Invasion of the Word Snatchers: How the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the Freemasons Steal the Language of Christianity. by Van Bebber Jr. David

Author:Van Bebber Jr., David [Van Bebber Jr., David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shield of Faith Apologetics
Published: 2017-02-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9: Are Words Safe?

The Athanasian Creed, approved at the synod of Alexandria in 361 A.D., summarized the Orthodox view of the Trinity by stating, “We worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity, neither blending their persons nor dividing their essence.” [147] It was as a response to Arianism, which was a denial of the deity of Christ. [148] After this survey of various examples of cultic literature, it is evident that the teachings of the three cults addressed in this book would all be excluded from the Christian faith in 361 A.D. The most alarming elements presented in this book are not that these various cults reject the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith. The most alarming component in this book is the methods used by these three cults to present themselves as Christian. Walter Martin warned years ago:

It is possible for a Jehovah’s Witness, a Christian Scientist, or a Mormon . . . to utilize the terminology of biblical Christianity . . . having already redesigned these terms in a theological framework of his own making . . . almost always at direct variance with the historically accepted meanings of the terms. [149]

Using the rhetorical method of Generic Analysis, this research demonstrates the various attributes that define the genera of Deceptive Cult Language . This book identifies and offers exemplars of eight attributes or deceptive tactics that define this genera of cultist literature. The methods of deception are false adherence, minimization, term switching/redefining terms, poisoning of the well/misrepresenting, ignoring context, reveling deeper truths, theological cosmetics/camouflaging, and mirroring.

​ Other researchers have acknowledged that this typology or genera of deception exist. James White noted that “Mormons use our terminology without adopting our meaning.” [150] Yet, prior to this book this researcher knows of no other attempt to apply the rhetorical, critical method Generic Analysis to literature produced by any of these three cults. The literature produced by cults does not always engage in deceptive methods, but most of the time their literature will incite one of the various forms of deception identified in this research.

​ Scholars in the past have not applied this rhetorical method to this literature base; many apologists recognized the willingness of cults to purposefully deceive individuals. Walter Martin, in commenting on the intentional deceptive tactics of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, noted, “Christians, therefore, should be on guard continually against the Watchtower’s perversion of common biblical terms drawn from evangelical sources, for in 90 percent of the cases the author has analyzed, the Witnesses mean just the opposite of what they appear to say.” [151] Most importantly, Orthodox Christianity bases its worldview on the notion that God has clearly reveled himself in Scripture; God has sufficiently offered all one needs to know, in his word, in regards to salvation and in regards to spiritual growth. [152] Through the application of the various deceptive methods these cults deny “revelational epistemology.” [153] Because of their man-made systems of belief, each of the various cults must employ deceptive tactics .

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