The Progmo Persecution Complex
It is well-known that some of our people have a persecution complex. It is unsightly the way they see a Baptist under every bush and an atheist worming his way into every apple. (Though abusus non tollit usum).
Less well known is the more common form of the persecution complex, which involves truckling to the persecutors to preemptively stave off persecution. In its secular variation, we call that Stockholm Syndrome or battered wife syndrome. The scriptures tell us in the day the Lord comes, that form of persecution complex will at last end.
20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
I don’t think its conscious. It takes the form of feeling like its just not nice to stand apart from the powers that be. It is corruptly nice. Corruptly in the old sense of corruption, where it means rot in the flesh. Gangrenous nice.
A good clean sound fear is not a big problem and probably healthy. But the persecution complex isn’t a solid fear courageously faced and considered. It is fear with folderol.
This sounds a bit like a virtue set, but if it is it would be virtue set within a set. The standard virtue set here would be the persecution complex as excessive fear of the people who are out to get your, the virtue would be a normal awareness of the damage they could do, along with the vice of being heedless of the threat and the virtue of fearlessly pressing on with your own plans.
Awareness of the threat:Persecution Complex :: Courage:Heedlessness
But here I am talking about two ways the excessive fear of the persecution complex can manifest themselves. You can like the Steward of Gondor think all is lost and despair, everything is a foreseen machination of the enemy. Or you can like Saruman think all is lost and decide to be on the other team. I think given that there is a fear, the virtues are confronting it while also accepting whatever comes, and the vices are the two types of persecution complex
Confronting Fear:Seeing what your Fear Everywhere :: Acceptance:Surrender
My virtue set analysis here is tentative. I am not sure I have it right yet.
Sute
March 7, 2024
Hmm. Consider the parable of the steward who fears losing his job so he acts opportunistically and the Lord calls this servant wise and then says to make friends with the mammon of unrighteousness.
Consider also the Lord’s sermon that we are blessed when evil is done unto us for our faith in Him and great shall be our reward in the kingdom of heaven.
So one: the persecution is real. Two, it will be present in some sense until we get to heaven. Three, the lord doesn’t council us to lose faith, but to act wisely in our circumstances to preserve our position.
Any disagreement there?
So, how does that look in practice when applied to the raging rainbow mob or masochistic mask wearers, who are all in some degree of civil authority over us?
sute
March 7, 2024
To be clear, the steward acted in a way that benefits his master in a costly way ultimately for his own benefit.
G
March 7, 2024
Your points sound right to me