Awaken Bible Prophecy Update 3-15-23: Stupidity & Our World

‘Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed- in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical – and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.”

This statement was written in a letter by Dietrich Bonhoeffer while in prison during World War 2 for opposing the Nazi Regime and specifically for taking part in a conspiracy to assassinate Adolph Hitler.  We can dispute the wisdom of Bonhoeffer’s participation in this plot – and probably should – but we all make decisions that affect us one way or the other, to the good and to the bad.  This decision brought about Bonhoeffer’s death by hanging just days before the Allied Forces freed Nazi Germany and the prisoners where Bonhoeffer was held.

Bonhoeffer’s comments on stupidity are relevant for this current age – the Era of COVID – since it’s certainly evident that stupidity rules the day for a large swath of humanity.  If we wish to use another – less demeaning – term, we could say that many people are deceived.  Regardless, there is enough evidence in the public domain – even for the most obtuse of people – for everyone to understand that all the measures imposed by government and their many corruptocrats dictating policies as to how a free people should no longer live free – that everything COVID related has been a scam, and we shouldn’t trust a single person in authority speaking on this subject.  Yet, far too many people continue following science that is not science and willingly submit their freedoms.  What’s worse – even after all this time – they still want others to live under the oppression that they have decided is necessary to remain alive and well.  So . . . I’ll just say: This is deception, and yes, stupidity.

Unfortunately, such stupidity extends well into other realms of our existence.  Chronicling them all would take more time than I have here, so I’ll just discuss a few – but do so in relation to the rest of Bonhoeffer’s letter in which he outlined his thoughts on this subject.

 

 

Transcript:

‘Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed- in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical – and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.”

 

This statement was written in a letter by Dietrich Bonhoeffer while in prison during World War 2 for opposing the Nazi Regime and specifically for taking part in a conspiracy to assassinate Adolph Hitler.  We can dispute the wisdom of Bonhoeffer’s participation in this plot – and probably should – but we all make decisions that affect us one way or the other, to the good and to the bad.  This decision brought about Bonhoeffer’s death by hanging just days before the Allied Forces freed Nazi Germany and the prisoners where Bonhoeffer was held.

 

Bonhoeffer’s comments on stupidity are relevant for this current age – the Era of COVID – since it’s certainly evident that stupidity rules the day for a large swath of humanity.  If we wish to use another – less demeaning – term, we could say that many people are deceived.  Regardless, there is enough evidence in the public domain – even for the most obtuse of people – for everyone to understand that all the measures imposed by government and their many corruptocrats dictating policies as to how a free people should no longer live free – that everything COVID related has been a scam, and we shouldn’t trust a single person in authority speaking on this subject.  Yet, far too many people continue following science that is not science and willingly submit their freedoms.  What’s worse – even after all this time – they still want others to live under the oppression that they have decided is necessary to remain alive and well.  So . . . I’ll just say: This is deception, and yes, stupidity.

 

Unfortunately, such stupidity extends well into other realms of our existence.  Chronicling them all would take more time than I have here, so I’ll just discuss a few – but do so in relation to the rest of Bonhoeffer’s letter in which he outlined his thoughts on this subject.

 

We’ll get to this in a moment.  First we’ll pray and read from God’s Word.

 

<PRAY>

 

Scripture

 

Proverbs 15:21

Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.

 

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.

Stupidity & Our World

 

  • For those of us who have seen the evil perpetrated by our national, state, and local governments, the entire medical establishment, compliant/woke corporations, schools, the media, and worldwide institutions such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum, among many others, it’s difficult to realize that far too many do not see this wickedness . . .
  • Rather, they drink it like water and believe that it’s all for the common good
  • This response leaves many of us shaking our heads in wonder and despair
  • Where is the common sense of people these days?
  • And then some of us remember the times we’re in . . .
  • These are the latter days spoken of in God’s Word as the end-times
  • That being the case – and knowing how many people will blindly follow Antichrist when he arrives on the scene – is it any wonder that we’re observing a general dumbing down of humanity?
  • During the seven years of the Tribulation the world will agree that Antichrist speaks truth and that whatever he says will bring about the common good
  • In fact, he may say that utopia is just around the corner despite the evidence clear as a bell all around the world that it’s not, given the wrath of Satan that has been unleashed and God’s judgments raining down from heaven
  • But don’t believe your lying eyes!
  • Just because we’re experiencing World War 3, massive inflation, famine, wild beasts, plagues, and government tyranny unlike any other time – just believe Antichrist and he’ll make everything better
  • Commit the existence of your very soul to him, take his mark, and within a short time, all will be well

 

