Strong Delusion
According to at least one dictionary, the definition of “delusion” is this:
n.
1.
a. The act or process of deluding
b. The state of being deluded
2. A false belief or opinion: labored under the delusion that success was at hand
3. Psychiatry A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness: delusions of persecution
What really catches one’s attention is the third one where a person “strongly” holds a belief in spite of “invalidating evidence”. In other words; they never allow the truth to interfere with what that believe not matter what.
One clear and classic example of this unjustifiable position was seen during the interview with James Carville and his wife, Mary Matalin, during a talking heads program a few years ago. James, ever the rabid defender of political vomitus, tendered his position on some particular matter. It was so stupid that Mary quickly countered that James was living proof that some people never allow the truth to interfere with their beliefs.
Let’s take a look at this dynamic from a Biblical aspect. We see this word, deception, being used once in the Bible in 2 Thessalonians 2:11. It says this:
“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie”
Strong’s Concordance shows us that the Greek Word used means this:
(Strong’s number) #4106 plane {plan’-ay}
from 4108 (as abstractly); TDNT - 6:228,857; n f
AV - error 7, to deceive 1, deceit 1, delusion 1; 10
1) a wandering, a straying about
1a) one led astray from the right way, roams hither and thither
2) metaph.
2a) mental straying
2a1) error, wrong opinion relative to morals or religion
2b) error which shows itself in action, a wrong mode of acting
2c) error, that which leads into error, deceit or fraud
Now…I have no particular claim to being a great Biblical expositor. However, I don’t recall that the Bible requires that we be a great Biblical expositor to be able to understand it. In fact, it only requires that we study so that we may rightly divide the word of truth. This is also to say that, by and large, the Bible actually just needs to be believed rather than “interpreted” (save for the book of Revelation, I should suppose). That leaves believers like me more than able to understand a good deal of the word a good deal of the time just as the Lord had planned all along.
If we look at the overall dynamics of delusion, we can quickly discover that it’s optional. Stop and think about it. If the Bible says that the truth is available for the taking and someone doesn’t take it; then it’s optional. Likewise, one can only be deluded if they “take” what is sent to them. We can see that the people referred to in the Bible reference chose not to receive the truth (again, meaning that receiving the truth, which always reconciles, is optional. We see this in the church all of the time being manifested as sectarianism and lack of unity). However, when the deception comes, they receive it and therefore believe a lie.
Since it would be difficult to argue that we are anything other than in the end of the “end times”, all of this leads me to wonder if this “strong delusion” is beginning to come upon this nation and upon all of the earth. We can ask the question this way: how long does one have to look at our (global) political environment and come to any other conclusion than the “delusion” spoken of in the Bible may well be upon us?
How about this question: how long does one have to listen to the loony left National Democratic Socialist Party (i.e. the Nazis) to know that they are self-deceived and have bought into a philosophy that is absolutely indefensible and which flies in the face of truth, justice, and the American way? Talk about deluded!
Has anyone noticed how the liberals hardly ever deny the allegations against them or their beliefs? Rather, they ignore them and then deflect the accusation by attacking the accusers. They then scream and yell at their detractors for not following after their perverse, un-Godly, un-Constitutional, and un-American ways. This is straight up “self-deception” and is the evidence of the willingness to deny the truth at all cost for the fulfillment of an agenda or other (presumed) “truth”.
One example is that I have yet to hear these great defenders of “women’s rights” ever deny that abortion was murder. It’s just that they place “choice” above murder (and if that isn’t insanity stacked in the flesh, I don’t know what is!). They then yell, growl, and ululate to drown out the voices of reason and sanity that would try to convince them of their monumental and infanticidal error. Their mental aberrancy has convinced them that there is no good or evil so it’s just a matter of choice for them.
How about tree hugging (i.e. nature worship which is idolatry) and the according of humanity to animals so that they have equal rights with humans (or in some cases they actually have more rights!)! Now, that is diagnosable.
And, how about Ted Kennedy who, televised on globally-broadcast CNN, accepted all illegal aliens as “our friends”! You can’t get to such an astonishing “overthrow America first” statement without being a stark raving deluded socialist lunatic!
Having said all of this; I think it not strange that we are awash in delusion and insanity. People are accepting “a lie”. In fact, they are swallowing just about every lie that comes down the pike! I don’t find it amazing anymore that people rabidly and mercilessly cling to their beliefs while avoiding all truth at all times. I’m no longer stunned that facts, empirical evidences, and inviolate historical truth are perfunctorily cast into a heap of social detritus and replaced by a philosophy and sociology so evil that it was only embraced by a few candidates for the funny farm in times past.
What mystery is there any more that people would kill others to preserve their system and philosophy? After all, aren’t Christians (killed for just about any reason throughout history) just a bunch of “right wing nut jobs” and mentally-deficient invalids who use religion as a crutch and for whom it is merely an opiate? Aren’t they worthy of removal from the earth so that they no longer violate liberalism and egalitarianism so that they don’t contaminate the fantasy realm so laboriously and craftily erected? Aren’t they just weak and unworthy animals at the bottom end of the food chain who need to be purged from the stronger elements of society? Doesn’t the “New World Order” have to be established for the good of all mankind? Must not equality and security prevail to insure the survival of all men? Didn’t I read about this in the Bible?
