And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
-- 2 Thessalonians 2:10
This passage was brought to my attention when it was quoted in a review of That Hideous Strength at Bennett's Phylactery. Most English Bibles have deception or deceiptfulness, but deceivableness is also a possible reading of the Greek, and I think this is a case in which the King James translators were clearly inspired. What do we see all around us in 2020-21 but the deceivableness of unrighteousness, because they received not the love of the truth?
Francis Berger makes the same point in a comment on his post "The Unapologetic Cruelty of None Are Safe Until All Are Safe."
The masses may indeed be under some sort of spell, but this does not absolve them of personal responsibility. They chose to fall under the spell and continue to choose to remain under that spell. The masses are not passive victims, and we should not make excuses for them.
Only God searcheth all hearts, but it is my considered opinion that there are very few, if indeed any, innocent victims of the birdemic scam and the other Big Lies of our time. The deceived are complicit in their own deception. To quote the Bennett's Phylactery article I linked, "Everyone involved knows on some level that they are being lied to -- and they not only assent to the lie, but workshop it, and refine it, and pass it along."
There's an obvious paradox involved in knowingly being deceived -- Carlyle's "sincere cant," Twain's "believing what you know ain't so." To know that you are being deceived, you must know that what you believe is a lie -- but if you know it's a lie, in what sense do you believe it? I think that's an extremely important philosophical and psychological question that deserves careful reflection, and I've been nibbling away at it over the years. On rough-and-ready terms, though, everyone knows what "on some level" means and knows -- firsthand -- what it means to be guilty of sincere cant. These things are always easier to recognize in others, though, and the world of 2020-21 has given us all ample opportunity for that!
3 comments:
Very good. That review of THS was good too.
Such deceivableness is vital in the current scenario. To me, it is solid evidence of the complicity of the masses - all over the world, including both those of no religion and also the billions in non-developed nations who pretend to a religion.
And I, of course (having been ranting about lying for a good while - first in public here - https://charltonteaching.blogspot.com/2009/04/are-you-honest-academic.html - and if endemic and frequent lying in science and academia is appalling, how much worse in Christianity), agree that lying is probably the closest thing to being the root of the problem, since unacknowledged and unrepented untruthfulness in oneself seems to be the root of that chronic tolerance of untruthfulness which fails to perceive untruthfulness as a consequence of purposive evil.
Even the pseudonymous author of this THS review - in other pieces on his site - fails to hold others to the obvious standard of basic truthfulness, when it comes to Mormon institutions and leaders. By implicitly accepting that chronic and deliberate ambiguities/ nuancing of value statement and intent is acceptable.
When anyone finds himself trying repeatedly to 'parse' the intent and meanings of leadership statements on major issues of the spiritual war - what we might term the Pope Francis phenomenon - then he should recognize he is dealing with evil. And when he does Not recognize this kind of evil - he is complicit.
For example; one who responds to the exposure of purposive lying evil with accusation of judgementalism, black-and-white thinking, holier-than-thou-ness and the like - is complicit.
"there are very few, if indeed any, innocent victims of the birdemic scam and the other Big Lies of our time. The deceived are complicit in their own deception."
This is exactly it. If people don't know it's because they don't want to know. This is why current events are such a good examination of the heart. They are bringing out what is there, for good or ill, mostly ill unfortunately, it seems.
@Bruce
Totally agree. Like so many others, he is handicapped by his inability to consider the possibility that his leaders have turned to the dark side. "The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail."
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