  • So, let’s see what else Dietrich Bonhoeffer had to say
  • In the first quote in my introduction, here are some key points:
    • Against stupidity we are helpless
    • Reasons fall on deaf ears
    • Facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply don’t need to be believed
    • Stupid people often become highly critical
    • Irrefutable facts are pushed aside as inconsequential and incidental
    • Stupid people are often quite self-satisfied in their worldview
    • This can lead to the person becoming easily irritated
    • More than that, it can lead to violence
  • This is an interesting summary given what we’ve been up against these last three years
  • Those who bought into the COVID scam were impervious to our reasoning and logic
  • Because they believed what the establishment told them was science, and thus true, anyone contradicting this position was labeled a conspiracy theorist and must be ignored
  • More than that, such people were to be cancelled from the marketplace of ideas
  • They were to be stripped of any public platform where their radical and rebellious opinions could be heard
  • In fact, those of us having such opinions were labeled as spouting mis- dis- and mal- information
  • This was and is an official government position
  • We were deemed domestic terrorists of all things!
  • Such labeling even brought about violence against some individuals – simply for having a different perspective and quoting facts
  • This is obviously completely contrary to the U.S. Constitution with its Bill of Rights – particularly the 1st Amendment, which reads:

 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

 

  • Of course, none of these COVID free speech restrictions were codified into law by Congress – simply imposed by various unaccountable government agencies and all their lackies in the public space
  • Because so many people without the capacity for critical thinking indiscriminately went along to get along, a great many of them became very judgmental
  • It didn’t matter if their irritation was directed at family, friends, or fellow church-goers, what they had ingested and believed as fact made them superior
  • It gave them the right to demand compliance from those who thought differently
  • And sometimes, when those of us who didn’t agree had a spotlight shone upon our position, the compliant and stupid, who believed government knew best, would become violent
  • When a society begins devolving to such a level, it’s in big trouble

 

  • Bonhoeffer went on in his letter to state:

 

‘If we want to know how to get the better of stupidity, we must seek to understand its nature. This much is certain, that it is in essence not an intellectual defect but a human one. There are human beings who are of remarkably agile intellect yet stupid, and others who are intellectually quite dull yet anything but stupid. We discover this to our surprise in particular situations. The impression one gains is not so much that stupidity is a congenital defect, but that, under certain circumstances, people are made stupid or that they allow this to happen to them. We note further that people who have isolated themselves from others or who live in solitude manifest this defect less frequently than individuals or groups of people inclined or condemned to sociability. And so it would seem that stupidity is perhaps less a psychological than a sociological problem. It is a particular form of the impact of historical circumstances on human beings, a psychological concomitant of certain external conditions. Upon closer observation, it becomes apparent that every strong upsurge of power in the public sphere, be it of a political or of a religious nature, infects a large part of humankind with stupidity. It would even seem that this is virtually a sociological-psychological law. The power of the one needs the stupidity of the other. The process at work here is not that particular human capacities, for instance, the intellect, suddenly atrophy or fail. Instead, it seems that under the overwhelming impact of rising power, humans are deprived of their inner independence, and, more or less consciously, give up establishing an autonomous position toward the emerging circumstances. The fact that the stupid person is often stubborn must not blind us to the fact that he is not independent. In conversation with him, one virtually feels that one is dealing not at all with a person, but with slogans, catchwords and the like that have taken possession of him. He is under a spell, blinded, misused, and abused in his very being. Having thus become a mindless tool, the stupid person will also be capable of any evil and at the same time incapable of seeing that it is evil. This is where the danger of diabolical misuse lurks, for it is this that can once and for all destroy human beings.”

 

