Fool Me Twice

There is a reason why Satan is called the Father of Lies...

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
– John 3:19-20

Evil has come into the open. No longer hidden in the dark corners of society and bringing shame when exposed, evil is now on full display in governments, corporations, and the actions of everyday people, as they not only reject the truth but actively embrace and promote the lies with their actions.

Evil is a cancer, and the lie is the way it spreads, absorbs, and destroys those it infects. Whether in the acceptance of German citizens to turn a blind eye to the growing lies and horrors of the Nazi 3rd Reich or in the more recent cries of students and rioters shouting down anyone who dares to deny their delusions, evil propagates through these lies.

What are these lies? Gender-affirming care, DEI, ESG, building democracies, moral relativism, government assistance, reproductive rights, minor-attracted persons, communism, socialism, transgenderism, mostly peaceful protests, vaccines are perfectly safe, masks are effective, and countless others, all expressing a perceived good or reality while at the same time promoting or delivering the exact opposite.

Once infected, whether through ignorance, social pressure, or fear, the longer a follower accepts these lies and promotes them to others, the harder it becomes for them to climb out of the pit they have dug themselves into. As their self-images become aligned with the lie, ‘I am a good <insert label>’, the truth goes from being an irritant to a challenge to their reality. They cannot face the challenge to the lies they hold dear, as it exposes the culpability in accepting the lie, denying the truth, and the harm they have brought upon others and themselves.

In the end, the truth always wins, at least on a societal level, as the lies of evil are not sustainable and eventually destroy the group (whether social, corporation, country, or civilization) from within. This fall is not inevitable, and the way to fight back is to expose the lies and challenge those who accept and promote them. Silence is acceptance!

Whether you can change the minds of the fallen is not up to you; all you can do is plant the seeds of truth that hopefully will illuminate the minds of the stricken. More importantly, by resisting the lie, you bring hope and encouragement to those who have passively accepted the lies and lack the courage to fight against them. By seeing that resistance is possible, they know that they, too, are not hopelessly lost and can find their way back to the light and the truth.