The Slow Fade – Brainwashing And Indoctrination Of A Nation
The Slow Fade – Brainwashing and Indoctrination Of A Nation
10/05/2024
I write this post out of a deep concern for the survival of our Nation as we know it. Over the years, I have witnessed a slow fade and deterioration of our values, morals, and what we consider good and evil. I also see this “national apathy,” if you will, toward any of this societal deterioration. Why is that?
I reflect on the past 40 years, and the decline of our values and morals as a nation is staggering. The garbage they allow on television now was banned 40 or even 20 years ago. We have taken God out of everything: our schools (they are a mess with many parents opting out of public education). God has been removed from government, and I think we can see how well that is working. No prayer, no mentioning of God. Instead, we honor one’s sexual “preference” or political radicalism.
The Slow Fade – It Doesn’t Happen Overnight
They are now filtering out our history books and replacing them with pornography targeting children at their most influential ages. You see “drag queens” parading in front of children. Parents are being arrested for fighting back. They are after your children, people! My children are grown now, thank God, but I must fight for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to come. I created this blog, ReflectionTree.com, to pass on my reflections of what I know to be true to my children and grandchildren and anyone else who will listen so that they will become more aware of this cancer in society.
Have we become so self-centered as a nation that our feelings regarding this are, well, as long as it’s not affecting me directly, who cares? Are we so busy with our day-to-day doings that we don’t take the time to sit and reflect on something bigger than ourselves? Do we even care? Perhaps we are so comfortable living that we consider this problem someone else’s problem. Well, listen up; it’s about to become your problem because this is just the beginning of this slow fade to the destruction of the American Christian Values that this nation was founded upon.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
While reading the Book of Daniel and studying the first chapter, verses 3-7, I discovered something truly interesting and shocking. The unmistakable similarities between this text and our nation today are remarkable. I have also done something I don’t usually do, and that will be to include the entire commentary on this scripture written by Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson, a Scottish theologian, which is included in The Preacher’s Commentary. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, General EditorThomas Nelson Publishing 1982–1994)
If you are unfamiliar with this bible text, Daniel 1:3-7, I encourage you to read it here and return to this article for further explanation. Dr. Ferguson does a spectacular job of explaining the process King Nebuchadnezzar used to “Brainwash” a generation, hoping to overthrow it without war.
As I read the commentary, I kept thinking, “Oh my Lord, this is happening right now within our nation.” It was like something cut right from the headlines: the battle for the minds of our children through indoctrination, isolation, compromise, and confusion. Please know that “this is a hill that I will die on.” I am a father, grandfather, and Christian, and I will not stand by silently and allow this attack on our children to continue. I will expose it at every level and do my best to tear down this evil practice by bringing awareness to it and those participating in it.
Here is the commentary written by Dr. Ferguson. Please read this while you reflect on today’s headlines, the images of those tearing down our history, protesting against Israel, and pushing for the destruction of The United States as we know it.
Commentary by Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson:
Daniel 1: 3-7
Sin is not merely a matter of a lack of intelligence or education. Some of the most depraved people have been among the most intelligent. Intelligence coupled with evil purposes is a very formidable enemy. Such an enemy was Nebuchadnezzar to the people of God.
Nebuchadnezzar had a well-formulated plan. Not only would he make Jerusalem bow down before him, but he would employ its outstanding young people in his own service. This is why he “instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring … young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability” (Dan 1:3-4) in order to retrain them in the ways of Babylon.
What Was In Nebuchadnezzar’s Mind?
What was in Nebuchadnezzar’s mind? He was taking a long-term view of his defeat of Jerusalem. He knew that to overcome God’s people by military force was not enough. If they continued to resist him, his endeavors to subjugate them would demand more and more of his resources. Instead of strengthening his position, he would have weakened it by creating additional demands on his own army. He must be able to employ Jewish resources for his own purposes if his victory was to prove worthwhile. So he weakened Jerusalem’s prospects by exiling the cream of its youth, and he prepared for the future by giving them a thoroughly Babylonian education. What better agents could he use in his future dealings with Jerusalem than the sons of Jerusalem’s nobility and intelligentsia? Nebuchadnezzar was not the last leader to see the value of infiltrating the colleges and universities to find candidates for his future service.