According to at least one dictionary, the definition of “delusion” is this:
n.
1.
a. The act or process of deluding
b. The state of being deluded
2. A false belief or opinion: labored under the delusion that success was at hand
3. Psychiatry A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness: delusions of persecution
What really catches one’s attention is the third one where a person “strongly” holds a belief in spite of “invalidating evidence”. In other words; they never allow the truth to interfere with what that believe not matter what.
One clear and classic example of this unjustifiable position was seen during the interview with James Carville and his wife, Mary Matalin, during a talking heads program a few years ago. James, ever the rabid defender of political vomitus, tendered his position on some particular matter. It was so stupid that Mary quickly countered that James was living proof that some people never allow the truth to interfere with their beliefs.
Let’s take a look at this dynamic from a Biblical aspect. We see this word, deception, being used once in the Bible in 2 Thessalonians 2:11. It says this:
“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie”
Strong’s Concordance shows us that the Greek Word used means this:
(Strong’s number) #4106 plane {plan’-ay}
from 4108 (as abstractly); TDNT - 6:228,857; n f
AV - error 7, to deceive 1, deceit 1, delusion 1; 10
1) a wandering, a straying about
1a) one led astray from the right way, roams hither and thither
2) metaph.
2a) mental straying
2a1) error, wrong opinion relative to morals or religion
2b) error which shows itself in action, a wrong mode of acting
2c) error, that which leads into error, deceit or fraud
Now…I have no particular claim to being a great Biblical expositor. However, I don’t recall that the Bible requires that we be a great Biblical expositor to be able to understand it. In fact, it only requires that we study so that we may rightly divide the word of truth. This is also to say that, by and large, the Bible actually just needs to be believed rather than “interpreted” (save for the book of Revelation, I should suppose). That leaves believers like me more than able to understand a good deal of the word a good deal of the time just as the Lord had planned all along.
If we look at the overall dynamics of delusion, we can quickly discover that it’s optional. Stop and think about it. If the Bible says that the truth is available for the taking and someone doesn’t take it; then it’s optional. Likewise, one can only be deluded if they “take” what is sent to them. We can see that the people referred to in the Bible reference chose not to receive the truth (again, meaning that receiving the truth, which always reconciles, is optional. We see this in the church all of the time being manifested as sectarianism and lack of unity). However, when the deception comes, they receive it and therefore believe a lie.
Since it would be difficult to argue that we are anything other than in the end of the “end times”, all of this leads me to wonder if this “strong delusion” is beginning to come upon this nation and upon all of the earth. We can ask the question this way: how long does one have to look at our (global) political environment and come to any other conclusion than the “delusion” spoken of in the Bible may well be upon us?
How about this question: how long does one have to listen to the loony left National Democratic Socialist Party (i.e. the Nazis) to know that they are self-deceived and have bought into a philosophy that is absolutely indefensible and which flies in the face of truth, justice, and the American way? Talk about deluded!
Has anyone noticed how the liberals hardly ever deny the allegations against them or their beliefs? Rather, they ignore them and then deflect the accusation by attacking the accusers. They then scream and yell at their detractors for not following after their perverse, un-Godly, un-Constitutional, and un-American ways. This is straight up “self-deception” and is the evidence of the willingness to deny the truth at all cost for the fulfillment of an agenda or other (presumed) “truth”.
One example is that I have yet to hear these great defenders of “women’s rights” ever deny that abortion was murder. It’s just that they place “choice” above murder (and if that isn’t insanity stacked in the flesh, I don’t know what is!). They then yell, growl, and ululate to drown out the voices of reason and sanity that would try to convince them of their monumental and infanticidal error. Their mental aberrancy has convinced them that there is no good or evil so it’s just a matter of choice for them.
How about tree hugging (i.e. nature worship which is idolatry) and the according of humanity to animals so that they have equal rights with humans (or in some cases they actually have more rights!)! Now, that is diagnosable.
And, how about Ted Kennedy who, televised on globally-broadcast CNN, accepted all illegal aliens as “our friends”! You can’t get to such an astonishing “overthrow America first” statement without being a stark raving deluded socialist lunatic!
Having said all of this; I think it not strange that we are awash in delusion and insanity. People are accepting “a lie”. In fact, they are swallowing just about every lie that comes down the pike! I don’t find it amazing anymore that people rabidly and mercilessly cling to their beliefs while avoiding all truth at all times. I’m no longer stunned that facts, empirical evidences, and inviolate historical truth are perfunctorily cast into a heap of social detritus and replaced by a philosophy and sociology so evil that it was only embraced by a few candidates for the funny farm in times past.
What mystery is there any more that people would kill others to preserve their system and philosophy? After all, aren’t Christians (killed for just about any reason throughout history) just a bunch of “right wing nut jobs” and mentally-deficient invalids who use religion as a crutch and for whom it is merely an opiate? Aren’t they worthy of removal from the earth so that they no longer violate liberalism and egalitarianism so that they don’t contaminate the fantasy realm so laboriously and craftily erected? Aren’t they just weak and unworthy animals at the bottom end of the food chain who need to be purged from the stronger elements of society? Doesn’t the “New World Order” have to be established for the good of all mankind? Must not equality and security prevail to insure the survival of all men? Didn’t I read about this in the Bible?
posted by Randy M @ 8:07 PM
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