By Ada Brownell
“For a long time propagandists have recognized that
lying must be avoided,” says Jacques Ellul, author of “Propaganda: The
Formation of Men’s Attitudes”. [1]“In
propaganda, truth pays off.”
Where propaganda goes to work to change minds is in
the “interpretation” of the truth, or the way they twist the truth. In today’s
terms—a spin on the truth.
Ellul told how the Communist Party in France made
progress between 1921 and 1936 because
of election propaganda. The same was true in other countries in the 20th
Century.
Mao Tse-tung said propaganda can “force” people to
become Marxist. His first techniques failed, but then he went to public
discussion, criticism, persuasion and Marxist education, especially for
children, and he turned China to his way of thinking.
This in spite of Mao executing an estimated two to
five million people and several million were sent to labor camps.
To have the
greatest effect, propaganda must base its self on existing tendencies, Ellul
said,[2] and not
go against ingrained attitudes. Instead of going against what you believe, it
gives you something else to believe--using your own desires and needs as a
basis--and without knowing it, your attitudes are replaced.
Ellul said pre-existing attitudes fade quickly in
real propaganda campaigns where it surrounds a person from morning to night,
childhood to old age, in all he reads, hears, without giving him rest, a moment
to pause, think or catch his breath.[3]
I notice how schools, universities, and government
are changing the way we think. I received my degree after I was age 40 from a
state university and shuddered at how different the youth came in, but how
similar they were when they went out. After studying texts that ridiculed
belief in God and especially Christianity, attending classes that held up
immorality as no big deal, being taught about the advantages of a one-world
government and criticism of America, most students graduated talking alike,
thinking alike, and believing similar things. They resembled a line of toy
soldiers where it was difficult to distinguish one from another.
I think they were brain washed. Why didn’t my
attitudes change? Because I consciously rejected everything I knew was in error.
Sometimes I spoke up and continually prayed for God to guard my heart and mind.
But brain washing has entered our homes as well.
Television and movies have a large part in that and we become so desensitized
we don’t even notice.
Are we no longer horrified by abortion? Do we ask God
for mercy on us when we see the proliferation of immorality? Do we resist the
attempt to force acceptance?
What can we
do?
Although some sin is now embraced by our government
and people can be fined for not accepting it, such as businesses being required
to buy insurance for employees that pays for abortion, we can resist. But that
might mean a difficult road.
We also can consciously put profitable things into
our heads instead of garbage or tainted messages. We can live in God’s Word, find
squeaky clean entertainment, and acquire a knowledge of things that add to our
talents and ministries.
We can resist opinion leaders who spin the
conversation away from the truth.
Finally, and this is huge, we can go to our knees.
Ask for miraculous wisdom and knowledge. Then pray that God will send revival
to America. We need it.
[1]
Vintage Books, 1973, Random House, New York, Copyright 1965 by Alfred A. Knopf
Inc., page 53
[2]
Propaganda, page 279
[3]
Ibid, page 280
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