Steadfast in Faith

06-21-2026Pastor's CornerFr. Bob Deehan

Are you being duped? The evil one, Satan, is working insidiously to try to deceive us. (See Revelation 12:9) One way it’s being done is by convincing us that moral standards do not apply in particular situations, and consequently, we become ready to justify immoral and inhumane behavior for a supposed socially worthy purpose. This is a psychological concept called “moral disengagement.”

For example, we might minimize the harm done to others, or deny our own responsibility by blaming them or external forces. In this situation, labelling and dehumanizing the victims become an acceptable practice. Sound familiar? This psychological manipulation has been used by governments for many years to promote their own agenda. In tandem with this is another kind of insidious manipulation that’s all too common these days. It’s called, the “illusory truth effect.” Basically, it’s a cognitive bias where repeated exposure to false information makes people more likely to believe it is true. Almost daily, we hear of repeated baseless claims, denial of provable facts, and outrageous exaggerations. Critical thinking is replaced by casual acceptance of false information without scrutiny, causing people to fall prey to this cognitive bias rather than accept the evidence to the contrary. This kind of manipulation by repeating falsehoods paired with people’s tendency toward social conformity with others who align with their pre-existing beliefs, has a powerful influence causing many to accept, often unwittingly, what is false and wrong.

These forms of deception are unfortunately influencing people of good-will. We read this warning in the First Letter of St. Peter: “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you after you have suffered a little.”

Let’s pray for all who are deceived and manipulated, as well as those scandalized and overwhelmed by the troubling events going on in our country and in our world, that the Holy Spirit will inspire people of good-will to work courageously to help restore trust and normalcy in these uncertain times.

God bless you!