Steal the language
Dr. Steve Harper contends that political ambitions have stolen the language of faith and the common good. (Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash)
October 6, 2023
In the playbook of “how to take something down,” the first step is to steal the prevailing language and use it to describe yourself. That way, you appear to be among the “good guys” when you’re not. Using the prevailing language buys the deceivers time to root their divisive and destructive efforts. By the time they’re seen for what they truly are, they have recruited followers under false pretenses.
If you want to undermine something, steal the language first.
This is happening in spades in the society and church today. Here are a few illustrations of stolen language….
- ‘Christian’ stolen by White Nationalism
- ‘Republican’ stolen by far-Right political extremists
- ‘Democracy’ stolen by authoritarianism/fascism
- ‘Liberty’ stolen by those who restrict it
- ‘Freedom’ stolen by oppressors
- ‘Orthodoxy’ stolen by fundamentalists
- ‘Loving and accepting’ stolen by exclusionists
- ‘Pro Life’ stolen by those who deny it to the living
- ‘America First’ stolen by those who care only for themselves
- ‘Patriotism’ stolen by anarchists
- ‘Jesus’ stolen by those who do not actually follow him
- Etc. Etc.
If you want to undermine something, steal the language first.