Can Empathy Be Malicious? The Difference Between True Compassion and Untethered Empathy
In this episode of The Voice of Advocacy, host Dr. Brick Lantz welcomes Dr. Joe Rigney—fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College, pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, and author of eight books—to dissect a highly counter-cultural and vital topic: The Sin of Empathy: Compassion and Its Counterfeits. Together, they challenge the modern assumption that unchecked empathy is always a virtue, exploring how untethered emotions can warp clinical judgment, enable self-destructive behaviors, and undermine sound biblical doctrine.
Drawing from vivid, real-life illustrations—ranging from a technical grade-four river rafting rescue to the profound grief of Job’s wife—Dr. Rigney and Dr. Lantz unpack the critical necessity of remaining anchored to Christ and objective reality when entering into a patient’s or parishioner’s suffering. The conversation tackles the cultural weaponization of empathy in modern medicine, specifically examining its role in the explosive rise of gender dysphoria and the devastating consequences faced by detransitioners. Listeners will also learn about “empathetic myopia,” the psychological tribalism that breeds hostility toward outsiders, and how Christian healthcare professionals and leaders can establish healthy emotional boundaries to prevent burnout. By redefining compassion as a habituated virtue governed by truth, this episode provides a liberating, scriptural framework for practicing medicine and ministry without sacrificing moral clarity.
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