Summary
As part of our Summer Rewind Series, Hillary and Amy revisit the concept of linguistic theft—the intentional redefining of familiar words and virtues to persuade people to accept ideas they might otherwise reject. They argue that while Christians often teach biblical truths and virtues, today’s culture increasingly redefines words like love, justice, equality, violence, and tolerance, making it difficult for believers—especially children—to recognize when biblical concepts have been replaced with counterfeit meanings.
Using 2 Corinthians 11, they explain that Satan often works through deception rather than obvious evil, disguising false ideas as righteousness. The hosts distinguish between the natural evolution of language and intentional linguistic manipulation, outlining a three-step process they believe is commonly used to shift public opinion. They conclude by encouraging parents to teach their children not only biblical vocabulary but also biblical definitions so they can discern truth from cultural counterfeits.
Main Points Covered
- Understanding Linguistic Theft
- Biblical Discernment and Spiritual Deception
- Modern Examples of Redefined Language
- How Linguistic Theft Influences Culture
- Equipping Children to Stand Firm
Resources Mentioned
- Mama Bear Apologetics
- Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals by Saul Alinsky
- Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America by Noah Rothman
Scriptures Mentioned
- 2 Corinthians 11:3–6
- 2 Corinthians 11:12–15
- Romans 12:1–2
- Romans 1
- Galatians 5:22–23
- Matthew 7:15
Unfamiliar Vocabulary
- Linguistic Theft: Intentionally redefining familiar words to advance an agenda while retaining their positive or negative emotional associations.
- Intersectionality: A framework that considers how multiple social identities overlap to affect experiences of privilege or oppression.
Quotable Quotes
Linguistic theft occurs when people take a concept, virtue, or idea that most people already agree with, and then they change the definition to promote their own agenda. - Hillary Morgan Ferrer Share on X What our kids are being called now is evil and oppressive and hateful and bigoted. So it's one thing to stand against being called uncool, it's another thing to be able to stand against being called evil. - Hillary Morgan Ferrer Share on X
We are all in this together, so sometimes our posts are a bit of all of us.
I have a background in linguistics – a Masters Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
This post is silly and devoid of serious reflection. It reflects the standard whining, phony persecution complex of American popular religion, fear-mongering, demonizing people who don’t conform to our ego’s opinion (talk about idolatry!) and propping imaginary boogie-men.
Words change – the English we speak now is vastly different than the English in Merry Ol’ England. This is the nature of language – it is NOT static – a notion that is a hold-over of a child learning how to use the dictionary for the first time.
Please remember WE humans make our language – NOT the dictionary. The dictionary reflects the current range of usage. There is no “God’s Word” of language.
Likewise, we should always ask – who decides what words mean – who is the grand-arbiter exactly – to bring us back to the vatican’s magisterium for which we fought to be free. The fact is there is NO dictatorial authority – rather we learn the denotations and connotations through usage, context, inquiry and the amazingly powerful gift our human linguistic capability provided by God Himself. And PS there is a behavior called “asking clarification” of someone doesn’t feel certain about the use of another in communication.
Neither this author nor any other has hold on what language means – we all work with our constantly evolving language.