The Truth Ain’t Enough. Why You Should Inoculate, Not Isolate

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Just The Truth Please?

A counterfeiter once walked into a gas station, slapped down a seven and asked for change. Without skipping a beat, the attendant handed him a three and four dollar bill and said “good day.”

One of the most annoying "Christian" myths is that many think law enforcement, who deal with counterfeiting, only memorize the "real McCoy" to spot the fake. I want to scream every time I hear this. Yes, you need to know truth, for sure. Since the false is deviations from truth, you can’t know the false until you know the truth. However, it is not the only thing cops learn, they also learn classical examples of the counterfeit.

3 Essential Tools to Own Your Knowledge for Deception Prevention (And Why Doubting Is Not a Sin)

Car in snow. Public Domain. Click for credit.

The air was cold and crisp as I started driving home. The roads were clear so I zoned out. About the same instant as I noticed white flakes in the air and the white fluffy stuff on the road, was when I started losing control. Going down an incline, I started to veer. Yes, in one instant the road changed from clean to slick. My speed was just too fast and the car started to spin out of control. While providence may have been the ultimate cause of stabilization, I also feel that experience on ice may have helped.

Back on the road, I was grateful for previous experiences, not during the time of emergency, but rather safely on open slick parking lots. I want to stress this point; I had experience, experience during a time of safety and low stress situations for practice.

This point is essential for the prevention of deception. You need to interact with truth and wisdom in low level situations and practice your knowledge. Here I want to talk about asking questions to address your doubts, and help you affirm your understanding by writing and speaking. This way you own your beliefs.

Doubting is not sin

Garrett Hardin, click for credit.

Late Garrett Hardin, a scientists who was an agnostic, told a story of his teenage years, it is so depressing to me. He was out hunting with his father and there was small talk. Garrett asked who made God. Sadly his dad, with fervor, told him he must never ask that question. This experience was a major step towards Garrett’s agnosticism. However, this conversation did not just effect him, but many others because of his influence! How much better it would have been if his dad would have allowed Garrett space to ask questions and try to give a response or be willing to research the answer if he did not know it.

Why Billy Died Even Though He “Trusted” God! (Why Truth Ain’t Enough to Protect you from Error, Here’s What Else is Needed.)

Flash floods. Bad storm. The dam overflows…then brakes. Billy hears the rush of water hit his house as he awakes. Floods rise as he climbs on his table, but the water is getting higher. Standing upon a chair on the table he grabs the beam, he swings, smashing the window that leads out to the roof. All the way he prays for his life. Faith wells up in him. He knows God will spare his life. Climbing up to the peak, sitting on the gable, he awaits for the salvation of God -- for a miracle. The water continues to rise, creeping up the roof nearing his feet, his faith wavers.

A Magician’s Art of Deception, And The Third Way (& Only Way) To Find Truth

Join me, if you would, and think about a magician’s act, who’s not mesmerized by the “trickery”? We all know the card tricks, “death defying” antics, and captivating“disappearing” and then “reappearing” moves are basically misdirection, sleight of hand and skill. Simply: a type of deception we like. Try sleight of hand on small children, they love it. Tricks leave people saying “how was that done?” Even if we know every step of the magician’s trick, we love the experience.

It seems we are the same way in other areas of our life. Society's glitter draws crowds. Charismatic religious teachers unintentionally or intentionally cause misdirection. Rather than a focus on Christ, there is a focus on sports, a promotion of a culture or a clawing for money. While a magician's misdirection can be controlled, the simple person is illiterate to life’s parasites. We can’t risk being simple, not for a follow of Christ, we need to understand truth and why it’s true.

What Are Cultic Type Groups And Why Is There "Trouble In Amish Paradise"?

Cults vs. Cultic type Groups

We have been talking about spotting deception for a number of posts now, and there's more to come. However, here’s a ripe example of how a little knowledge can help prevent deception: understanding the cults and, specifically for this post, cultic groups.

