But in your wonderful, secret way, my God, you had already taught me that a statement is not necessarily true because it is wrapped in fine language or false because it is awkwardly expressed.

He prayed like this when he was evaluating the Manichean theories of the day, found them a bit lacking but was hoping that a certain man called Faustus (considered the expert in the matter) would enlighten him. When Faustus arrived, Augustine was struck by his mastery of language and his eloquence. He was delighted by ‘the ease with which he found the right words to clothe his thoughts’, he not only applauded it, but also ‘perhaps did so more than most!’

However, he wasn’t easily swayed, according to him:

…[The ideas] seemed to me none the better for being better expressed, nor true simply because they were eloquently told. Neither did I think that a pleasant face and a gifted tongue were proof of a wise mind.

Experts do not always make the best teachers (or communicators). People who have deep knowledge of a given subject, sometimes, for various reasons (that we won’t bother going into), lack the ability to speak with clarity in front of an audience. But, on the other hand, we have those who have a shallow grasp on the subject but are nevertheless able to dazzle their listeners with their flawed logic. These are the dangerous people I want to talk about.

I say ‘dangerous’ for a good reason. Augustine later on got a chance to speak with Faustus privately and pressed him with difficult questions which he surprisingly and unashamedly admitted that he had no answers for. Despite the honesty, Augustine is thankful to have been spared from the trap that is Faustus; a man who, in his own words, “had been a deadly snare to many”.

A few weeks ago, I experienced the same thing while watching a talk in which the speaker was so captivating to the point that I had to pinch myself several times, reminding myself that what he was saying was utter nonsense. In addition, I’ve written before how the same phenomena played out in Nazi Germany when Hitler rallied crowds behind an evil cause and was able to mask deception with ease. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, with his deep mistrust of charisma, instead wanted a ‘serious exploration of questions’, a ‘pure, abstract theorizing, in the attempt to grasp a problem in its fullness’.

I’m not about to rehash my previous thoughts, but want to instead probe how this happens. How do we fall miserably under such spells and drink this kind of poison?

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with… all wicked deceptions for those who are perishing, because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore, God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false.
2 Thessalonians 2:11

The first book of kings records the story of the death of King Ahab (1 Kings 22) who was flirting — or should I say obsessed — with the idea of invading the land of Ramoth-Gilead. He got himself hundreds of prophets that were ready to tell him what he already wanted to hear, with the exception of one prophet named Micaiah whom he hated for the way he always prophesied negatively about him.

Despite Micaiah’s stern warning, Ahab went to war and died on the battlefield.

Truth is truth, whether it is popular or not!

“The heart wants what the heart wants,” So they say! It will even find hundreds of ‘prophetic’ voices to justify its craving. It won’t listen to reason if its foolishness can be legitimized by alternative (and plausible) excuses.

The heart wants what the heart wants. It doesn’t find truth glamorous enough but instead prefers the hypnotizing power of lies and its eloquent and charismatic proponents. It chooses what sounds so pleasing to its itchy ears and what plays well with its (fallen) desires and passions and definitely does not worry about the desolation that is sure to follow.

Truth can be rejected, not because it doesn’t make logical sense, but purely and simply just because it is not ‘loved’! So, beware of your emotions and your loves as they come to influence what you believe.

Do not get me wrong; truth is more beautiful — even though we scarcely choose it. It’s way more glamorous than lies any day. We just don’t see it at first because we are

…like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased.
C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory.

So what would my advice be?