Iaido
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
-1Peter 3:15-16 (NKJV) bold and italics mine for emphasis
Iaido: (居合道), abbreviated iai (居合), is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.-definition courtesy of Wikipedia.
For a visual example of the practice please click the following link: https://youtu.be/u0uu8Ty7_TQ?si=9dVi7kqWoIwVX2as
1. “There is no truth.”
This statement claims to be true. Therefore, it must be false. When someone makes a statement to you, the first defense should be to see if the claim violates its own premise. Or, if their argument negates the premise they’re presenting. If the statement/ argument contradicts itself, ignore it. Then, reflect it back to the one making the claim/ statement. This is the Proverbs 26:4-5 defense.
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
-Proverbs 26:4-5 (NKJV)
“Do not answer a fool according to his folly…” is an admonishment to not become entangled in the errors of others. Once you’re able to secure a stable position outside that chaos, challenge the individual with their own philosophy/ values; “Answer a fool according to his folly…”. In other words, judge them (properly not hypocritically) by the standard they’ve judged you, and observe what happens.
2. Where did you get that information? How did you come to that conclusion?
Has the individual done any work to come to this conclusion or are they just acting as a Tik-Tok theologian? Is their conclusion something they believe legitimately, or are they regurgitating the slogan of the day with which they’ve made the unintentional mistake of allowing themselves to be programmed? Keep in mind this will cut both ways. Be sure you’re able to defend yourself as well if they ask you to do so.
3. What do you mean by that?
This question is especially important today as word games seem to be the norm. One example is “justice”. Two of the most common ways this manifests is the following: 1. equivocation, 2. the Motte and Bailey Strategy.
Equivocation: see equivocate
Equivocate: 1. to use equivocal language esp. with the intent to deceive 2. to avoid committing oneself in what one says syn see LIE-Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 11th ed.
Equivocal: 1a. subject to two or more interpretations and usu. with the intent to mislead or confuse b. uncertain as an indication or sign 2a. of uncertain nature or classification b. of uncertain disposition toward a person or thing c. of doubtful advantage, genuineness or moral rectitude syn see OBSCURE-Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 11th ed.
The Motte and Bailey Strategy is one in which a provocative claim is made such as, “We must institute a global policy of ‘climate justice’ or we’ll be subject to a zombie apocalypse!” When the provocative claim is challenged for the nonsense it is, the individual falls back to a safe position, “You’re against ‘justice’?” In the words of Greta Thunberg, “How dare YOU!” This is simply a strategy to “poison the well” against you and slander and defame you while maintaining a facade of virtue.
4. Why do you care?
This is a fair question for the individual to answer. Why do they feel so strongly about this? Is this a genuine position they hold or, as mentioned above, are they just an armchair slacktivist/ Tik-Tok theologian? Are they truly invested in this ideology or are they just using it to cosplay cultural revolutionary?
5. If Christianity were true, would you become a Christian?
This is one great question to get to the bottom line. This question should be asked of those who claim to have a religious affiliation. Slacktivism has become a fashionable replacement for genuinely living the faith.
6. What’s your point?
As with #5 above, this is a great way to clear up the confusion and get to the point. One of the most common tactics for those “educated” beyond their actual level of intelligence is the “word salad”/ word vomit/ fast talk. This is when the individual is regurgitating words (usually multi-syllabic, “smart” sounding words) to overwhelm the listener. It’s also referred to as “baffling with bulls##t”. If you need examples of this, look-up Kamala Harris or Eric Michael Dyson on You-Tube.
When attacked by the slacktivists: 1. more than likely the attack is primarily to boost their standing in their peer group as opposed to being a desire for legitimate conversation, 2. they will turn very nasty very quickly because their ideology is superficial and so they must attack you verbally and potentially physically, 3. compel clarity-don’t let them devolve the conversation into chaos, force them to stick to definitions, 4. keep reflecting their standard back to them, 5. don’t throw your pearls to pigs. Know when to withdraw. When Jesus stood before Pilate he was condemned although everyone knew he was innocent. The point was to pacify the mob not to do what was right. The same will be true when you face the slacktivist mob. The biggest “mistake” you’ll make is pointing out their error. They will make you suffer for it, and believe themselves justified (you weren’t “nice”-so you did it to yourself).
Do what you can try to get through to them, for their own eternal sake. Remember the example of Stephen…
Above all, practice with these techniques so you’ll be ready to defend your faith.
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Samurai images courtesy pictosmith via www.istock.com.