Demagogues – Enemies of Logic

Demagogue – a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument. 

“Be sober, be vigilant, for your adversary the devil roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour”.

1 Peter 5:8

The Church is riddled with demagogues. The basic definition applies to political people, but you are ignorant if you do not think the Church is political. You don’t have to be an office holder in the American government to make political power plays in whatever institution you are a part of. Demagogues plague the news media. No one in the news media can get paid without forcing stories that make you angry or afraid. Their funding is based on getting you to react emotionally to what they are saying. 

Demagogues in the church are the foundation for mega churches.

Even the faith of most Christians is founded on emotion or tradition rather than logical fact. This is why 90% of Christians cannot defend their faith rationally and logically. 

If you want a mental image of a demagogue, think of a Joel Osteen character. An individual whose message appeals to your self-interest rather than to your rational mind. There is nothing wrong with self-interest, and taking action out of self-interest (I assume you are interested in the personal benefits of heaven), but we run into problems when we sell religion cloaked in emotionalism and materialism. 

People don’t listen to Osteen because they think he is telling them the truth, they listen to him because he tells them that they can have faith and salvation while focusing their entire lives on their wealth.

Again, nothing wrong with wealth. But there is something wrong with placing wealth above everything, or using God to sell a wealth-based gospel.

It’s not only large-scale churches in which this type of materialism happens. It also happens in the small Churches: the local Community Church, your local Baptist Church, you find emotionalism and demagoguery. 

This fact is very common for Baptists, who tend to value the name “baptist” above the gospel. They even have their own mantra that they repeat in closed circles: “Born a baptist, live as a baptist, die a baptist”. 

Does anyone see anything wrong with that type of thinking? Is there a problem with people placing their name and tradition above the truth? These individuals have huge ego investments in their tradition. They have so much pride in their name that they cannot see anything besides what they believe. What they are saying with that mantra is that it does not matter if the truth were to be revealed to their eyes, they would not forsake the name “Baptist”. John the Baptizer did not die for your sin, so why name yourself after him? This weak thinking is the result of traditionalism and emotionalism. You can call it neo-renaissance liberalism if you want. If you are a baptist, you should meditate on this.

Any speech that appeals primarily to the emotion of men is irrational.

That is the point of emotions, they are not rational and they cannot think. Arousing the emotions of individuals in order  to sway their thinking is a breakdown of one of Aristotle’s rules of rhetoric. He labels these emotions as “non-essentials”, because all that matters is the facts. 

The majority of sermons and lessons given today are based on feelings. This is not masculine, rather it is stupidity. Because if your faith is ever tested by fire, emotions will be inconsequential. Most church-goers never will have a heavy test of faith, though they may think otherwise. 

Denominationalism has its foundation in emotionalism and demagoguery. People form new religions to suit what they feel is right, not based on what can be known based on the Word alone. Or someone in the Church gets their feelings hurt by the truth so they leave and form their own religion that better caters to their personal likes; where they can leave out the “unsavory” doctrines that offend them.

All the aforementioned situations are a result of emotions overtaking individuals. Rational thinking then takes a backseat to feelings. This must be avoided at all costs. Emotions stand in opposition to rationality, and as a result they retard masculinity. 

Mantra

Be alert for those who stir up anger and fear.

Application

The Bible speaks often about vigilance and being aware of evil (1 Peter 5:8), this is because the foundation of resisting evil is awareness. You must be aware that there are individuals in the religious world who want to use your emotions against you. They aim to cause you to lose touch with rationality so that they may win you over to their camp. This can be combated by simply calling it out. 

When you address someone’s tactics and bring them out in the open, they are no longer an ethereal concept; meaning they are no longer hidden in a vapor, unable to be touched.

By your words you force demagoguery into a tangible material that can be destroyed. Just as God spoke and the world was made, we may, on a significantly smaller, non-miraculous scale, speak and materialize what we have spoken. Against this extraction the enemy seldom has a defense. Demagogues rely on being camouflaged and spreading their parasitic idiocy from their hiding places. 

Also, you must be aware that you yourself may attempt to use emotions and demagoguery to beguile others and win arguments. This is not how men argue. If you must resort to emotion, your argument is pathetic and should be bolstered by this strange entity known as “Fact”. 

Be aware of yourself, you are not as Noble as you believe. 

Facts should always prevail over emotion. 

Reject Emotionalism. 

Reject Traditionalism and Dogma. 

Assault the arguments of the enemy with Logic. 

Force the demagogue to show himself.

Be a Man.

Conduct Yourselves Like Men.