KC Podcast - Episode 117: Passing the Baton

Guarding Against Equivocation

The
ancient Greek philosopher, Gorgias, anticipated our postmodern world well. In his treatise on non-existence, he argued that nothing exists, that even if it did exist we could not know it, and that even if we could know it we could not communicate it. In other words, he wanted people to doubt the existence of absolute truth, to doubt their ability to know truth, and to doubt the ability of language to communicate truth. Words are all that exists for Gorgias, and mastering the use of words through skillful rhetoric gives one power over other people.

This way of thinking has permeated our world today. The idea that we can find truth by rational discourse is out, and the idea that we each have our own competing "truth" shaped by our personal stories is in. This idea of narrative and "my truth" over objective truth is a driving force behind much of the cultural Marxism that we're seeing in the form of various critical theories, intersectionality, etc.

Equivocation has especially proven to be a successful strategy used by the world against evangelical Christians. To guard against this it's necessary to have a clear definition in your mind of what you mean when you use a word and to be on the alert for people who want to manipulate you by using the same words with different meanings.

"You're against social justice? The Bible seems to have a lot to say about the importance of justice!"

"You're against critical theory? But shouldn't all Christians critically examine the culture they live in?"

"You're opposed to loving homosexual couples? But the Bible says love does no wrong, and that love is the fulfillment of the law!"

"You claim to be pro-life, right? Then why don't you support Black Lives Matter?"

The people using these sorts of arguments aren't interested in truth. They're interested in power, specifically in using your own words to exercise power over you. This is a situation in which you are to "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself" (Prov. 26:4). When someone starts arguing like this with you, don't give them the time of day. Learn to recognize this manipulative use of language, and refuse to be manipulated by the manipulators.

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