I would consider myself a 'progressive conservative' after the pattern of Eisenhower. I recognise the need for progress, but also aware of the need to subject 'progress' to careful examination. So I come from a position slightly to your left.
Even so, I agree 100% with what you say. I find that the best way to protect against propaganda is to THINK THROUGH causes and consequences. This matches up with your point that propaganda urges action rather than thought.
It also affects how I research questions. I don't just assess the argument put before me, I also try to find what objections are raised against it. As is said, simple answers are often the quickest, cheapest, easiest and wrongest.
As you say, Bible-believing Christians sometimes being the most vulnerable. This is because too many preachers provide the 'quick, simple answers' that amount to propaganda themselves. Preachers condition their hearers to be more vulnerable, not less! I call this 'proof-texting' an answer instead of coming to grips with the theology underlying it. There are several areas where I have changed my position over the years, and always because I had the spiritual courage to step outside the 'traditional' sheep pen of my particular denomination. For example, Paul's advice to slave-owners and slaves was good advice in a slave-owning society; "Treat them as members of your family!" Because to simply set them free without familial support in a society that wouldn't allow an ex-slave any legal rights against a predatory citizen was effectively to force them to live by crime. Paul's underlying position was that the vulnerable who depend upon you should be respected and protected. This was the ugly side of emancipation in the Reconstruction, as slaves were 'set free' but not protected. The social context today is vastly different. Similar arguments could be raised in areas such as feminism and welfare.
Often this is consciously framed with the loaded question "Do you believe in the inerrancy of the Bible?" I certainly do! I've spent lots of time, money and commitment to understanding it, which I wouldn't do otherwise. But that doesn't mean I believe in the inerrancy of any particular understanding of the Bible. Even commands in the Bible need to consider the context; what does the command "Go and do likewise" mean, except in context? It's genuinely amazing that so many who claim to understand the Bible 'literally' manage to import their own assumptions into the text; and this includes translators! And there's always the excuse "except when it's obviously inappropriate" without any consistent exegetical rule about when it's obviously inappropriate. 'Day' means '24 hours' in the first chapters of Genesis, except when God says 'On the day you eat of it'.
So I agree with you, and suggest one immediate step as at least partial protection. Always ask yourself "Does the other side's argument have ANY merit, and exactly what assumptions am I making that I can't justify? If so, how can I integrate that merit into my own position and eliminate my disconnects?"
Brother, is there a righteous use of propaganda, especially when quick action is necessary? I'm thinking primarily of our need for bills of equal protection and trying to reduce some of the core issues to meaningful sound bites that hit and move people to quick action, especially in a legislative session. If that type of call to action is good and right, how can we navigate through the accusation that we're just putting forth propaganda?
Hey Jerry, great question. I've been thinking about this as well. Short answer, yes, I do believe there are biblically lawful uses of propaganda. Individual use cases will vary. From the definition of propaganda, the best propaganda doesn't need to lie to accomplish its purpose. Propaganda can often be used to compel action by how it presents truth. That said, there are limits, in my view. Christians are not permitted to use *any* tool the world uses, so we will be at a strategic disadvantage at times. It's something worth thinking about and developing further, but that's all I got for now. God bless
🌐 Whether it's Saint John of the Ladder, St Symeon the New Theologian or Saint Teresa of Jesus, the prescription is the same: Humility and Self-Knowledge are the foundations of Prayer, LOVE is the Pinnacle! ⛪⏳🕊️🪞❤️🩹✝️
An excellent post!
I would consider myself a 'progressive conservative' after the pattern of Eisenhower. I recognise the need for progress, but also aware of the need to subject 'progress' to careful examination. So I come from a position slightly to your left.
Even so, I agree 100% with what you say. I find that the best way to protect against propaganda is to THINK THROUGH causes and consequences. This matches up with your point that propaganda urges action rather than thought.
It also affects how I research questions. I don't just assess the argument put before me, I also try to find what objections are raised against it. As is said, simple answers are often the quickest, cheapest, easiest and wrongest.
As you say, Bible-believing Christians sometimes being the most vulnerable. This is because too many preachers provide the 'quick, simple answers' that amount to propaganda themselves. Preachers condition their hearers to be more vulnerable, not less! I call this 'proof-texting' an answer instead of coming to grips with the theology underlying it. There are several areas where I have changed my position over the years, and always because I had the spiritual courage to step outside the 'traditional' sheep pen of my particular denomination. For example, Paul's advice to slave-owners and slaves was good advice in a slave-owning society; "Treat them as members of your family!" Because to simply set them free without familial support in a society that wouldn't allow an ex-slave any legal rights against a predatory citizen was effectively to force them to live by crime. Paul's underlying position was that the vulnerable who depend upon you should be respected and protected. This was the ugly side of emancipation in the Reconstruction, as slaves were 'set free' but not protected. The social context today is vastly different. Similar arguments could be raised in areas such as feminism and welfare.
Often this is consciously framed with the loaded question "Do you believe in the inerrancy of the Bible?" I certainly do! I've spent lots of time, money and commitment to understanding it, which I wouldn't do otherwise. But that doesn't mean I believe in the inerrancy of any particular understanding of the Bible. Even commands in the Bible need to consider the context; what does the command "Go and do likewise" mean, except in context? It's genuinely amazing that so many who claim to understand the Bible 'literally' manage to import their own assumptions into the text; and this includes translators! And there's always the excuse "except when it's obviously inappropriate" without any consistent exegetical rule about when it's obviously inappropriate. 'Day' means '24 hours' in the first chapters of Genesis, except when God says 'On the day you eat of it'.
So I agree with you, and suggest one immediate step as at least partial protection. Always ask yourself "Does the other side's argument have ANY merit, and exactly what assumptions am I making that I can't justify? If so, how can I integrate that merit into my own position and eliminate my disconnects?"
This make me think of college educated white women.
Brother, is there a righteous use of propaganda, especially when quick action is necessary? I'm thinking primarily of our need for bills of equal protection and trying to reduce some of the core issues to meaningful sound bites that hit and move people to quick action, especially in a legislative session. If that type of call to action is good and right, how can we navigate through the accusation that we're just putting forth propaganda?
Hey Jerry, great question. I've been thinking about this as well. Short answer, yes, I do believe there are biblically lawful uses of propaganda. Individual use cases will vary. From the definition of propaganda, the best propaganda doesn't need to lie to accomplish its purpose. Propaganda can often be used to compel action by how it presents truth. That said, there are limits, in my view. Christians are not permitted to use *any* tool the world uses, so we will be at a strategic disadvantage at times. It's something worth thinking about and developing further, but that's all I got for now. God bless
Grace and peace to you Amigo, excellent post!
⏳❤️🩹🌐To live in interesting times.....
....susceptibility: ⛪📺✝️🇺🇲⚖️🇷🇺✍🏼🤖✍🏼📚🧑🏼💻🔔
https://claude.ai/share/76653ee9-f331-4de8-bc46-bb6049001026
Thank you, appreciate that!
🌐 Whether it's Saint John of the Ladder, St Symeon the New Theologian or Saint Teresa of Jesus, the prescription is the same: Humility and Self-Knowledge are the foundations of Prayer, LOVE is the Pinnacle! ⛪⏳🕊️🪞❤️🩹✝️
Vigilance Loved ones! (🏴 GK CHESTERTON'S "WHITE HORSE" 📯✍🏼👑🪔📖⚔️)