MindShift-Brandon's arguments aren't well thought out. They are expressed clearly but they are not sufficiently nuanced. Some might call this low hanging fruit, the problem is, he has well over 100,000 subscribers that take his arguments seriously.
Brandon... aka MindShift often comes out with arguments against the existence of the Christian God but this one... well.. it wasn't great. @TSXpress & @JoshRKlein analyze his new argument. Does his effort receive a passing grade? Click to find out: https://t.co/Cs8mGYfnCC
Does the Christian God exist? @TSXpress tackled this very idea in a recent debate with @TheApe_Theist. Here's his opening speech in that debate: https://t.co/kLP8QQGEnN
Dr. RT Mullins stopped by and @nosyt43 joins the party to discuss Molinism, it's issues, it's flavors, and whether Dr. @DrWilliamLCraig's version is incoherent. Check out @TSXpress and @JoshRKlein take on this important conversation in today's episode: https://t.co/8VP5wix8Yx
This is worth the watch... it's a bit long but I think @nosyt43 and @TSXpress dismantle, lovingly, all of the arguments presented by @CosmicSkeptic in this conversation.
Recently, Dr @DrWilliamLCraig discussed Theism and the Problem of Animal Suffering with @CosmicSkeptic. Are Alex's objections sustainable? @nosyt43 stops by to discuss what REALLY happened at @UnbelievableFE's event. https://t.co/vtAhrdWN4D
@TSXpress has an argument that he forwards that concludes with a possible hope of animal life after death... that spurred an audience question from a mom who has a wayward son... he and @JoshRKlein respond here: https://t.co/wSGaqrOGbx
For anyone that have watched @MikeWingerii's Gary Morgan video and watched the meeting interaction, I think those of us who have dealt with narcissistic spiritual abusers might recognize some things that a person who hasn't dealt with these types might not recognize. They might see Gary as a bad guy but Allen and Peter as guys with genuinely good hearts that are trying to do the right thing. But the whole thing is rotten to the core. This might be a bit long but - I want to break down some of the tactics happening in the video:
1. Spiritual and secret knowledge weaponized as an alibi: What do I mean by that? Some might look at the Zoom call and wonder how they can see all of the evidence and say something like, "We're just interpreting the claims differently." The point is not to convince Mike. They likely knew this was going to go public eventually, so what they are doing here is signaling their spiritual and emotional superiority. Notice that Peter does this often especially after Mike gets worked up. They remain even-keeled and dismissive and their tactic is this: Make sure Mike looks out of control in certain aspects and we look like we're under control and contrite.
This is why they will say, "I could see how an objective person would see it the way you see it Mike." That's belitting Mike but it's also meant to belittle YOU the viewer. You just don't KNOW enough about Gary, the situation, and how God works. Sure, you might be objective but you're not enlightened to the true truth. Why would they admit that? Because the goal is to signal that there is a truth beyond the facts - it is spiritual gaslighting.
Notice how Peter and Allen do not have answers for the questions. Peter shrugs when proven he lied multiple times, Allen obfuscates and transfers questions into an investigation of Mike (what would make YOU realize this is false? Also, here are some unverifiable stories of Gary's prophetic gift that prove he's telling the truth because I was there. Trust me.)
This tactic isn't to resolve the situation with Mike or the accusers, they've already written them off. It's to rally the unwavering believers to their own cause by showing that Mike and others are just not open to the Spirit's leading here. In fact, THEY are the deceptive ones (classic DARVO) because of the fake Facebook account and other issues.
I had this same thing happen in ministry when I brought up abuse in a family in the church. "Well, no one actually KNOWS our family so unless you talk to a member of our family you don't know the whole story. Also, he's bad because X,Y, Z."
2. False transparency: Multiple times you will find that Gary, Peter, and Allen will signal to their own transparency. "We're the ones that asked for a recording." "We really wanted to turn over our electronics." "Of course we would pay for a third party investigation." "I have screenshots of my e-mail being compromised and I wanted to get to the bottom of it." "I WANTED to meet with Nathaniel and Hayley and look, Nathaniel seems to by lying about his own convictions he even apologized! What about that?
This is intended to make the observer start to question their own lying eyes. Maybe there IS more to the story but Gary, Peter and Allen just can't say. They're too upstanding of individuals and Nathaniel DID apologize and claims he did so because he felt forced? That sounds like something someone with an axe to grind would do doesn't it? Innuendo and impugning the character of the accuser. But they don't actually provide any of that transparency (notice Peter was annoyed that a previous meeting he was in WAS recorded). They have an answer for why all of those things didn't happen. "we really wanted them to but... but... but... mostly it's Nathaniel's fault. But we're sorry he felt attacked."
Again, I have experienced this. I, too, was forced into a situation where I apologized before a church for doing something small in relation to the large abuse going on. I was the one that stood in front of the congregation and had to voice my apologies to keep my job and then that apology was used against me one year later. Sound familiar?
3. It's YOUR prerogative MIKE: Peter breaks this out multiple times. It's the same as saying, "You are just too emotional to listen to reason and the Spirit. I can't force you too." Again, a way of undermining the case without having to refute any evidence and with the ability to move the goal posts when evidence is presented because Mike (the one seeking justice) is unhinged (without saying that outright. Basically it's saying, "if you would step out of your echo chamber and listen you would see it our way." And again, it's not intended to convince Mike. It's intended to convince the observer.
There's more than just this, but these are three HUGE tactics used very brazenly in this zoom call. It introduces fallacies, baits emotions, and invites emotional accusation and derailing into ancillary accusations which makes the conversation move all over the place instead of stay centralized on what's most important. Chris falls for this a few times in the call but I don't blame him. With people like this it's like trying to nail jello against the wall. And that's their goal.
Hope this helps.
What @MikeWingerii is doing is very important... not everyone can do everything all the time. God has called him to this moment. Pray for him because people do not like it when their fraudulent lives are uncovered.
I recorded an episode critiquing Tucker Carlson with @TSXpress recently. One of the critiques was that we first went to Tucker's insane claims (without evidence) that demonic powers have made a pact with our government and gave us nuclear weaponry.
Today - he dropped an entire episode focused on that and other things. People thought we were using that example as a cheap "gotcha" but it was actually to show that Tucker operates in the realm of gnostic thought. He entices his viewers with "secret knowledge" so they can feel enlightened and special.