One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies. "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." It kind of describes our entire society these days. Consider. "Virtual" is defined as "something that corresponds to reality." We've modified that to mean, "Something that isn't actually real." In a very, very similar way, "literal" is defined as "following the words of the original very closely and exactly" and we're using "literally" to mean "not really." We're literally using "literally" to mean "not literally."
Some are called "contronyms," words like "sanction" that means both "to permit" and "to penalize" or "oversight" which can mean "to supervise" or "to fail to notice." Then there are words that have shifted meanings like "moot" which once referred to things we need to examine further and now means things we don't need to discuss or "terrific" which once meant "causing terror" and now means "excellent." You see, we keep shifting language and soon we create our own "Tower of Babel" where language is just confused. It becomes a serious problem when those in power use them in contradictory ways. DEI is an acronym that means "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" ... virtually. In fact, it is mostly implemented by banning white men ... which is not diverse, not equitable, and not inclusive. We decry racism and argue that racism is limited to white people ... a form of racism. We castigate people for being judgmental ... which is a judgmental thing to do. We won't tolerate intolerance. We argue "love is love" and consider ourselves progressive when, in fact, we've simply shifted the definition and still block love that doesn't meet our criteria. (For instance, objectophilia, polygamy, polyamory, bestiality, etc. are all still "not love" because we've defined them that way ... which is the same thing they did when they banned interracial marriage.)
The world keeps telling us we're getting better and better. "Progress" they call it. God said, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jer 17:9) and "Although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Rom 1:21). Is there any wonder we're in the state we're in? Is there really any question that the people of our day need Christ, a death to the old, a new heart?
You mention the Tower of Babel, and what if that is what this is, simply the continuation of Babel? Is it possible that even though nearly a thousand years span from Adam to Babel, they could have understood each other perfectly, but after Babel, we struggle to communicate between hundreds of years?
ReplyDeleteI have an uncle and aunt who were missionaries into deep Mexico. They learned a language known only there and came away with some interesting insights. He told me of cases where a small group gets split up and within 100 years the two groups no longer speak the same language. (One example is the Bounty mutineers who split between two islands. Within a century, their shared English language had diverged into two distinct languages.) We're pretty good at ... failing to communicate.
DeleteI can absolutely see how the "curse" of the confusion of language at Babel is continued throughout the rest of history. It's not as dramatic, but the principle holds. What is setting definitions but attempting to supplant YHWH to some degree?
DeleteSince Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1) and God’s word is truth (Psa. 119:160, John 17:17, etc.) and that truth sets us free (John 8:32), it makes sense to me that the Adversary would seek to confuse and confound the very language by which that truth is conveyed to us--even to the elusive degree of tweaking the meanings and usage of words in oh-so-subtle ways. While our culture believes it is facilitating better communication and understanding, these alterations seem to reflect and direct people’s worldly mindsets--just one more avenue of deception being utilized by Satan as part of the age-old battle of “Has God said .…?” “Well, perhaps I misunderstood Him. Maybe I should be open to other views,” Eve thought ill-advisedly.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't something I'd put in Satan's hands. We're perfectly happy to suppress the truth in our own hearts, we don't need Satan's help.
DeleteThat’s interesting. I believe that Satan (as God’s chief enemy) is behind all evil in the world, from the first temptation to defy the Lord in the Garden to every wicked development that arises within the fallen human race. Humans freely carry out the evil inclinations of their hearts, but Satan surely does help--all along the way. He is active in human affairs on a personal level (1 Peter 5:8) and a broader scale (2 Cor. 4:4). My point was that Satan’s influence is present in every area of human existence--particularly in such a foundational aspect of our functioning as communication and language.
DeleteSatan is a tempter, a deceiver, an accuser, a liar, and he is behind much of it, but Scripture doesn't attribute all evil to him. There is the world, the flesh, and the devil. James says that "each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust" (James 1:14).
DeleteBy mentioning Satan’s role as “god of this world,” I was referring to his major, overall influence in the world’s philosophies, systems, ideologies, etc. (rather than personal temptation). That would be where and how those “word games” the culture plays with language (definitions, acceptable usage, “political correctness,” etc.) would fall soundly within the scope of Satan’s dirty work. Note that I did not say Satan is the sole evil actor on earth but that he is “behind all evil in the world”--i.e. attempting to influence all human activity in order to encourage and ensure that wickedness abounds. Perhaps “we don’t need Satan’s help,” but we get it just the same.
