• Aprill Brandon •
• Originally published January 9, 2009 at 5:04 p.m., updated January 9, 2009 at 5:04 p.m.

As you know, philosophy means a love of truth. In advertising and media today, one needs to listen critically in order to discern the truth.

We are writing today about the use of sophistry and "power words." Sophist philosophy came out of early Greek (400 B.C.) teachings on oratory and rhetoric.

A sophist is one who uses a specious argument for deceiving someone. It might be crafted to seem logical while actually being wrong. It might appeal to the audience's prejudices and emotions rather than logic.

The enormous power of words is often used against us to defeat our common sense, twist our thinking and control our behavior. We can be persuaded, manipulated and controlled without our realizing it.

Such words are in common use in politics and propaganda and anywhere people want to assert their will over others. When used in advertising, these powers are extremely successful selling tools.

In the past few years, many words have had their meanings softened so as not to offend people. Witness such words as, Higher Power for God, undocumented immigrants for illegal immigrants, mobile home community for trailer park and public servant for bureaucrat.

Activists often use words designed to make people feel guilty - words such as: bigoted, uncaring or mean-spirited. They often appeal to emotions of pity, greed, prejudice, patriotism, fear and doubt. Anti-Christian forces may use ridicule in an attempt to destroy a person's faith.

Many arguments today are framed around civil rights. There are no rights in our Constitution to publish pornography or use foul language on TV. Homosexuals claim to have rights to marriage. the only rights they have are their rights as American citizens. They may do as they please, but nowhere in the Constitution do they have a right to marry.

A good example of misleading words is the title, "American Civil Liberties Union." While the title was chosen to make the public believe they are noble defenders of liberty and justice, their operations actually attack the very foundations of Americanism by defending all forms of licentiousness and common decency. Their most prominent campaigns focus on attacking religious liberties, advancing sexual anarchy, redefining marriage and the family and promoting the culture of death.

The ACLU's founder, Roger Baldwin (1884-1981) early on, stated: "We are for Socialism, disarmament, and ultimately for abolishing the state itself ... We seek the social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class, and the sole control of those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal." (Source: "Trial and Error" by Georoge Grant)

The apostle Paul was acquainted with Greek philosophy and understood how rhetoric and sophistry could manipulate people's thinking, therefore he wrote: "We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." 2 Corinthians 4:2

We trust the apostle Paul, but we are wary of much of today's secular language.

Raymond Smith is president of the Strong Families of Victoria.

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