I’ve been a fan of WW II historical fiction and biographies for decades. It started when I read Corrie ten Boom’s book, The Hiding Place. Since then, I have read more books about the events of the Holocaust than I can count.
Have you ever wondered how Hitler was able to convince people to follow him? How was that possible?
Observing our world today, I better understand how it could have happened. Propaganda is more powerful than people realize. We are all influenced by it in one way or another from grocery shopping to political views. Some people are simply afraid not to go along with the crowd. This is especially true of young minds. It’s called peer pressure or contagion.
Think about this: Someone was able to convince thousands of people to side with Hamas, a barbaric, evil terrorist organization. Thousands protested in the streets around the world. Even in America, students in our finest universities demonstrated against Israel in support of barbaric terrorists who raped women and burned babies alive!
In 2022, a male swimmer, six-foot-four Lia Thomas, claiming to be a transgender woman, left the Penn men’s swim team and began competing in women’s swimming. He was permitted to enter the 2022 Women’s Olympics and won the swimming championship. How were intelligent people persuaded to allow and support allowing men into women’s sports?
We are all vulnerable to deception. However, we can protect ourselves. We don’t have to wonder or guess what is true. Out of His mercy and love, God has given us the way. It isn’t through high-sounding philosophy or turning to the world for answers. It is by turning to God’s Word, the Holy Bible. We can know the truth.
Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 NIV
“The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7 NIV
“All your words are true;
all your righteous laws are eternal.” Psalm 119:160 NIV
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” John 16:13 NIV
“…speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15 NIV
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” John 4:23 NIV
“These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts…” Zechariah 8:16 NIV
Jesus, speaking to the Pharisees said, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 NIV
The Bible has warned us that in the last days there will be great deception.
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:4 NIV
As I grow older, it becomes more and more obvious to me that people believe what they have been influenced to believe, and in some cases, actually brainwashed. For example, did you know that children in Gaza are brainwashed to hate Jews?
If what you believe contradicts God’s Holy Word, the Bible, then you have been misled.
How were your beliefs formed?
We can know the truth.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”
Psalm 122:6
Real Christian Women 
Excellent post and examples! It’s really something how the world tries to redefine certain things and make us believe lies.
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It IS really something, to be sure! That’s why as Christians we must speak the truth. Blessings, Evette!
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A wonderfully well put and important message. I’m often baffled by our human arrogance, the belief that only *those* people could fall for such evil or deception; that it could never happen to *me*. Nonsense!
If taking a look around isn’t enough evidence that isn’t true, I pray people listen to your message and are wary and cautious of such things. Have a blessed weekend, Cindy!
–Scott
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Thanks for your encouraging words. You are correct when you call it arrogance. Even if you gently confront someone with correction, don’t be surprised if you are met with an arrogant attitude, followed by insults. Blessings, Scott!
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Thanks for this one Cindy. My father was a deacon of a church for years. At home we suffered a lot of abuse, physically, sexually, emotionally, and spiritually. After my parents divorced, my mother was visited by the federal Marshals. Even all of her children were questioned. It was easy for us who suffered under his “leadership” to believe everything the Marshals were telling us about what they suspected this man did. But the church, had no clue. Only one person said, “Well I always thought he was an odd duck.”
Living in such an evil environment, you do not realize just how evil it is without the truth. That is what those in Gaza are under. Many so call Christians today think they have it right and they can do no wrong. One of my friends believed she no longer sinned after she was saved. That no matter what she did, there were of no consequences.
Unfortunately, there are microcosm of families or cultures that are full of superstitions and plain lies. I married into a family from the Ozarks, some call them hillbillies. Their family is full of superstitions even the ones who claim to be Christians. My own mother being Catholic had a lot of superstitions.
God’s Word tells us if we are not armed with His truth, we will buy into a delusion. We see it all around us today, even here in America. The Apostle Paul warned us to be vigilant. Even he called himself “Oh, wretched man that I am.”
Again unfortunately, brainwashing happens more than we want to admit. Before this becomes a book. Thank you every so much for your faithfulness and your courage to seek and speak the truth.
Blessing beloved of the Lord.
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Thank you, my friend, for your encouraging words. You’re right that brainwashing happens more than we want to admit. I see evidence of it frequently from pro-abortion advocates. Those who lead others astray will be held accountable.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matt 18:6
God bless you, Eileen! ✝️
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Hi Cindy! I sure enjoy reading your blogs…you are always spot-on. Yes, it’s so incredibly evil how Hitler was able to persuade people—especially those who were already vulnerable to it—that he had the solutions to their problems. They forgot Jesus. I was a history major in college, concentration on WWII, did my thesis on 1943…and published a novel two years ago based on a real-life story from my father-in-law. He was involved in a top-secret mission during WWII engaged with Russian sailors, knew about the murder of a Russian officer who was probably martyred for his faith. Anyway, if you’re interested in reading it, I’d love to give/send you a digital copy. Just let me know. It’s a novel, but the premise is based on my father-in-law’s true story. You can read about it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Falcon-Fairytale-Inspired-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0F4DVS93W/ref
Blessings to you as you continue to illuminate the world about Jesus!
Nancy
Nancy C. Williams, Author nancy@nancycwilliams.com https://nancycwilliams.com ======= “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

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I would love to read your book. It sounds fascinating. Thank you for your encouraging words. God bless you, Nancy!
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I just added To Love a Falcon to my Kindle!
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This is truth needed to be heard. So good. Thank you for saying it! Thank You, Lord God, for the Word in which we are to line up everything with! Blessings on you and your ministry! ❤️🇺🇸🙏💕
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Thank you for your encouragement! Blessings!
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Yes, and when we read from a worldly perspective, we may not like what we read, and may disagree with it. But one of the wonderful things about God’s Word is that, the more we read it, the more we become like Him and agree with Him and are more able to see His truth.
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“But one of the wonderful things about God’s Word is that, the more we read it, the more we become like Him and agree with Him and are more able to see His truth.” Amen and Amen!
Blessings, Kathy!
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This has happened over and again in history and people still get deceived. One can understand then how scripture says in the end times even the elect could be deceived (Matt. 24:24). May we walk in wisdom.
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Amen! “May we walk in wisdom.” There is only one way: to trust and follow Jesus, living by His Word. Blessings, Lea!
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We need to ne discernimg
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Unfortunately, many Christians think they have discernment when they don’t. That’s because they have gone to church for many years, but they don’t know the Bible. Blessings, Pastor Jim!
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True
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