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A Review of The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised as Freedom

Evil began to be marketed in the Garden of Eden. Eve succumbed to the serpent’s smooth talk, and Adam followed her lead.

  • Byron Snapp
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Evil began to be marketed in the Garden of Eden. Eve succumbed to the serpent’s smooth talk, and Adam followed her lead. As a result, all mankind fell into sin. The marketing of evil has never stopped since that day in the Garden.

In his book The Marketing of Evil, David Kupelian surveys a wide range of current cultural concerns. He shows that cultural change has not just happened. Change has been methodically planned and attractively packaged. Some of the topics covered include Western culture, church-state relationships, education, and abortion.

The author begins his book with an examination of homosexuality. He emphasizes the use of well-chosen words that impact a culture not grounded in the Word of God. In the homosexual movement two words, gay rights, were unleashed that wreaked havoc in the unprepared cultural mindset. The word gay denoted joy and happiness. This is certainly not a word that the Bible uses in describing this lifestyle. The word rights moved the discussion from the ethical arena into the discrimination area. Since homosexuals had “rights,” why were they being discriminated against in society? The spread of AIDS provided a basis for this manipulation to gain a hearing in mainstream society.

Kupelian points out that AIDS was not the original name for this disease. Formerly, it was called GRID (gay-related immunodeficiency disease). The new name removed it from being closely tied to the fact that the disease is primarily acquired through homosexual activity.

While casting aside the Biblical framework, society has become more accepting of homosexuals and more open to their agenda. Further marketing of the homosexual agenda flourishes in the media outlets.

In the opening section of each chapter, Kupelian provides numerous quotations from those in the forefront of working toward societal change. He then develops the topic within an ethical framework that is Biblically based.

The book is written in a reader-friendly format. The author has done his research and has organized his findings in a manner that allows one to see the agenda of the opposition and the methods used to attain that agenda.

He concludes with a chapter on the shallowness of American Christianity. Christians are not being taught to think. A number of modern Bible translations are compiled with an eye toward marketing rather than accurately conveying the inspired text. The church often accommodates culture instead of standing on the truth of God’s Word. The church becomes a follower of society rather than a leader in promoting righteousness.

Perhaps the chapter on American Christianity should have been the initial chapter. I believe it contains the real reason why our society has become so susceptible to the successful marketing of evil. We have failed to view issues and problems through the eyeglasses of Scripture. This book is a reminder of the ongoing agenda of the opposition. It is also a reminder that Christians need to be continually feeding on the truths of Scripture. We must learn to conduct our lives and our thinking in terms of a Biblical worldview.


  • Byron Snapp

Byron Snapp is a graduate of King College (B.A.) and Reformed Theological Seminary (M.Div.). He was Associate Pastor at Calvary Reformed Presbyterian Church, Hampton, Virginia, from 1994 until his retirement in December 2014. He is a native of Marion, Virginia.  He has had pastorates in Leakesville, Mississippi, and Gaffney, South Carolina.  He served as Assistant Pastor in Cedar Bluff, Virginia prior to his ministry at Calvary Reformed. He has served as editor of the Presbyterian Witness and was a contributor to A Comprehensive Faith and Election Day Sermons. He is currently a member of Westminster Presbytery in the PCA. He and his wife Janey have 3 children and several grandchildren. 

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