Perhaps there was another element in Nebuchadnezzar’s thinking. Within the Book of Daniel we are given hints of Nebuchadnezzar’s love for self-glorification. In his megalomania, he claimed, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty”(Dan 4:30). One of his aims seems to have been to surround himself with scholars and wise men of every variety (cf. Dan 2:2, Dan 2:4, Dan 2:7). No doubt he hoped to augment his private university by adding the wisdom of these young Jews. His chief aim, however, was never in question. Nebuchadnezzar was determined that these citizens of Jerusalem should learn to live and think like citizens of Babylon. They, too, would in time “serve in the king’s palace”(Dan 2:4).
Four Tactics To Conform The Citizens
Nebuchadnezzar appears to have used several tactics in order to conform these citizens of God’s kingdom to the ways of his own kingdom. They are worth noting because they are the strategies that operate in the spiritual warfare in which Christians continue to be involved (cf. Eph 6:10-20).
Isolation…
(Dan 2:1) Isolation. In the first place, they were isolated from the influences that would mold their lives and characters in the ways of the Lord. In Babylon they were separated from the regular public worship of God, from the teaching of the Word of God, from the fellowship and wisdom of the people of God, and from the daily illustration of what it meant to be a citizen of Jerusalem. Separated from the furnace of Godliness, the king anticipated that the last dying embers of true faithfulness to the Lord would die out.
Indoctrination…
(Dan 2:2) Indoctrination. They were taught “the language and literature of the Chaldeans” (Dan 2:4). That might seem harmless enough. After all, there is surely nothing wrong with God’s people studying foreign literature. The aim of this course in Chaldean language and literature, however, was not merely academic. It was to retrain their minds to think as Babylonians rather than Israelites.
In this, as in so many other things, our Lord’s warning is profoundly true: The children of this world often have more “horse sense” than the children of God. We too often ask the more superficial questions, such as “Are there any embarrassing phrases used by this author?” The deeper issue we need to recognize is that the ungodly think differently from the Godly. This is evident not simply in the language used, but in the whole way of looking at life. The ungodly view life without God. God is not in their thoughts, and there is no fear of God before their eyes. Their writing and teaching convey a completely different worldview from that of Scripture. It was this unGodly worldview with which the children of Jerusalem were being indoctrinated.
Compromise…
(Dan 2:3) Compromise. The Jewish youngsters enrolled in Nebuchadnezzar’s school were given “a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank” (Dan 2:5). There is some disagreement among scholars as to the significance this would have had for Daniel and his companions (who refused it [Dan 2:8]). It may be that they viewed eating it as a compromise of their commitment to the Lord, as food over which a pagan prayer of consecration had been offered. In reply to this view it may be asked whether the vegetables were separate from this. Perhaps what Daniel perceived (correctly) in this food allotment was an effort to seduce him into the lifestyle of a Babylonian through the enjoyment of pleasures he had never before known. High living very easily masters the senses and blunts the sharp-edged commitment of young Christians. The good life that Daniel was offered was intended by the king to wean him away from the hard life to which God had called him. It would encourage him to focus on himself and on a life of enjoyment. It would lead him to think of himself no longer as a servile Israelite but as a distinguished courtier. There is an echo here of the wilderness temptations of our Lord (cf. Luk 4:1.).
No mention is made of Daniel being confronted with an apologetic for Babylonian theology or with intellectual arguments against Old Testament faith. The attack was far more subtle than that, and therefore potentially far more lethal. Somebody in Nebuchadnezzar’s palace knew enough about the human heart to see that most men have their price, and that good times, comfort, self-esteem, and a position in society are usually a sufficient bid for a soul.
Confusion…
(Dan 2:4) Confusion. The fourth element in the process of weaning these young men from the truth was the changing of their names. It is not always possible for us to be dogmatic about the precise nuance of many Old Testament names, and that may be true of those listed in verses Dan 2:6 and Dan 2:7. What is certain is that anything that reminded them of their origin and destiny was removed in the change of names given to these four youths. Instead of incorporating the Hebrew words for God (El, Jah[iah]), these names incorporate the names of Babylonian deities (Bel, Nabu).
As they heard their names called day after day…
As they heard their names called day after day, it was an additional temptation for them to yield to the pressure to think of themselves as citizens of Babylon rather than of Jerusalem, to forget the rock from which they were hewn and the pit from which they were dug. The fact that in the royal court people could still remember that Daniel was Belteshazzar’s real name is a testimony to the way in which he continued to sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land (cf. Dan 5:12-13).
This incident illustrates for us an important principle: The way we think—about God, ourselves, others, the world—determines the way we live. If Nebuchadnezzar could only change these men to think like Babylonians, then they would live like Babylonians. Conversely, so long as they thought of themselves as the Lord’s, they would live as His servants—even in Babylon. That principle is still true. The secret of faithfully living for God today lies in the way we think. We are not to be conformed to the world, says Paul. Yet how can we avoid it? Christians have their lives transformed by the renewing of their minds (Rom 12:1-2). This, Paul says, is where the true worship of God begins.