  • Bonhoeffer was writing from the perspective of what had happened to the German people when the Nazis took power
  • All around in that society, people simply did what they were told and/or turned a blind eye
  • There are accounts of people on Sunday mornings in church near the railroad tracks where trains packed with Jews were headed to concentration camps
  • As those trains passed, and the congregants heard the screaming and cries for help, when singing a hymn, they sang louder
  • In those towns where the concentration camps were built to process and kill the Jews, the black smoke from the cremation ovens rose to cover the town and emit its noxious death fumes
  • People simply put their heads down and ignored the atrocity in their very backyard
  • From this, let’s consider a few more pertinent points Bonhoeffer makes in his letter:
    • Seemingly smart people can be stupid
    • Seemingly stupid people can be smart
    • There are circumstances in which people are made stupid or in which they actually allow themselves to be dumbed-down into stupidity
    • When there is a rise in political or religious power, this can infect much of humanity with stupidity
    • Such power – and for it to become greater – actually requires such stupidity
      • This is where Mass Formation Psychosis comes in
      • I covered this in a Prophecy Update over a year ago
      • You can find the link below on the Rumble page if interested
    • An interesting phenomenon is that people who have crossed the intellectual spectrum and become stupid are incapable of independent thought
    • As Bonhoeffer says, it’s as though we aren’t dealing with the person at all
    • They become what they’ve been brainwashed to believe
    • As a result, the slogans and catchwords they spout have – in a sense – taken possession of them
    • Personally, I think this is where the demonic comes into play
    • Bonhoeffer states that such people are under a spell, blinded, misused, and abused in their very being
    • If these people are not true believers in Jesus Christ, they leave themselves wide open to various levels of demonic activity – from harassment to oppression to full possession
    • They travel down that Romans Road to sin and depravity as Paul outlines in Romans Chapter 1
    • If such people under this spell happen to be born-again believers who submit to this tyranny of thought, they can certainly be harassed and oppressed by Satan’s minions
    • They won’t be possessed, but by being deceived and believing the lie, they likewise make room for the demonic in their external lives
    • For either of these two categories of people – unbelievers and believers – when they become deceived, stupid, and compliant, they easily partake of evil and are simultaneously incapable of recognizing that it is actually evil
    • Again, they think they’re doing good
    • One thing that Bonhoeffer states in this section is that people in solitude will be less inclined to accept the lies being foisted upon them
    • Rather he sees this more a function of being part of a crowd, so to speak
    • I think that social and mass media has altered that reality
    • During COVID, we were isolated from human contact, masked, and locked down
    • Because everyone had access to computers and smartphones, although they were alone, they were also subject to the overwhelming propaganda perpetrated through their technology devices
    • They were isolated yet part of the crowd influenced by the authorities working though such mediums as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
    • This allowed the Mass Formation Psychosis to take shape so that stupidity would arise and continue

 

  • Bonhoeffer completes his thoughts with the following couple paragraphs:

 

‘Yet at this very point it becomes quite clear that only an act of liberation, not instruction, can overcome stupidity. Here we must come to terms with the fact that in most cases a genuine internal liberation becomes possible only when external liberation has preceded it. Until then we must abandon all attempts to convince the stupid person. This state of affairs explains why in such circumstances our attempts to know what ‘the people’ really think are in vain and why, under these circumstances, this question is so irrelevant for the person who is thinking and acting responsibly. The word of the Bible that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom declares that the internal liberation of human beings to live the responsible life before God is the only genuine way to overcome stupidity.

 

‘But these thoughts about stupidity also offer consolation in that they utterly forbid us to consider the majority of people to be stupid in every circumstance. It really will depend on whether those in power expect more from people’s stupidity than from their inner independence and wisdom.’

 

  • The stupidity that Bonhoeffer discusses results in bondage
  • You can tell people the facts and truth until the cows come home, but they cannot comprehend what should be simple to see
  • One of the places we’ve seen all this exercised is in Canada
  • Here in America, we’ve experienced some level of government overreach as a result of COVID and its many aftereffects, i.e. masks, lockdowns, and the bio-weapon masquerading as a vaccine
  • Above our northern border, the people under that government have been subjected to much worse
  • I recently read a novel titled Much Ado About Corona: A Dystopian Love Story by John Manley
  • If you wish to get a real sense of what Canadians went through, I highly recommend the book
  • It’s all at the same time lighthearted, fun, and deadly serious
  • It portrays what an out-of-control government will impose, how the police act to enforce the illegal rules, how people act exactly as I’ve noted today with such stupidity that they are incapable of being reasoned with, and how good people with a proper sense of freedom push back – sometimes rebelling to such an extent that unexpected, negative consequences happen
  • The good guys and gal in the story want to liberate their fellow citizens and try to educate them; they try to show what their overweening government is doing
  • But with stupidity as rampant as it is, they’re fighting a losing battle
  • What do you do in such circumstances?
  • What do you do when your own government criminalizes dissent as Canada has now officially done?
  • We who are Bible-believing Christ-followers understand that only true faith in the Lord Jesus can bring liberation – to release the chains that bind – just as Bonhoeffer says
  • That bondage may be physical or it may be mental
  • Even those who are saved can be subject to these chains
  • But as we begin to understand that fear and reverence of the Lord is wisdom, we can act as we should in the eyes of God
  • Perhaps this means a physical fight as in the Revolutionary days of this nation . . .
  • Perhaps it means civil disobedience like Gandhi – not a Christian but with the right idea for this concept– practiced in India some years ago . . .
  • Perhaps it means engaging in the political arena for some . . .
  • Perhaps it means that we should follow the Words of our Lord and Savior when he told His disciples in Luke 24:47 right before He ascended to heaven:

 

and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his [Messiah’s] name to all nations

 

  • Perhaps as we speak the Good News of Jesus Christ . . .
  • Not just the half Gospel that Jesus loves you . . .
  • But the full Gospel that says we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . .
  • That in order to be made right with God and to experience the true freedom that He brings through His Son . . .
  • We must acknowledge our sin and repent . . .
  • That we must ask God to forgive us . . .
  • And when we do this with a heartfelt desire, He hears from heaven and answers us
  • When we pursue Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, He’ll not only forgive us, He’ll free us from all bondage
  • In the context of this message, He’ll break the chains of stupidity so that we have wisdom, that we know truth, and that we can exercise discernment in the things of this world

