The Orwellian Echo Chamber
Orwell’s 1984 and the Hyper-Charismatic Movement
I recently finished George Orwell’s novel, 1984. I hadn’t read it before, and I love stories that take place in a dystopian future, so I was excited to get into it. When I got to the end of the novel, it included an appendix with more information about some of the tactics used by Big Brother (the all-powerful government figure) to control citizens. This got me thinking…
If you’ve read 1984, you should track with me pretty easily. If you’re not familiar with the novel, I will do my best to break things down so that you can still follow my thoughts. Here we go!
NEWSPEAK
Newspeak was the language that the authoritarian government of the story was crafting and putting into the society. Common, historical language was changed in order to erase original meanings from words that were deemed unnecessary, dangerous, or superfluous.
The offending words themselves were not necessarily erased from the Dictionary, but their meanings were altered, and it was done over time with a goal of removing the original meanings. Ultimately each generation of people became further and further removed from the original meanings until the words were finally forgotten completely.
This concept of Newspeak caused me to reflect about how much scripture I had consumed over the course of my life as a hyper-Charismatic Christian. I thought that I had hidden the Word in my heart, but in fact, I had been stowing away a Newspeak version of scripture in my heart.
The meanings that I associated with many passages of scripture were based on how I had been taught their meanings by teachers I listened to who, sadly, were mishandling the Word. This teaching over time created an interpretive lens through which I viewed scripture in my personal Bible study as well.
The Apostles consistently warned believers to look out for false teachers, false prophets, and those who twist their words. We probably imagine these people too often as ravenous wolves- people who are wicked, self-serving deceivers. However, I think it’s important to consider that well-meaning sheep who have a skewed understanding of scripture can do just as much damage as wolves.
The following is an interesting passage about those who twist the words of scripture:
“And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.” 2 Peter 3:15–17, ESV
Ignorance is identified as a contributing factor in the twisting of God’s Word in 2 Peter. Many Charismatic churches boast ministers who feel called to teach God’s Word, but they often scoff at traditional institutions of learning. They may compare themselves to the “unlearned” disciples of Jesus, following that up with jokingly calling seminary cemetery.
Instability in a teacher is another factor when we see the scriptures mishandled. A person may mangle God’s word because they themselves have no root of faith in Christ, no self-control in the Spirit. They twist the Bible to meet their own needs and perhaps to help them feel more comfortable calling themselves a Christian while also living in sin.
Lawlessness is mentioned also, as Peter seems to say that both the ignorant and the unstable Bible twister share this characteristic. They hate accountability. A lawless person will claim they have no master but God alone, and yet they cannot be reasoned with by way of God’s Word. They will twist the Word to excuse themselves from judgment and accountability.
Ultimately, much of the doctrine that distinguishes the Charismatic position from other Christian traditions is based in personal revelations. Somebody has a vision, a dream, a fresh revelation that gives new meaning to some passage of scripture, and these extra-biblical things are passed down to become pillars of Charismatic belief.
DOUBLETHINK
In Orwell’s dystopian future, Big Brother wanted society to submit to a new way of seeing things. Not only did they have a goal to change the language, but they also wanted control of people’s thoughts. They gained that control by being the only voice speaking to the people, telling them what to think.
War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
Citizens embraced these contradictory statements, giving new meanings to old concepts. This is done in order to show allegiance to Big Brother and preserve one’s place in society.
This was called Doublethink.
A person experiencing doublethink has two opposing ideas in their mind, but they live with the antithetical ideas without internal conflict because they have surrendered their freedom of rational thinking.
Doublethink is an echo chamber with no door by which to escape.
THE HYPER-CHARISMATIC ECHO CHAMBER
God’s graciousness allowed me to see red flags and begin to research the movement I was in. I began studying scripture and humbly considering the teachings & criticisms of qualified teachers outside of my own faith tradition.
There was a door out of the NAR for me, and it was a willingness to listen to people outside of my camp.
The truth is, before I left the NAR, I was pretty happy. I loved Jesus. I loved my church. I was fully onboard with listening to everything the NAR leaders had to say, and frankly, their teaching was like this higher knowledge in my mind. I truly felt that anyone who was a Christian for long enough would eventually come over to the hyper-Charismatic side of things, because it was the high water mark of what God was doing on the earth.
