If you grew up in the ’90s you may have found yourself witness to such ongoings as parents denying their children Pokemon cards or Harry Potter books on the grounds that they are ‘unchristian’. It is possible that such was simply a convenient excuse to avoid dropping money on frivolous expenses, but there were undoubtedly those who made the assertions in earnest. Which raises a really apt observation: In order to believe that stories or toys about magic represent a genuine threat, one must first believe that magic is real.
Those who are not of the persuasion that an Abrahamic god (or any god) exists will also remain unconvinced that ‘unchristian’ things represent any kind of threat whatsoever. And it is this incongruity in perception that makes so many in the freedom advocacy community fail to communicate their message adequately. For whatever reason, there is a disproportionately large representation of Christians within the movements opposing tyrannical power. I am not highlighting this to condemn or congratulate anybody. It is purely an observation. From the link:
“I know many Truthers, and while I would say that a majority are Christians (of various denominations), there are also some Muslims, some agnostics, some New Agers, and within the mix a few people who are outright hostile to Christianity.”
But what this leads to is a frequent tendancy for freedom activists to point at something, which runs counter to the goals of human autonomy, and to call it “SATANIC!” (you can hear my exasperated gasp through the screen, right?). It muddies the waters of the cautions they are trying to share to the general public. X thing is not bad because it centralizes control over your finances or because it makes your private life more transparent to alphabet agencies. No, X thing is evil because it is in league with the antagonist of MY particular holy book REEE!.
Damning evidence of a chain store pushing shoppers into satanism? Probably not, but it sure sounds like a sick rave!
So instead of reaching the widest audience possible (this is what you want for your messaging, given that you are trying to ‘wake up the sleeping masses’), it only speaks to those who also happen to subscribe to your particular brand of religiosity. Good job, guys. You just potentially alienated an unknowable portion of your target audience. They may go on to associate your perhaps perfectly valid alarm raising with religious fundamentalism or worse. And it may have also served as a boon to your opponents who would rather see your messaging get poisoned and ignored.
‘But what about the ritualism and ceremonies of powerful people?’ you may ask. Yes, I have seen the ceremonies and displays that certain middlemen and controlling groups partake in. Does that mean that I think they’re summoning demons? No. Because I literally don’t believe in demons. Likewise for all other related superstition. They aren’t “opening portals”. They aren’t “tapping into the power of Satan”. That is all low IQ drivel. Is it a display of iconography and commonality among the parasites? Perhaps. But it is not their choice of imagery that leads me to conclude that their goals are awash in malicious intent.