[Greek] παραλογίζομαι (paralogizomai), [Latin] decipere, [Latin] fallere, [German] ertappen: to miscalculate, to delude, to deceive, to reason falsely, to lead astray, to reckon wrong; Col.2:4, Jas.1:22
Background information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means to defraud, to cheat, to reason falsely, and to mislead.
Isocrates’ Ad Filios Jasonis 6.12: “For they do not examine from all sides the real nature of the equation, but in many ways deceive themselves.”
Demosthenes’ Against Aphobus 1 41.30: “I have yet set forth to you all my charges, while my opponent evaded coming before those acquainted with the facts.”
Socrates: “To believe without evidence and demonstration is an act of ignorance and folly.”
Aeschines’ Against Timarchus 1.117: “I fear that the man who professed to teach the young the tricks of speaking may mislead you by some artifice.
Old Testament: This term means to change, to come against, to transgress, to cover, to delude, to be betray, to carry, and to throw.
New Testament: This term means to deceive, to delude, and to mislead with false reasoning.
Scripture:
Col.2:4: “I say this so that no one may deceive you by specious arguments.” (Paul has concerns that the false teachers have been deceptive [creating false narratives] about Christ’s true nature in detracting from the person and work of Christ. They must reject religious teaching originating from sources outside the gospel. The Colossians are admonished to adhere to the gospel as it was first preached to them.)
Col.2:8: “See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ.” (Paul is concerned that the Colossians are being influenced by false teachers who are emphasizing Christ’s relationship with the universe (cosmos). Paul calls the Colossians to reject religious teaching that does not come from the gospel. Paul warns others to reject human traditions.)
Jas.1:22: “Be doers of the Word and not hearers, only deluding yourselves.” (One must both hear and do (follow) the Word in order to be conformed to the gospel message. Intellectual faith is not enough. Actions are also needed. Otherwise, you are deluding yourself.)
Hearers of the Word:
- This is a person who deludes himself.
- This is like a person who looks at his own face in a mirror and promptly forget what he looks like.
- The perfect law is the gospel (of Jesus) which brings freedom.
Doers of the Word:
- This person is one who peers in the perfect law of freedom and perseveres.
- This person is one who acts.
- This person shall be blessed in what he does.
Perfect Freedom: Man attains self-control by letting himself be controlled by God. Sounds like following God’s will. God provides a true liberation (freedom) from a deficient existence. Talk about a profound contradiction! BEING CONTROLLED BY GOD GIVES YOU FREEDOM!!! [#MindBlown, #GodIsInControl] ☺☺☺
Guiding principles of Modernist and Synodalist thinking:
- Agnosticism: human reason is confined entirely within the person’s perceptions (only what is perceptible to human senses and reason).
- Vital Immanence: man finds within himself (sentiment, perceptions, and lived experiences) an explanation for God, religious, faith, and doctrine. External objective supernatural reality is excluded or diminished.
- Modernism: this belief system is a synthesis of all heresies: Modernism ==> heresies [fill in the blank] ==> atheism
- Synodality (lived experiences): can TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER Church teachings. ==> Synodality becomes IDOLATRY.
Pope Paul VI posing with six Protestant theologians who took part in a commission to write the New Mass. Their task was to “Protestantize” the Mass. LET THAT SINK IN!
Etymology: The Greek noun oikos means home. The Greek verb meno- means to remain.
Vatican II naively thought that it was a good idea for the Church to get with the times”.
- Pre-Vatican II: The Church of Christ IS the Catholic Church. (“Outside the Church there is no salvation.” The Church remains a divine institution separate from the world.)
- Vatican II: The Church of Christ SUBSISTS in the Catholic Church. (Any concept of the Catholic as being necessary for salvation has been minimized or eroded in order to be ecumenical. Non-Catholics were significantly involved.
- Synodality: Jesus’ divine Church is becoming transformed into worldly synodal Church made in the image of man and his lived experiences. Non-Catholics are also involved. Laity is involved in decision making authority regarding vocations, Church organization, Church teachings, and Church doctrine. Laity in part deciding Church doctrine ===> huge red flag.
From LifeSite News (essay by Fr. Joachim Heimrl):
- Pope Francis: the Mass is merely a vehicle for Church reform.
- Cardinal Alfredo Ottiviani, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (for Pope Paul VI in 1969), expressed his reservations to Pope Paul VI about the “new Mass”.
- Cardinal Ottiviani stated that the new Mass was deficient and dangerous. It ultimately represented a new church.
- Pope Paul VI said he regretted his “blunder” (new Mass), but never revised it.
- Is this why Paul VI mentioned that the “smoke of Satan”==> liturgical confusion has entered into the Church???
- Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict tried to strike a pragmatic balance: both Novus Order Mass and Traditional Latin Mass forms existed side by side.
- Pope Francis is seeking to remove the Traditional Latin Mass.
What are the consequences of this?
- More liturgical and doctrinal confusion and ambiguity.
- Confusion about vocations/rights and changing or re-organization of Church organization
- Intermingling of clergy and laity decision-making authority.
- The Church has become more concerned with the worldliness rather than with spiritual issues.
Paralogism: This is an illogical or fallacious reasoning, of which the reasoner believes to be logical.
- Synodality reforms and renews the Church: Vatican II had “reformed” and “renewed” the Church ==> a pastoral and spiritual disaster. Synodality: “reform” and “renewal” ==> creates new problems ===> need more “reform” and “renewal” ==> rinse, repeat.
- Synodality must continue: This is a great warning sign for Synodality. The German synodal Church is “reforming” and “renewing” itself into decline and heresy.
- The young people value Synodality: The conservative younger generations (clergy and laity) are attracted to Tradition, reverence, and moral clarity, but NOT Synodality. This is in contrast to the older generations (clergy and laity) who continue to support Vatican II and Synodality.
- The Novus Order Mass revitalizes: The NOM continues to have sparse attendance. In contrast, the TLM (where allowed) has large attendance, especially with young people. The TLM continues to be suppressed by empowered bishops.
- Creating a listening Church: At first glance, this sound so wonderful and nice. Do we want a Church in which the people decide what to believe in [like doctrine] ? Yikes! This becomes a Church made in man’s image and lived experiences, but not a Church about Jesus!
The German Synodal Church: the warning signs of the consequences of Synodality
- From 2024-2025, 112 churches have been desacralize (removing the sacred nature of churches).
- There is a dramatic erosion of German Catholicism.
- Only 6.6 percent of registered Catholics attend Mass.
- There remains a continual pattern of consolidating churches.
- Three remains a severe priest shortage.
- The vocation collapse provides the means to reduce priestly qualifications: removing celibacy and destigmatizing and normalizing priestly homosexuality
- The vocation collapse also calls for the need for woman deacons and woman priests.
- Germany’s Synodal Church continues to “reform” and “renew” itself into decline and heresy.
Etymology: The Greek verb paralogizomai essentially means to reason (-logizomai) alongsude (para-). The Greek adjective paralogos means unreasonable. The German verb entrappen is itself very telling. The Latin verb decipere is derived from the Latin verb capere, meaning to capture. Deception, being trapped, captured by false ideas ===> faulty reasoning.
When you fall for something:
- One may be faced with deception, obstruction, subterfuge, treachery or deceit.
- One may not know what what he is dealing with.
- This erroneous information presented becomes falsum (deceit).
- One must fall or be brought to a fall for what is presented to him.
- Therefore he falls down or fell for it.
Conclusion:
Deceive, deception, deceptive, fall, paralogism, trap, capture
Demosthenes: those who cannot [or will not] face the facts often mistakenly think they can persuade others.
Isocrates: some can easily deceive themselves by being close-minded and/or unable to see the problem from other sides.
Update: Many are NOT acting like priests. They often remain silent, cowardly, and indifferent. They are failing to be DOERS of the Word: paying lip service or failing to state Church teachings against sin. As a result, many eternal souls could be put in moral peril.
Specious arguments: human traditions, innovation, doctrinal confusion/ambiguity, democratization of Church structure and doctrine, shared clergy/laity doctrinal decision making.
Ever since Vatican II, the Modernists’ and Synodalist’ efforts to transform the Church has not resulted in growth. The Novus Order Mass provides evidence of this. In contrast, the Traditional Latin Mass attendance continues to thrive.
Contrary to many Modernists and Synodalists, Tradition and faithfulness to timeless doctrine will provide true reform and renewal for the Church.
It is very unfortunate many bishops’ decisions often marginalize the faithful: removing altar rails, restricting the TLM, overabundant “extraordinary” Eucharistic ministers, removing and cancelling traditionally minded clergy.
Unfortunately, there are TOO MANY cardinals, bishops, and priests who support LGBTQ ideology and homosexuality. There is a sizable amount of clergy who engage in this lifestyle.
Pope Leo: “I think we have to change attitudes before we change doctrine.” (This is a problematic statement in that Pope Leo has an openness to changing immutable doctrine. This could potentially apply to sexual morality and women’s ordination
“Modernism lead to atheism and to the annihilation of all religion.” Pope Pius X
“No, truly there is no road which leads so directly to Modernism as pride.” Pope Pius X
From TPUSA Chief of Staff Michael McCoy: “True freedom is not found in doing whatever we want, but pursuing Christ in doing what is right.”