 

  • As we always want to ask with a message these days: Where does all this lead?
  • How does stupidity play out in the years ahead?
  • I’ve already touched on it briefly earlier noting how people will blindly follow Antichrist and give their very souls to him
  • Among other things, even as we see certain developments today, during the Tribulation every one of these things will get infinitely worse:
  • From the UK comes the news that half – 50% – of Brits support the idea of complete totalitarian control by the government using a Digital ID function on their smartphones to hold their passport, drivers license, tax records, qualifications and right to work status
  • From many comments by government elites, we know this would also morph to include health records
  • How long before it would register someone’s ESG status linked to digital currency?
  • Once all fiat currency – basically cash – is outlawed and CBDCs are implemented, i.e. Central Bank Digital Currency, those who supported such lunacy will quickly realize it wasn’t such a good idea
  • When the government can both give and take away with impunity – whether your money, your ability to buy and sell, or your rights – slavery is the next step
  • When we give total control to the government, it will swallow us up in its desire to grow even bigger and impose whatever will it wants upon the populace
  • You don’t like the idea of eating bugs as the elites have been socializing now for some time?
  • Tough luck
  • Once all actual meat sources have been relegated to only the pastures of the elites for their consumption, we poor shlubs will have no other options
  • So . . . when the necessity comes along to pay homage to Antichrist in order to have a job or feed your family, how many people will resist?
  • Why not worship him if that means a better life?
  • So what if you have to take a little mark on your hand or forehead?
  • In this case, the few crumbs that the elites will throw to the plebes rounded up into cities where they can’t travel any further than 15 minutes from their homes
  • Just saying that reminds me of the account Jesus told about Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16
  • The elites of today and during the time of the Tribulation will be brought to account by Jesus Himself
  • What they have today will be useless in their eternity in the Lake of Fire
  • One of the things which I’m sure many of us hope in this regard is that those around us who are deceived today – literally stupid – because they’ve believed a corrupt and evil government system, will come to their senses during the Tribulation
  • Our prayers and witnessing for many of our family, friends, and others seem to have no effect
  • It may be that God will use our meager pleas to heaven for His glory during the time of wrath
  • Perhaps His conviction will come upon these, and they will realize their need for Him and suffer the persecution of those days – having come to saving faith
  • Stupidity or deceit: it all leads to the same place unless someone is transformed by the love and saving grace of Jesus Christ which causes them to bow before Him in repentance
  • For those of us who have come to the knowledge of a personal relationship with Jesus and are obeying His commands, what blessings He pour out upon us – even giving us the means to resist the deceit and stupidity of these evil days
  • For that and so much more – let us give Him all the glory that He deserves!

5 Responses to “Awaken Bible Prophecy Update 3-15-23: Stupidity & Our World”

  1. Reply Robin McCann

    Yes, you can be kind and say they are deceived, but choosing to be deceived… that’s what’s stupid.

  2. Reply suzanneamyswift

    Years ago I found Roy Masters and his free meditation on the internet. Roy used to be professional hypnotist and was amazed how easily he could hypnotize people and make them do what he wanted them to do. To combat this he came up with a meditation that breaks the hpnotic spell. He thinks the hypnotic spell is caused by stress… who knows? I took this meditation to one of the top preachers in Tucson… one of the books that Roy Master’s wrote… he gave it back to me saying it was safe. The meditation is called… “Be Still and Know…” It works I use it daily for at least 15 minutes a day.

    • Reply Gary Ritter

      I would suggest extreme caution with any meditative technique. I don’t know anything about this Roy Masters, but if we’re meditating by emptying our mind rather than meditating on the Word of God, that’s a problem. Beware and be wary!

  3. Reply Jim Eastman

    This makes me think about how bad our school systems have become. My granddaughter lives with us a result of some bad family situations. When she first came into our household in the 5th grade she was unable to read. She was a product of the California School System. We have since recitified this situation however, grade creep and reduced planned school days by the NEA and MEA are contributing to a dumbing down of our kids. Everybody now gets and “A”. They are more concerned about “woke” ideas than teaching the 3 R’s. Everybody “just be nice”. Lord come quickly! I dont want to be part of the next generation in charge. They are stupid.

    • Reply Gary Ritter

      You’ve probably seen the recent info about massive numbers of schools in Chicago and elsewhere where the kids can’t read anywhere close to grade level. Teaching woke is much more important than the 3 Rs of old. And stupid is exactly what the global elites want because it makes people much more compliant. Tragic.

Leave a Reply to suzanneamyswift