Module M 014A1 Franklin Iriarte A. Master Of Theology
The attacks toward the Bible go through periods in different societies. And propaganda
plays an important role in these periods. Propaganda is the art of spreading information to a large
number of people. Either the information is true or false is depending of the propaganda.
Propaganda can be classified into two groups: spontaneous and contrived. It is a harmless
mode of communication and it is found everywhere where people talk about their achievements and
executed. It comes in two types: informative and manipulative. The informative is that which aims
at bringing facts to people expecting them to respond favorably. Manipulative propaganda aims
controlling people´s behavior in a specific manner.
Within the propaganda field there is a kind named “Manipulative propaganda”. Which also
aim to control people´s behavior. They use a variety of techniques based on human needs, desires,
problems and aspirations. These techniques have been successfully used to change the thinking and
behavior pattern of entire generations and even nations.
Some of the techniques uses by manipulative propaganda are:
Fear of Bad name (Insecurity, Fear). Propagandists use this in order to create a social fear
of been called in such a way that produces rejection. These are “negative” words that no
one would like to be labeled. This is very powerful on moral standards. Because people
don’t want to be socially isolated.
Appeal of Good name (Security, Allurement). Propagandists use this in the opposite way of
person that wears the clothes that gives a good name or drinking the right soda will give
them a social approval. In the faith side, many people feel very close to God in churches,
but because of the social disapproval they don’t feel socially accepted and quit attending to
church.
Appeal to human authority (Transfer). This is very common on sports advertisements. The
respect to that person is transferred to the persons that wear what they wear. In the
intellectual area, people tend to quote famous people giving authority to their premises.
Appeal to persuasion by individuals (Testimonials). This technique is used to appeal to
testimonial peoples that anyone can identify in order to sell some products.
Appeal to tricky implications (Half truths and white lies). In this technique they try to mix
authentic statements with false implications. In the Bible, the best example of this is when
the serpent deceives Eve with a half truth and lie.
produce pressure on people by appealing “everyone else”. People tend to do what everyone
and fear from being different. This is used to produce a consumer mind in people. Buying
things that people don’t really need fall in this category.
Cardstacking (Outright Deception). This technique is used to produce a false control onto
the subject. But the information given is completely false. For example, when a survey is
manipulated.
Titillation and teasing (Fantasy Manipulation). This technique deals with the ability of the
mind to fantasy about things. It is very important to say that the most powerful emotions are
exploited by sexual fantasies. When they achieve this, they move the limit line specially on
moral issues.
When these techniques are used together they are very harmful. For example, the
Propaganda combined with Mind Manipulation (Seduction) Techniques. The mind is the ultimate
source of our behavior. It is the center of the human thinking and is inseparable from spiritual and
soul parts. The world knows that when they have the key for man´s heart, they have entered
techniques use by propagandists is the Mind Manipulation by repeated exposure. Our mind has a
builtin resistance in doing things that are generally shocking or repulsive. That is why alcohol
suppresses it and people do embarrassing things that wouldn’t normally do under sober conditions.
When the human mind is exposed to repetition it alters the human mind from the reduction of the
shock until doing the thing that used to be adverse. This technique is used to invade minds and to
produce sinful patterns. The repetition reduces the impact of shock and softens the moral part.
Another technique used to manipulate the mind is by Bypassing Reason. The action of a human is
preceded by analysis, reason and at the base is the information. Through this technique they
manipulate the reason and analysis to justify the action. They obstruct the reason appealing to the
emotion. When the emotion is reached, the reason is eclipsed. They give ideas of beautiful things
but they don’t tell the whole thing.
Emotional manipulation is a very effective technique uses to suppress the beliefs and
convictions of people in terms of social pressure. One method is to pick up something that is really
bad or offensive and, using a bit of free association, turn it to implicate something else. Another is
to redefine language in a way that makes good and desirable things look offensive. Censorship is
another method. It is when they omit the real things about the Bible in order to give an incomplete
information, not presenting the whole picture of it. This is censorship.
We have to remember that all contrived propaganda is war; it is a battle to control and
manipulate minds. So, one of the tasks that we must start to do is to analyze propaganda. To do
that, we must ask the right questions. As we make the right questions, our mind will be train to
analyze the garbage that comes into our minds. This will protect our minds.
The most repeated exposure that we must use is to spiritual matters. They will build a
stronger resistance into the mind of the family. A healthy mind is a mind that is eating the good
things: Word of God.