The Twisting of Words and the Destruction of Language

Recently, I stumbled upon a blog I don’t normally read. In the post I read, the author advocated a certain behavior, even while it caused him some consternation. He was, in effect, saying that the behavior was “right” and ought to be encouraged.

I disagree with said author. And while I didn’t say it directly (because in this case I didn’t feel like kicking a bee hive), I implied the behavior was wrong.

Immediately, I was accused of being hateful.

And that’s why, lately, I’ve been thinking what a strange world we live in. To say something is wrong is now being equated with hate.

What Is Your Standard?

To have any kind of meaningful discussion about what is right and what is wrong, you first have to have a standard. When there is no standard, you’ll just argue in circles. You’ll never really understand each other because you’re not speaking the same language.

Generally speaking, there are three different standards when it comes to right vs. wrong.

• There’s your personal standard.
• There’s man’s standard (summed up by man’s laws).
• There’s God’s standard. (This varies by religion, but I’m specifically talking about the biblical God.)

Imagine the kind of disconnect you’d have trying to argue what is right and what is wrong if your opponent was arguing based on his personal standard while you were arguing based on God’s standard. Or if your opponent had total faith in man (humanism; man as god) and so relied heavily upon man’s laws to judge right vs. wrong.

I’m sure you can see the difficulties you’d have.

How to Judge If Something Is Wrong

When we say something is wrong, we are making that judgment based on our standard. For instance, I believe murder is wrong because God says it’s wrong. God’s law is my standard.

To judge a behavior by the law involves no emotion. There is no love or hate involved (or, at least, there shouldn’t be). It’s really quite simple. If the law says “Don’t murder”… and a person has committed murder… then we can easily judge the person’s behavior as wrong.

Likewise, if the law says, “Don’t steal”… and a person has stolen property from another person… it is a simple matter to say that the perpetrator has committed a wrong.

How do we know it’s wrong? Because the law says that it’s wrong.

Every Man a Law Unto Himself?

It is always interesting to talk to a godless humanist about standards. I always like to ask, “Is killing another person wrong?”

Of course, it’s a set up. The person always says “yes” because there is no other acceptable answer.

Then I ask WHY.

This is the question that a humanist can never answer… because… he has no standard.

He believes every man is a law unto himself. Therefore, by this reasoning, whatever he believes is automatically right.

The only reason this view holds any water at all is because most people have a similar view of right and wrong. But there are always many who fall outside the norm. Look no further than Jeffrey Dahmer… or NAMBLA… for proof.

You see, if every man is a law unto himself, then why can’t I murder somebody if I feel like it? If I’m encouraged to “do what I feel,” then why shouldn’t I be able to take another person’s property if I feel like it?

A humanist might say, “But it’s wrong to do things that hurt other people.” Okay. Based on what? The point is irrelevant if we are operating from the world view that each person is his own standard of morality. (If you want to wrestle with these questions some more, I strongly encourage you to read Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky.)

Ultimately, a humanist view ends up becoming rule by the mob… or by a powerful minority. In other words, those with the biggest stick create the laws and enforce them upon everyone else. In such a system, your only hope is that the laws that are written and enforced are somewhat in line with your own views.

The Twisting of Words & the Destruction of Language

Today, as people become less educated, less literate, and more disconnected from God, it is becoming popular to accuse a person of being hateful for saying that something is wrong.

If I put a murderer in jail in accord with man’s law, does that make me a “hater”? No! Just as I’m not a “lover” if I find the murderer innocent.

Most people will agree with what I’ve just said.

But as soon as we get into those “gray” areas of morality — where half the people believe a certain behavior is wrong and the other half don’t — all of a sudden logic goes out the window. Emotions flare. Now you’re a hater for merely judging an issue according to your standard.

Obviously, this angers me because I don’t like being accused of being hateful when that’s not the truth. And yet it’s not just about me; the twisting of words can have very dangerous consequences, as George Orwell pointed out in 1984. With every passing year, his concept of “newspeak” becomes closer to reality.

WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, and IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.

Most people read 1984 and think, “Wow, that’s scary,” and then go about their business without ever making the connection between the book and what is happening right now in the U.S. When I read 1984, I thought, “Oh, my God. This is happening right here, right now.”

This is confirmed when certain individuals try to suppress thoughtful discussion by labeling a person a “hater” for taking a stand and saying that certain behaviors are wrong.

There are many ways to destroy a country. War is one way. Immigration is another. But the most insidious is through the destruction of language. Please: let’s not allow that to happen here.

-Ryan M. Healy