Few people who read these pages live in the kind of totalitarian state into which Daniel was brought. Totalitarianism, however, has many forms. Political or military figures are not its only symbol. In the Western world, it may well be some far more sophisticated figure. Judging by the image-makers of our world, Western Christians are no less under pressure to conform to this world’s thinking than Christians elsewhere. Perhaps there has never been an age when so many Christians have been so fashion-conscious and so few professing Christians have been willing to dare to be different, not for the sake of being different but for the sake of being a disciple of Christ.
“Confusion about our real identity and purpose in life”
The same pattern employed by Nebuchadnezzar to draw Daniel away from the Lord is employed all around us today: isolation from God’s influence to produce holiness in our lives; indoctrination with the worldly ways of thinking (of course, we do not share all of the world’s conclusions, but too often we think about everything in the same way and operate with the same value system—how many of us would rather die for the glory of God than live halfheartedly for Him in a measure of comfort?; compromise with the riches of this world instead of commitment to what John Newton’s hymn calls “solid joys and lasting treasures” that “none but Zion’s children know”; confusion about our real identity and purpose in life.
Yes, too many of us would have found quite excellent reasons for compromise in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. After all, “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?”
Written by Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson, a Scottish theologian, which is included in The Preacher’s Commentary. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, General EditorThomas Nelson Publishing 1982–1994)
What Can You Do?
Does Dr. Ferguson’s commentary on the scripture resonate with what is taking place in our nation? I say yes. Does what is happening to our children and our nation concern you? If it does, please read on. If it doesn’t, then with all due respect, you are a part of the problem. Don’t complain when other people make decisions for you and your family. So what can you do?
Take A Stand – Do Your Part
You may ask, what can I do? I am just one person. It starts at a local level. We just had a local election here a couple of months back. That election was for county commissioners, school board members, city commissioners, and State Representatives. These are people who make local decisions and laws that affect our day-to-day lives within our local communities. Here’s the kicker: we had a 17.21% voter turnout!! 17.21% of the local registered voters are making decisions for the 82.79% who choose not to vote.
Pray, get involved with your local community, and attend city council meetings, school board meetings, and other civic events. Speak up and let your voice be heard. Your opinion matters; you are a part of your community and have a voice governing it. Remember, it’s a government of the people. They work for us. Don’t complain if you don’t vote.
Who’s Teaching Your Children?
If you have children, get involved with their education. It is your responsibility; the teachers are there to support you. Show up! Attend as many school events as possible, such as open houses, parent-teacher associations, and special events. Volunteer and stay as active as possible. Know who is educating your children; go and meet them. Check social media for your teachers and administrators.
If your child isn’t doing well in school, it may not be the child. Please talk with your children and ask them what’s happening at school. Review their reading material and assignments. You may wish to homeschool if the school doesn’t meet your education and safety expectations. The homeschool network has grown nationwide and has tremendous opportunities for you and your children.
Unplug…More Tackle Boxes – Less X-Boxes
I know this will cause angst within a family, but you must regulate your children’s media and social media exposure. Unplug and spend time talking with your children. Have family meals with no phones. The cell phone is not your friend, nor is it helping your child. It gives the world unvetted access to your child and their thought processing. BEWARE.
Get outside as a family. Consider visiting State Parks; they are very affordable and educational. You can also visit historic sites, museums, farmer’s markets, and other local activities. Take up fishing and camping, another affordable activity. You can ask my son what some of his fondest memories are growing up, and he would tell you they all involve the outdoor activities we did, fishing, camping, boating, and hiking.
Get Plugged In
Attend a good Bible-based local church with a solid youth program. I can attest to our local church’s tremendous influence on my children, grandchildren, and our local community. (Hint: The average age of the congregation reflects the life expectancy of the church.) When checking out possible church families, ask yourself: Is there a substantial population within the church that are families with children? Ask other parents where they attend. Is that church active within the community? Is their youth group vibrant and growing? Meet with the youth pastors, observe a meeting, get to know them, and volunteer.
I say all of this in hopes of “sounding an alarm” before it’s too late. We are on the verge of losing our children and our nation to radical, power-hungry, modern-day Nebuchadnezzars. This will not end well if they succeed, and they are working hard to make their “slow fade overthrow” happen 24/7. We need to wake up and take back our God-given rights and traditions and get these evil people away from our children.
~Robert Lindquist~