How Ideological Mirage Captured America’s Church
“In the Beginning was the Conspiracy, and the Conspiracy was god!”
When Political Mirage Becomes Personal Identity
Doubling Down on The Illusion
I was born in Phoenix and love the desert, though now we live in the lush greenery of rural Missouri. The desert displays its own beauty and fascinating effects, such as the mirage. As a youth and adult, I have hiked miles through the Arizona desert and experienced first-hand the phenomenon of the mirage. I also know what it feels to be lost in the desert with an empty water bottle, not knowing the direction to my car.
“There-up ahead— Could it be? Yes! It appears to be… water! A cool blue oasis in the middle of the desert! We are saved!”
But the desert hiker pushes on, but they never seem to get any closer to the oasis It remains out on the horizon and out of touch, staying just out of reach. How can this be? Then someone realizes what’s going on – “It’s a mirage!”
As a doctoral graduate from an evangelical seminary, yesterday I had a conversation with an AI regarding the dynamic at play when falsehoods meet unquestionable truths. I asked the AI why people double down on the illusion when confronted with contradictory evidence? Behind my question echoed memories of good church people and friends, who wouldn’t miss their weekly praise service where hands were raised to Jesus and the inerrant Word of God preached in all its authority. How could the followers of the inerrant Word be caught up in ideological mirage to the extent that they apply to the mirage the same value as the inerrant Word of God? Sadly, how many of us have lost friends due to our audacity to question the ideological mirage being pursued by our friends in the faith?
Of the AI’s response, one telling reason was that of Echo Chambers & Reinforcement. The pastors and leaders of these churches continuously validated the mirage, making the mirage feel like truth. Beyond this, the political mirage becomes part of the person’s identity. Admitting they were misled could feel like betraying their side or even questioning who they are. Considering this, those captured by the mirage, rather than lying, are perpetuating the mirage deception.
“The President Creates His Own Law and Truth!”
Victims of the Mirage
Compassion for Victims of the Mirage
Why would members of a political party wear lying as a badge of honor for their leader? Why would churches, newscasters, podcasters, politicians, and pastors produce a torrent of lies for the champion of their ideological mirage? The answer, shockingly, is that they are not lying. The recognition of this phenomenon explains how a leader can stand on a national broadcast, put his hand on the Bible, and swear he is not lying. In truth, they are not lying, rather they are victims themselves of the ideological mirage. The zeal and hidden agendas like past Amway parties where friends lured their friends and family to a party only to try to snare them into a scheme of becoming a royal overpriced soap distributor now applied to becoming heirs to the political party of god on earth, where they can serve as mini-god distributors of the party’s soapbox propaganda.
The zeal and hidden agendas like past Amway parties where friends lured their friends and family to a party only to try to snare them into a scheme of becoming a royal overpriced soap distributor now applied to becoming heirs to the political party of god on earth, where they can serve as mini-god distributors of the party’s soapbox propaganda.
You may Jim, “How could you say this?! They are all liars! My mission in life is to shame them out of their lies.”
In my first insurance claim job in my other career as an insurance adjuster across the country, I worked for State Farm and commuted with my manager. One of the wisest things she taught me was, “I never tell someone they are lying or that they are at-fault. I tell them they are mistaken.” From that conversation forward, I implemented that concept, which saved me from countless personal and unnecessary arguments.
Someone who drank his canteen dry hours before and who now stands with his angry, thirsty hiking buddy at the parched sandy waste of the mirage, he thought was an oasis of cool water, doesn’t need to hear from his buddy, “You are a liar! There’s no water here! You led us astray.” Both were victims. What they need is a compassionate plan to find real water.
Below is AI’s description why a deceived person is not lying:
As the person wakes up from the deception and knowingly repeats the lie to deceive, this moves the person from victim to perpetrator. The dilemma becomes how a person, who has been enmeshed in the faction so long, can extricate himself without making a career devastating move.
No jeweled crosses or plumped lips are large enough to hide the chain of deception binding the heart of leaders bedeviled by their own ideological mirage
Why would members of a political party wear lying as a badge of on for their leader? Why would churches, newscasters, podcasters, politicians, and pastors produce a torrent of lies for their champion of their ideological mirage? The answer, shockingly, is that they are not lying. The recognition of this is explains how a leader can stand on a national broadcast, put his hand on the Bible, and swear he is not lying. In truth, they are not lying, rather than are victims of their ideological mirage.
Pastor Jim
The Way Out
What is the first step out away from the ideological mirage? Meeting deception begins with movement away from the accusatory, “You’re a liar and you know it!” This only reinforces the doubling down effect. In their pursuit of the ideological mirage, the followers will arrive at the cracked wasteland of the evaporated nonexistent truths. Consider President Trump’s prior administration. How many cabinet members ignored warnings of the lies and wayward direction, only to drop their drained canteens and grab a real map to the next cool spring of reality.
Water Bottles of reality
As a youth my family rode the Jeep trails along the sandy El Camino Del Diablo (The Devil’s Highway) that separates Arizona from Mexico. You could ride Jeep trails for days and not find water. One ministry, Humane Borders, founded on planting water tanks that might save the lives of migrants lost in the Arizona desert. God only knows how many lives have been saved due to this good work.
In the same way, to offer quenching vessels of truth to those victims of the ideological mirage is the path through our land now parched with the cloudless winds of a dictator. Now, if I may trouble the reader further. Could it be our present Strong-Willed President in Chief is not lying … because he fully believes his own deception. Behind his deception, the author believes there are spiritual forces and principalities at work that facilitated his deception.
The path forward involves our planting the quenching canteens of truth and offering cups of cold water to those raging parched lips burned by deception. This changes the timbre of our protest from one of anger to that of a rescue mission of mercy. Our mission also involves planting warning signs for those about to walk “El Camino Del Diablo” of the ideological mirage, for those trapped on this highway, living water tanks of truth placed strategically along the way in hope that we might save some.
For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
Matthew 24:24
Cool Water,
Pastor Jim
Discussion:
- Read Jesus’s words in Matthew 24:24. What is a false messiah? Why are they able to deceive people?
- Describe a situation when you or someone you know was deceived or victim of a con artist? How did you react? When did you find out you were deceived?
- How can intelligent people be deceived?
- How can the church minister to those victims of deception in its own congregation and leadership?
- How can the church prevent its becoming a victim of ideological mirage while maintaining a viable teaching ministry?
- Take a moment and reflect on historical ideological mirages below. Describe how the church in history has chased after spiritual mirages.
People of the Mirage – Example
View the following video that describes leaders of the ideological mirage.
- How were those treated who dared to reveal the existence of the mirage?
- What caused the delay for those insiders who eventually admitted the mirage?
- What are the lessons for us?
- How could you help your leader of church or groups in your church who have been deceived by an ideological mirage?
- Describe a time when you experienced a church or organization leader who benefited himself at the expense of the group. What was the outcome? What lessons did you learn?
- If you worked for or served an organization or church that lost its way, following a leader’s ideological mirage, how would you find a solution? Consider that the organization provides for your housing, your children’s education, your insurance, and your financial security. Any negative word regarding the mirage would immediately turn you radioactive to the organization. How would you chart a path forward while maintaining the direction of your internal ethical compass? How might you help others? Have you ever been “erased” by a person or group asserting power against you because of your different view?