Many who are still in the hyper-Charismatic world are happy to stay insulated, to listen only to their teachers, to believe only the history they are told about their movements, and to ascribe to scripture the meanings that they are taught by those in the hyper-Charismatic movement. Why?
Partially, because they are happy. The world of hyper-Charismatic church has a veneer of joy, excitement, closeness to God, and even intellectualism at times. Those who are in it don’t feel the need to go looking elsewhere for teaching or insight. They are in the hyper-Charismatic echo chamber because they’re enjoying it.
But, there is another reason too.
Many are told that it is detrimental to their faith and offensive to the Holy Spirit to listen to the haters, heresy hunters, and people from dead churches. There is a widely shared idea among those in hyper-Charismatic circles that Christians risk depleting their power/faith by hearing the criticisms of others about their beliefs or engaging in discourse with believers who don’t share their Charismatic doctrines.
I hate this logic, because it is both anti-intellectual and anti-Biblical.
Time and time again, scripture shows that the attitude of a wise person is that of a learner.
Proverbs is filled with encouragement to seek knowledge.
Paul used his knowledge of secular poets and philosophers to reason with people in other cultures and bring them to Christ.
God calls His rebellious children in this way: “Come and let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18).
Likewise, in the book of Job, we see that God Himself didn’t strike down the foolish counselors for their ignorance, nor did He leave Job because of his willingness to listen to them.
These friends of Job were professing believers in God, but they were critical and contrary toward Job’s beliefs. God was able to use these poor counselors as a springboard to reveal to Job the truth about his situation and the greatness of God. How much more can He work through wise counselors?
There is no truth in the claim that hearing from people who have differing opinions will drive away God’s presence. This is a claim that keeps fellow Christians from learning from one another.
Here is a great example from the Bible of fellow believers strengthening one another by sharing their knowledge:
“Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.” Acts 18:24–28, ESV
It appears that this encounter with Priscilla and Aquila was a pivotal moment in Apollos’ ministry, and that because of this strengthening of his understanding, he was a more powerful preacher.
Likewise, this gem in Proverbs gives us great wisdom, implying that it is important to listen to all sides of a story if you want to find the truth:
“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” Proverbs 18:17, ESV
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
Cognitive dissonance is a phrase used to describe the discomfort someone feels when they have antithetical beliefs, and typically this discomfort will drive them to some kind of action to resolve the tension that they’re feeling.
In other words, your conscience is being tortured by the fact that you have no peace in the things that you believe.
I recall studying the scriptures while in the hyper-Charismatic movement and seeing contradictions. Specific teachings from popular Charismatic teachers were in direct opposition to what I saw in the Word, but I lived with the torture of my conscience rather than pick a side. I just put the issues on the back burner and didn’t consider them much. I am grateful that God did not allow my conscience to be seared on that back burner.
In Orwell’s 1984, we see the main character go back and forth from discomforted cognitive dissonance to surrendered doublethink. He knows that he is only free if he is free to disagree with the logic of Big Brother. He is only free if he is able to use his own faculties to come to his own conclusions. But, he is under immense pressure to surrender his freedom, to sear his conscience…
In case you haven’t read the book, I won’t give any more away.
I thank God that He made a way for me to exit the hyper-Charismatic echo chamber. I will say that I truly had a love for God, even through my years being influenced by the NAR. I truly believe that most people in the movement love God, but they have been swept up in poor theology and the culture of the echo chamber.
When I left the movement and finally realized what I had been in- I truly felt like the proverbial frog in the pot of water which was slowly rising in temperature until it reached a boil.
The best advice I can give you: Be open to hearing from diverse sources. Value the qualified ministers of the gospel who have taken the pains to educate themselves in Biblical languages, church history, and the like. Don’t close yourself in an echo chamber. It looks like a cozy room to sit with your thoughts, but it may just be a pot of lukewarm water with a rising temperature.
If you are following my content because you’re concerned about a loved one who is being influenced by bad theology- I encourage you to continue to fill yourself with truth. Be prepared to give a defense for the hope that you have. Keep sharing the truth in love, and keep encouraging your loved one(s) to think for themselves.
God bless you.
Thank you for coming along with me on this somewhat long-winded journey into my brain and the dystopian future that is George Orwell’s 1984.
