As children, we are taught to be careful around a stove, to look both ways before crossing a street, to be cautious with the approach of strangers, etc. But generally, we are not taught to avoid respecting persons, even though the Bible warns that respecting persons is a sin. Instead, it is customary to trust the well-dressed, educated-looking person, but to be wary of the badly dressed, ill-educated one. A smooth-talker often gets a pass while others are under scrutiny.
When we recognize that sin is self-destructive behavior (not simply breaking the rules!), we can deduce that respecting persons is a dangerous addiction. It trains us to ignore our spiritual sense, to overlook approaching danger. And of course, the most deadly threats are the ones least likely to be recognized except through spiritual sense.
Perhaps Jesus' rebuke of the churchy intelligensia (Saducees and Pharisees) lack of spiritual sense is appropriate here: "When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"
Too often the Christian of today is taught to be tolerant, not to judge, etc. but little attention is given to developing or even recognizing spiritual sense, to discerning the signs of the times. This accounts for so many of the tragedies we read about in the news.
We are all in a much more secure place when we take responsibility for being able to sense the approach of danger, and stop this self-destructive behavior of respecting persons and ignoring the warnings.
From the 1st Edition of Science and Health, Biblical precedents for handling danger.