While many abuse the word "cult" without proper justification, there is a real concern. A cult of Christianity is usually defined, by Christians, as a group that deviates from core Christian theological doctrines along with displaying characteristic sociological attributes. Today we see many groups like that, those who deviate from classical Christianity. Many “cult watch” organizations delineate these reasons (1).

However, while deviations from classical Christian beliefs define cults, there is another area of concern that needs to be addressed because it’s pervasive throughout many different groups, even mainline Christian denominations. This concern is “cultic” groups, or groups that have cult like tendencies in their sociological structure. While cultic groups share very similar sociological structure with cult groups, cultic groups usually hold to orthodox Christian teaching. Cult watch organizations will note these characteristics of sociological structures as cultic in nature (1).

3 Sure-Fire Ways To Build Your Knowledge ‘Mental Filter’

The cold “clickety-clack” sound, the motion, the rolling down the hall on the cart, you shiver. Eyes on the ceiling, studded cold bright lights flash past, you turn the corner into the elevator. Exiting the ‘cave’, your gurney is shoved past streams of scrub clad humans flying around. A ruptured appendix, you feel sick with pain, and now this. Surgery. You shiver again as you enter Pre-Op. The nurse-anesthetist comes and introduces himself, another nurse is giving you some meds and questions are flung at you from all sides. Your abdomen is in pain and you feel sick, and cold. Another shiver. More questions, questions that you’ve already answered a hundred-million times.

Then quiet.

3 Essential Tools to Build Your ‘Mental Filter’ In The Art Of Deception Prevention

Should Christians approve same-sex marriage? This was the question that one book author was trying
to address. His answer was in the affirmative. While I only got through the first chapter or two, what I read stunned me. What struck me was not his arguments or even his position, he did not bring anything new or compelling to the table, rather his case was all emotional. Unsurprising, his arguments were not biblical nor based on biblical precepts. It seemed that he was trying to change people’s minds with emotions first, then when (or even if) he would come to the arguments, people would be more likely to be persuaded. While he was a great writer, I could see right through his superficial emotional arguments. I already knew the truth of the Scriptures, I knew proper thinking skills and logic, and I also knew how rhetoric works. In a previous post (see here) I gave an overview of knowing how to prepare others, and yourself, against deception. The first and main step in helping build a “bulletproof” mind is to know the truth and why it is true. However, knowing the truth is just one aspect of a whole package that needs to work together for deception prevention.

The Art of Discernment, the Tools That You'll Want to Know for Mind Protection

Ideas Have Consequences

Let's call him Joe. He was armed with a charming and charismatic personality. He was smart, bold and confident. In addition he was a follower of Christ. He came from a “sheltered” Christian home.

I still can remember it like yesterday, he would sit at the college library's desk checking out books for patrons. However, he was not alone. I'm really not sure why I thought his coworker was an atheist, maybe it was something to do with the words on his shirt or maybe it was the books he read. But I would see these two in deep conversation from time to time. A couple years later, Joe became an atheist. I'll let you make the mental connection if you want, did this other guy plant seeds of doubt? Was Joe too confident trying to deal with strange philosophies that he was not prepared to deal with?

Colossians 2:8 comes to mind “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

To Build the Spiritual Immune System

Ebola, that deadly virus is rocking parts of the globe. Other diseases throughout history have done the same. There are three main approaches to many diseases, isolation to prevent exposure, succumb to the disease and hope for survival, and with some diseases, inoculate beforehand for greater resistance. We can learn from these approaches and apply the concepts to our faith and lives.

Jesus

Jesus knew the world needed to know the good news of the kingdom. He knew that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few (1). So he sent out 70 of his disciples to preach throughout the surrounding cities. However, he did not send them empty handed, he taught his disciples about his kingdom and they had saw him interact with others and heard his message. They then went out and emulated that example and his teachings (2).

The act of sending out his disciples seemed to have a three fold reason: 1) so others could hear of salvation and his Kingdom, 2) to prepare the way for his preaching and 3) so the disciples would have hands on experiences sharing the Gospel to prepare for future experiences.

