(Continued from previous)
5) The Symbiosis and Risks of Alarmism
There are people and groups in this world who promote "everything under the sun." There is probably even a group out there
somewhere who think humans ought to dress up like kangaroos. The question in analyzing any of these groups or ideas should be:
is the group in question worth paying attention to? The motives and passions of a vocal minority of goofballs who do not count as
"players" in the real world crucible of ideas should not alarm or derail us. This is to be expected. But these kooks on the lunatic
fringe are the basic fodder for the conspiracy alarmists. The two groups need each other to exist, it appears, as no one else is
listening.
Are we to believe that a few "visionaries" who are a little soft in the head about the benefits of a "one world government" are really
winning the day? Is not the problematic drift in the world today towards nationalism, balkanization, sectarianism, and fragmentation?
Is this not the obvious reason for several wars and conflicts going on in the world right now?
SERIOUS THREAT OR POLITICAL "HOLLYWOOD SQUARES?"
Imagine this scenario: A smarmy academic gets up at a "New Age" UN seminar and offers a bromide on the unity of man and
"spaceship earth." Now, as a result of this froof-rah, are the various ethnic, religious, and cultural wars being fought around the world
going to skid to a sudden stop? What do you think? At an economic level, are the Japanese going to give up protecting their farming
industry (as an example of one of thousands of "hard" reasons of why the EU has fizzled so miserably), abandon their power base,
and join a global government? Is anyone who matters in these conflicts even listening to this prattle? Besides the conspiracy
alarmists (who are taking vigorous notes and paying over careful attention), the audience appears to be only those on a nice paid
boondoggle as "ambassadors" to New York. Or perhaps this giddy speech is being loftily set forth at a roundtable "conference" in
some other nice vacation city to an attendance roster of political has-beens, wash-ups, wanna-bes--and the paparazzi who clamor
after them--with a few serious "kangaroo suit" types thrown in for good measure?
While this is all great fun to watch, let us be sober-minded here. The coming one-world government is not likely to be created by the
pathetic attempts of the likes of the UN utopians, or imaginary rich people who long to cut off the trade advantages that are the very
branch they are sitting on; but rather in reaction to a global crisis of God's judgment on a world that will be groping in response. In
the meantime, the way of the world is much more easily understood without the kaleidoscopic thrills of Conspiracy Theory.
The bottom line is that while it may be great fun and fantasy for those of a paranoid bent, Conspiracy Theory is NOT taken seriously
by people who run this world, it is useless for predicting or explaining what is going on in this world and why. Only those who do not
need to be correct can hold this view for long.
SANITY CHECK
The media has an undeniable liberal and anti-Christian bias. But let us keep in mind that while leaders of our media are responsible
for their actions, we are responsible for ours as well. As slanted and distorted as our news is, should WE then resort to rumors and
hearsay as an alternative? Is this not jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire? If the issue is truth, then the failure of our media
is no excuse for us doing even worse!
And consider that in our world today there are cultures where Christianity is totally censured and/or believers are imprisoned, even
put to death for their faith. Our Kingdom is not of this world, and we will never have the "perfect situation" till Messiah comes again,
even though we should not cease making every effort to improve all we can while we can. But let us get a sense of perspective here.
Are we not being crybabies for complaining overly much about our media compared to what our brethren in other parts of the world
are having to endure for His Name's sake? No one is forcing us to "buy" the liberal media "pitch," nor even incline our ears or eyes
to it. We can just turn it off or engage it with discernment.
This article is not suggesting that real conspiracies do not exist. It is simply calling Christians to repentance from Conspiracy
THEORIES of paranoia as an overall world view. Although much that is called "conspiracy" in modern history could more properly be
termed a "cover-up" (being done after the fact), great evil has been plotted--and is even now being plotted--by way of real conspiracy.
It is indeed righteous work to expose and thwart all such, as we have opportunity.
THE CREDIBILITY FACTOR
But alas, we are disqualified before we start for this work. We have fallen into the "chicken little syndrome": because of our
scandalous excesses of alarmism and intoxication with Conspiracy THEORIES and lack of regard for what is true, if a real and truly
dangerous conspiracy were detected would anyone take Christians seriously at that point? Have we not spent our credibility and
voice on mere ghosts?
