Tag Archives: Deception

Worldview & Truth

The trap of Alleged Certainty

1 Comment

“Buy the truth and sell it not.”
– Proverbs 23:23



Magnifying glass focusing on the word 'EVIDENCE' on a police report

Pursuing truth in the 21st century requires a focused eye of discernment and a well-tuned nose for manipulation. One of the most subtle forms of manipulation in today’s internet environment is the fallacy of alleged certainty, the opinionated bully on the playground of truth.

While scripture charges us to “test all things, and hold fast to what is true,” alleged certainty talks over the conversation with public opinion:

“’Everybody knows‘ that’s a conspiracy.”
“‘Of course‘ the (Palestinians, Israelis, or Russians) are behind it!”
“’Obviously‘ they’re making things up as they go.”
“’Clearly‘ they’re targeting civilians.”
“’Why would you even question‘ the science / the narrative?”

These statements are common in propaganda, politics and advertising. They require little effort, while taking command of emotions and opinion. We need to learn to ask, “Who is everybody, and how do they know?” Or to calmly point out, “Well, it’s not obvious to me.” Or “I’m asking the question because it’s an important one to ask, and I’m not satisfied with your reasoning.”

When an influencer tells you day after day, “Of course they’re lying! Everybody knows they’re lying! Obviously they’re lying!” you will eventually begin to believe they’re lying – whether they are or not. Don’t be taken in by unscrupulous opinion shapers. Too much is at stake. Ignore the bullies and do your own research.


“Just the facts, ma’am. Just the facts.”
Columbo


Worldview & Truth

The “Woke” Deception

Leave a comment

A friend recently observed, “If the church doesn’t offer our young people the Kingdom of God, they will look for it in “wokeness.”   That statement landed on me like a load of bricks.  So-called “Woke” Christianity is a deadly counterfeit of the Kingdom that promises a world of tolerance and equity at the expense of the God-man and Savior of the world.  The Christ of the woke church is Jesus the social-reformer, Jesus the revolutionary, the activist, the anti-racist, the Neo-Marxist or the abortion crusader. 

In past centuries there seemed to be enough godly fear and Biblical literacy in Western culture to tamp-down the counterfeits of liberal, progressive and “woke” Christianity.  People had little interest in a church focused on issues yet bereft of life-changing power.  But in today’s Western culture the fear of God is so rare, and the human race is so desperate that every impostor and counterfeit Christ is welcomed like the latest episode of Yellowstone.

How can we identify the counterfeit?   Here are a few red flags to look for:  

  1. Woke Christians are often identified by their open disdain towards the historical church.  While Biblical Christians lament the failings of the church, (which are mentioned often in the Epistles), they still embrace the church as the flawed yet  beloved bride of Christ.  
  2. “Woke” Christians often display an air of patronizing superiority. “You just wouldn’t understand.”  To become woke is a counterfeit conversion, an initiation into a special priesthood which lectures and judges the unenlightened.   
  3. Woke Christians are often overly focused on causes rather than Christ: equity, anti-racism, special rights, over-population, climate change, and  immigration to name only a few.  In the woke world these causes become frontline issues while the saving life of Christ is minimized, if not forgotten altogether. (It’s important to mention here that the Kingdom of God squarely addresses every one of these issues with the utmost tenderness and grace, yet always in context of Jesus first).  
  4. Woke Christians are prone to elevate government, environment, feelings, and selfhood, to the place of idolatry. 
  5. Woke Christians often embrace abortion almost as a sacrament of the faith.  
  6. And finally, woke Christians utilize a distinct language and vocabulary to express their unbiblical theology and worldview.  Examples include “heteronormativity”, “white patriarchy”, “parity”, “implicit bias”, “systemic racism”,  “micro-aggressions”, “hegemony”, “gender binary”, “intersectionality”, “social justice”, and “equity”, to name but a few.    


If you see these things in your friend or brother, pray for him and look for ways to help him see the destructive course he’s on.  It’s no small thing to follow a counterfeit Christ.