This builds a backdrop for many things we can learn. However, in this post, I want to focus on one aspect, the third main reason for sending out the disciples - to prepare them for future experiences.

Time of Questions

I have some questions. How do we learn? What are some powerful steps for deception prevention? In what way can we prepare for and be protected from the philosophical ugly heads that keep raising against our faith? How do we prepare ourselves, young disciples of Christ and our children from evil attacks on the Christian mind?

Lesson from Biology - Isolation vs. Inoculation

Lets answer this by considering our immune system. We can do two things to prevent ourselves from contagious disease 1) isolation from that infection or 2) inoculate the body to be prepared to defend itself.

Isolation is sometimes the essential and only mode to be protected from disease. One separates oneself from the communicable diseases - such as Ebola. However, with isolation comes a down fall, one has no immunity. In the world of ideas, many isolated young people, rebel in their independence. Their views were never challenged in age appropriate situations and settings, so they never were able to build a solid foundation. They had very little experience, foundation and growth. If we isolate ourselves we lose reality and the ability to learn and affect others.

Acquiring the infection is only worse. It would be crazy to go into battle without proper weapons and training. They have had now experience,  and walk into the midst of fire. Most succumb to the disease.

However, while isolation and infection are inadequate, inoculation of one's system build resistance and immunity is of great value. Allow controlled and structured experiences for immunity and growth is the answer Jesus used to prepare his disciples for future evangelism, push-back and persecution.

Using these elementary principles of immunology, let's apply this to our own lives. As humans, we are not usually isolated, nor necessarily should be from each other. Being a Christian does not change this interaction. In fact followers of Christ are supposed to be ambassadors of the Kingdom, being "light" and "salt" effecting those around us (3). But it is a dangerous place out there, so what do we do?

Three Main Steps

I can think of three main steps that will help one build "resistance" and prevent from getting sidelined or discouragement.

1. Construct a firm foundation for life. In a previous post titled "Wrong!" (Click Here) I detailed out how to protect and shelter the young. However, at this time, one needs to be building a healthy and the spiritual "immune system". At our disposal we have tools and weapons - such as the Holy Writ, prayer, the power of God to use our God given wisdom and the philosophy of Christ which builds knowledge and reason to prep for reality. As goes the adage "more sweat in training, less blood in battle."
2. Be real a real follower of Christ. Outlined in a post titled "Christian Narcissism" (Click Here), I describe how we are called to do Christ's commands and shun hypocrisy. We need to love God with our whole being and love our fellow man. Without this foundation, all or efforts are void. How can we be valuable to prevent deception and how can we help the spiritually immature and the sick if we ourselves aren't prepared?
   
3. Three main steps of inoculation. As with any preparation or training there are three main steps to proficiency and mastery. This last step brings everything together. First we need to train to gain in understanding and knowledge. Second is the time of testing and examination, which is where we are put on the spot in difficult situations to give us experience and help drive us to learn more. Third is a debriefing, appraisal or analysis where assessment takes place. We look at our experiences and find our weakness and return back to the training phase. Anyone who takes time to think and learn automatically does these three main steps. However, having them spelled out helps us focus to excellence. This process is also called discipleship. Without this, our spiritual "immune systems" will be weak. 

As we train ourselves and others we must keep this in mind, prepare them for the real world by solid and clear training, let tests present themselves in a controlled manner and then let questions assessment check ones status.  The last step is essential to clear the confusion and indulges in more training. If our desire is to help others, we ourselves must have a strong "spiritual immune system".

What's your thoughts, please post below: 

What experiences do you have in this area? What are some things that you could prepare for? Who in your life do you think you can "inoculate" and how are you going to do it?

(1) Matthew 9:37

(2) He sent them out at least twice, at on time he sent out the 12, at another time he sent out the 70. Matthew 10, Luke 9, Luke 10 and Mark 6.
(3) 1 Corinthians  5:10

Image source: UK Ministry of Defence