DeleteI must say that I am surprised that David would take issue with my comment at all. Do you, David, think that Satan does not attempt to work in such matters as addressed in today’s post--or in the ways that I mentioned in my comment? Why would you think he does not? Stan mentioned “we do this” and “we do that” throughout the post, but are “we” not living in a world of which Satan is the god?
DeleteMy problem with people saying Satan is behind this or that problem with the world order is that it gives people the sense that they are not fully responsible for their sinful ways. "Satan made me do it", becomes an excuse. The Bible tells us the heart is deceitfully wicked. Yes, Satan got the ball rolling in the Garden, but we are more than happy to keep anyone as more worthy of obedience than God. We suppress the truth willfully and don't often need Satan whispering in our ear.
DeleteYou are right that some people might make the error that you describe, but in all fairness, I do not think my comment indicated that stance on my part. Yes, Scripture states that the heart is deceitfully wicked; it also says quite a bit about the devil’s influence on humans (both individual and corporate, as I mentioned above). Both truths (i.e. our sinful inclinations and the presence of evil spiritual forces all around us) are equally valid, I believe, when it comes to understanding the ways of the world and the individual’s function within it. Depending on the issue under discussion, one or the other of these contributing factors explaining evil in the world might be the primary culprit, or it could be a combination of the two. I felt that in the matter of the language shifts that Stan addressed in his post, it would be both. Since he already cited our deceitful/futile/foolish hearts/minds, I mentioned the second factor to round it out (in my mind, at least)--while I also closed with Eve’s willfully sinful choice, thereby keeping my balance.
DeleteI can't help but continue to equate our continued destruction of language as a process started all the way back at the Tower of Babel. I fear that too many people attribute more power to Satan than he actually has, and when will meaning people like you say that Satan is continuing to corrupt language, it sounds to me like giving Satan too much credit. His battle is a more spiritual one. Why bother taking time to confuse the language when we're more than happy to do it ourselves. According to Scripture, he's more interested in accusing the brethren and trying to weaken our effect on the world through guilt and shame and doubt.
DeleteAs I mentioned, my perspective is that Satan has his hand (figuratively) in every area of human affairs to some degree; I can’t imagine that as the “god of this world,” he would not take full advantage of the power currently permitted him and utilize every possible avenue of confusion and corruption. If communication/language is the chief means for proclaiming truth and for spreading the Gospel among people, then it makes sense to me that Satan will wish to mess with it.
DeleteMany years ago, I read a very interesting little book titled, What On Earth Is God Doing? Satan’s Conflict With God, by Renald E. Showers. An excerpt from the back cover reads: “[This book] focuses on the continuing war of the ages between God and Satan and the role that conflict between good and evil has played in man’s history--past and present--with a fascinating glimpse at what is yet to come.” The book’s Introduction mentions that “The purpose of this study is to attempt to trace the Bible’s philosophy of history from eternity past to eternity future.”
The chapters summarize a timeline of God’s various actions down through history, Satan’s responses to them, and then God’s counteractions. (Especially interesting to me was the discussion of many of the major worldly ideologies and “isms” that have arisen over the generations, with a brief look into how each served/serves Satan’s purposes.) Although I might not agree with the author’s interpretation of every event (past or future) or all his points, the book prompted serious thought regarding the magnitude of Satan’s activity within human affairs--both covert and overt--and of the spiritual warfare that has been taking place throughout earth’s history.
So, my personal belief is that Satan Is Alive and Well On Planet Earth, as he engages in The Invisible War--two other books on spiritual warfare on my shelves. [Sorry, that’s the way my brain works. :-)] I’m not fixated on the devil by any means (or blame him for every evil action in the world), but I generally presume Satan is involved in everything on earth in some way, using intermediary agents as effectively as he is able.
P.S. The instances of things that “we” do or “the world” does that Stan mentioned in his post and also which you say “we are more than happy to do … ourselves” are examples of people serving as “intermediary agents” of Satan, in my view. It is very easy--and common--to be preoccupied with the alarming actions of those agents and/or agencies and forget the nefarious guiding influence behind much of it.
DeleteHere’s an example of Satan’s influence upon language and communication in our culture: the apparent somewhat general acceptance of formerly vulgar words and phrases included in common conversation--specifically, the prevalence of “four-letter words” now left uncensored in everyday talk, on TV, in YouTube videos, shared memes, social media posts and comments, in print, etc. (Even “Christian bloggers” do it!) Definitely a product of Satan’s work upon the “norms” of society.
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