I once came across an idea, long ago, that I thought very profound at the time. I still think it is very profound. That idea is that language and words are, and the communication process is often intended to conceal meaning as much as they are intended to reveal meaning. People, who have an agenda, will often use words to communicate with the explicit intent to misdirect people or to make people think they, as the communicator, are meaning things they do not in reality mean.
For example, if you check out what is concealed as opposed to what is revealed — if you do not rely on masquerading words, you will discover that the language of “gun control” once implemented is not intended to control guns, or that the language of “rent control” once implemented does not control rent, or that government’s “stimulus” does not stimulate the economy. Once you learn how language conceals as well as reveals you also eventually learn that many policies that are sold as “compassionate” inflict cruel results. However, in order to get to gun control that doesn’t control guns, rent control that doesn’t control rent, government stimulus, that doesn’t stimulate or compassionate conservatism that is beyond cruel you have to conceal your thoughts.
If you check out the facts, instead of relying on masquerading words, you will discover that Comprehensive immigration reform means amnesty, planned parenthood means abortion, health-care reform means mismanaged death care, and political correctness means reality incorrectness. One phrase I really liked in the 90’s was “invest in America,” which concealed the meaning of “forced increased taxation.”
Then there are biggies. “Social justice” is all the rage these days and has been for quite some time. What does it mean? Nobody knows for sure but if it is invoked, well then, Katy bar the door. Usually what it means is something like “that’s not fair,” and usually fair is defined as some arrangement that doesn’t fit some twisted and uninformed idiosyncratic view of reality. The pursuit of social justice has led to policies that have increased the out of wedlock births, the destruction of the family, the creation of a citizenry that has a dependent mindset, and the glorification of victimization. This is “social justice?”
The whole “rights” language has excelled at concealing. The glory of “Women’s rights” have led to the enslavement of women in their pursuit to be men, the death of many women by abortion before they were born, the objectification of women in sex by the peeling away of sex from marriage, the depriving of women of their children as the children are cast aside for daycare or government schools so mom can pursue equality, and the overall diminution of women in their import and significance to family. Women’s rights, as it turns out, means Women’s drudgery.
These kinds of masquerading words exist often in the Church as well. Often times Churches will talk about “Church growth,” when what they really mean is “redefining the message of the Church.” Churches will talk about “free grace” when what they really mean is “license to sin.” Churches will say that “the Bible contains the word of God” when what they really mean is “the bible only becomes the word of God when you have an existential encounter with the word.” Churches will say, “Jesus died for your sins,” and what they really mean is that you can find favor with God if you follow Jesus’ example and be a good doobie. Churches talk about “repentance” when what they really mean is “recruitment.”
Now you take the reality that I have set forth where people are purposefully deceiving with their language and compound with the reality that language is always going to conceal when person “A” speaking to person “B” has a different worldview from one another. In this situation even if person “A” does not intend any deception, deception will occur as the words “A” uses mean differently in their autonomous worldview than what they mean to person “B” who is hearing those same words in their theocentric worldview.
We are so awash in masquerading words that one would have to be a simpleton to not practice some form of hermeneutic by suspicion.
Another thing to add, is that women’s rights and women’s equality also means emasculation and the impoverishing of men. This results in the general impoverishment and degredation of society, as common social bounds (father, son, mother, daughter) are ripped assunder.
Well said Keon!
“The whole ‘rights’ language has excelled at concealing…”
Don’t forget the language of “right to life” and how that can conceal the refusal to lay down the highest temporal good in order to be Jesus’ disciple.
LOL … talk about concealing language Steve.
What you wrote really reduces to meaning that in order to follow Jesus Christians must lay down our taking seriously the 6th commandment.
Y’all never cease to amaze me.
Pastor Bret,
Your reply to Steve opens up a whole new problem for those who take his view. It would make those who follow his logic abandon the other 9 commandments as well. If that is the case, what benefit is the Gospel of Christ to a fallen, corrupt world? If the salt has lost its savor, it is good for nothing except to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men. This is our current state of affairs in the American church, and why it is impotent to deal with the ills of covenant-breaking.