spending a lot of time judging. 

In John 7:24, Jesus tells us, “Judge with righteous judgment.” No judging cuts both ways. If you impose a moral standard on others, that same standard should be applied to you. Judging must be consistent. There aren’t two standards of judgment: one for me and another for thee (Deut. 25:13; Lev. 19:35-37; Prov. 11:1; 20:23; Ezek. 45:10; Mic. 6:11).

These biblical laws protect everyone.

In another place, Jesus says, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

There’s a lesson to be learned in the Avenatti arrest. There are at least two sides to a story. But because of politics where the end justifies the means, the presumption of guilt is part of the process of gaining political power. An accusation is enough to derail a politician’s career. It was tried on Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh, and Michael Avenatti was part of the defamation.