Colossians 4:5 (NAS) Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.
This point will be expanded in the last section concerning a message even more important than sounding the alarm of a real
conspiracy.
6) Conspiracy Theory versus Revelation
The theory of communism was built on a faulty premise and, thus, was doomed to not work in practice. Christians who believe in
the Bible should be able to quickly apprehend that Conspiracy Theory is faulty at its core. Thus we should not be surprised at its
failure in practice.
SOMEBODY FORGOT TO CHECK THEIR SCRIPTURES...
Fundamental to Conspiracy Theory is a basic view of the world. This view is defined by its adherents as the "Conspiratorial View" of
history. This explanation of the course of history is pitted against the "Linear View" of history (or somesuch). These, we are told, are
the only options! (This smacks of Marx's false dichotomy that only two classes existed.) But it is just not true. Dare we mention it,
at least one other possible explanation of why things happen is the "Biblical View."
Amos 3:7 (NIV) Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
And Scripture never mentions anything anywhere even approaching the scope of Conspiracy Theory.
In general, The Bible neither denies real human conspiracies nor suggests that they are a major factor in history. Scripture puts
conspiracies where they belong: as an occasional and hard to maintain sideshow.
2 Samuel 15:12 (NIV) ... And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom's following kept on increasing.
Acts 23:12 (NIV) The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they
had killed Paul.
But never in the Bible are we encouraged to imagine that conspiracy is the grand explanation of history or the overarching issue of
causality in human affairs. In fact, just the opposite is commanded.
Isaiah 8:12-13 (NIV) "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not
dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread."
The lesson seems to be that there are certain times that the temptation to blame what is happening on conspiracy or alliances
should be distinctly avoided, by direct command of the Lord.
Beyond skewering the fundamental thesis of the "Conspiratorial View" (unless we are willing to accuse God of "missing it"),
Scripture makes it plain that if we are near the "end of the age," which Christian Conspiracy Theory generally asserts, it is then in
particular that we are clearly admonished NOT to be deceived into thinking that conspiracy is behind it. Anyone familiar with
prophetic Scripture knows that God is very keen on letting us know that He is behind the events surrounding the first and second
coming of Christ.
Psalms 2:1-2 (KJV) Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the
rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed....
Why indeed? A good question, eh? Some answer this according to "the Gospel of LaRouche" that this is due to a human
conspiracy. Some claim "ministries" spreading this distracting paranoia. But God, while lambasting many a real conspiracy
throughout history, says it is not so. The following is representative of dozens of end-times passages:
Ezekiel 38:1-2,8 (NIV) "Son of man, prophesy... and say: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog,... I will
turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. It is coming! It
will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD.... "
God apparently thinks it important for us to know at the End of the Age that He is doing this, and it is of no human invention or
scheme. Even if some have plans....
Psalms 33:10 (NIV) The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
Is it not amazing that Scripture completely misses what LaRouche made popular? Boy did God blow this one! If He only knew what
was "really going on." If He were only more "informed!"
So it is God versus the conspiracy buffs. Tough one, eh?
Who ya gonna believe nowadays?
Isaiah 8:12 (NIV) "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread
it."
7) "Conspiracy" in the Heavenlies?
The only grand "conspiracy" spoken of in Scripture is a SPIRITUAL one led by Satan. And it is no secret: it has been REVEALED
to those with ears to hear. Thus, it is no "conspiracy" to Christians, but an open war against the gospel of Christ and His life in the
kingdom of God on this earth.
Our Lord Jesus has defeated the enemy of our souls at the cross. While we have yet to see the fullness of this victory play out in
time, we will. The ultimate defeat of Satan is as sure as the Word of God. For our enemy's time is short.
Are we showing discernment and good judgment by recognizing who the real enemy is and where we are being attacked? How
would Jesus rate our sense of apprehending the reality of things? Are we wiser then He? Wiser than all of the holy prophets of old?
Are we shooting our guns off into the air of Conspiracy Theory... while a real enemy stands behind us? Even among us?
8) We Didn't Lose, They Cheated!
This section may be the most difficult for Christians to accept, but may well be the explanation to the perverted attraction of
Conspiracy Theories in the church, and why we think we need them.
Clearly and obviously, there are those who oppose what we Christians hold dear and actively promote what we think of as wicked. It
should be noted that this battle is principally fought, lost, and won in an open battle in our culture, not via conspiratorial plotting.
Where we as Christians have lost ground or failed completely is in acquiescence or lack of resolve, rather than being unable to
"break the code" of some back-room conspiratorial plot. The fight was not generally in secret, but in the open, and we did not even
show up.
THE ENEMY WITHIN
Perhaps part of the appeal of blaming things on conspiracies is that it assuages our own lack of concern and engagement in the
public arena. Sure, we lost, but "Hey, they cheated!" Oddly enough, though, when we show up we do quite well, just as God
promised. But when we fail to even try, we are tempted to accuse our opponents of "foul play" instead of reflecting objectively on the
fact that we caved in, did not care, did not try, etc.
Where this gets nasty is where it becomes more than just a temporary meditation to relieve our consciences, and gets blown into a
full-tilt philosophy. And this is what Conspiracy Theory is. "They" are pulling back-room strings with an unseen hand that makes it
futile to even try. Why, we might even play into "their" hands, "they" are so clever. The only thing to do is to hunker down and
protect our friends and family against the inevitable siege, or by laying so low that nobody takes notice of us, retreating further from
being salt and light in our culture. None of the options coming from this fatalistic view are very good, frankly, and when the results in
our society get inevitably worse, we go right back to blaming "them" instead of ourselves. And so it goes.
James 4:17 (NIV) Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.
SPIRITUAL WIMPS
Our spiritual enemy is winning a terrific battle against us if he can short circuit our zeal and eliminate our influence via the fatalism of
Conspiracy Theories. With our consciences satisfied that the enemy is somehow cheating, we throw down our swords before the
fight even starts.
The utility of Conspiracy Theory thus comes into focus. It shifts blame. It is a sophisticated excuse machine. This is how Hitler
used it; this is how Nero used it; this is how we are using it. Has there even been a Conspiracy Theory concocted short of this
purpose?
What could be a more obvious ploy by our spiritual enemy to thwart the life of Christ in us?
The tragic thing is that this attack comes not from without, but principally from within the church. And our itching ears and guilty
consciences cannot seem to get enough of it.
Have we fallen so far from being "conquerors in Christ" that we need a systematic philosophy of paranoia? Is the life of Christ in us
content to lay curled in fetal position in the corner reading another Conspiracy Theory book? Are we content to be losers quaking in
the fear of men--in direct disobedience to our Lord?
9) Slandering Our Enemies
Leviticus 19:16 (NIV) "Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's
life. I am the LORD."
Exodus 23:1 (NIV) "Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness."
Instead of realizing the pragmatic, even convicting reasons why we have failed in so many ways to effect our culture, we accuse our
enemies of cheating via conspiracy. The motive for this was discussed previously.
FRUIT INSPECTION
Proverbs 18:8 (NIV) The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.
The Scripture describes a "gossip" as one who connives and dreams up a "twist" that is compelling and winsome. There is a
perverted sweetness to this deception that is the principal lure of committing this sin. "Yeah, THAT is it! So and so is doing such
and such." The more divorced from the truth this is, the more outlandish the slander, the better...
Matthew 15:19 (NIV) "For out of the heart come evil thoughts... false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'...."
Proverbs 18:8 (NAS) The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles....
Like all sin, slander and gossip can be fun in the moment. But like all sin, there is a price to be paid later. The price here is in
defamation of character to the real-life people and organizations, and in self-delusion and inability to discern the truth for those who
continue in it.
1 Peter 2:1 (NIV) Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
Ephesians 4:31 (NIV) Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
We are told in some detail by God how to think and deal with rulers and government in Scripture. And consider that these
Scriptures were written during a time when leaders and government were much worse than now.
Titus 3:1-2 (NIV) Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to
SLANDER no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility towards all men.
Do the wild accusations and projected phobias and fears of Conspiracy Theory pass this test? You be the judge.
The bottom line is that "Christian" Conspiracy Theory makes about as much sense as "Christian Racism." Both are forbidden in
Scripture.
1 Peter 2:17 (NIV) Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honour the king. |
