I say this in reference to the term "red flag", probably a term you're well familiar with.
A Black Flag goes beyond a Red Flag in that it essentially has the preacher be considered either blatantly anathema(denying the divinity of Christ for example), or they're probably, actually delusional to some degree and at the very least a "very clear bad tree", if not straight up a cult. For this post I have an example of the latter(not obviously anathema at first glance, but flee immediately.)
I will give one of my own:
They insist on "following the Truth", wherever it may lead, and trusting the Bible over anything we see, hear or experience. Sounds holy right? What's wrong with that?
It's the second half. It always comes coupled with a variant of believing that objective, empirical reality must be a lie or can't be trusted over the teacher's interpretation of Scripture. Remember, this world is God's creation at the end of the day. Observable facts and experiences are true, no matter what. The problem comes when instead of looking inward to see what beliefs or motives inside are wrong, one insists how one truly feels or the bad fruit of actual beliefs don't exist or the bad fruit are even good and "anything that could say otherwise is a lie by default".
In effect, literal glorification of gaslighting yourself. This happens alot with things like trauma, mental illness, and especially doubt on this mindset being anything other than "the clear truth of the Word". In one case, a preacher said that gaslighting doesn't exist, and still promoted this!
The root of this mindset is to believe that God is above objective reality aside from what He says is truth, thus the rest must be misunderstood regardless of "sins of not trusting Him". It insists the spiritual is literally more substantial than the empirical, and logic is man-made construct. It makes a dichotomy of "facts" and "truth", "logic" and "reason". It, in effect, even if the preacher denies such, insists upon itself alone that reality is true until the preacher's interpretation of the Word says it isn't, at which point it becomes false.
This is literal, willful psychosis and is eerily reminiscent of how Hindus or Gnostics see the spiritual vs physical in that regard. It may not be directly stated as the belief but this is the reasoning at its core, every time.
I need to make this blunt and crystal clear when I say this is a spiritual and intellectual tantrum and nothing more. Insisting because they insist harder, shake the house harder with "i was enlightened so clearly by it!", or even *because you resist*, it proves more and more, the more and more of these there is, that they're right. These people are manipulators drunk on their own delusion, who rebel against the very idea of reason in their infinite regress of insisting upon themselves. It is a truly pitiful sight to see these preachers crop up and I pray none of you fall prey to this lion's den of an idea.
A Black Flag goes beyond a Red Flag in that it essentially has the preacher be considered either blatantly anathema(denying the divinity of Christ for example), or they're probably, actually delusional to some degree and at the very least a "very clear bad tree", if not straight up a cult. For this post I have an example of the latter(not obviously anathema at first glance, but flee immediately.)
I will give one of my own:
They insist on "following the Truth", wherever it may lead, and trusting the Bible over anything we see, hear or experience. Sounds holy right? What's wrong with that?
It's the second half. It always comes coupled with a variant of believing that objective, empirical reality must be a lie or can't be trusted over the teacher's interpretation of Scripture. Remember, this world is God's creation at the end of the day. Observable facts and experiences are true, no matter what. The problem comes when instead of looking inward to see what beliefs or motives inside are wrong, one insists how one truly feels or the bad fruit of actual beliefs don't exist or the bad fruit are even good and "anything that could say otherwise is a lie by default".
In effect, literal glorification of gaslighting yourself. This happens alot with things like trauma, mental illness, and especially doubt on this mindset being anything other than "the clear truth of the Word". In one case, a preacher said that gaslighting doesn't exist, and still promoted this!
The root of this mindset is to believe that God is above objective reality aside from what He says is truth, thus the rest must be misunderstood regardless of "sins of not trusting Him". It insists the spiritual is literally more substantial than the empirical, and logic is man-made construct. It makes a dichotomy of "facts" and "truth", "logic" and "reason". It, in effect, even if the preacher denies such, insists upon itself alone that reality is true until the preacher's interpretation of the Word says it isn't, at which point it becomes false.
This is literal, willful psychosis and is eerily reminiscent of how Hindus or Gnostics see the spiritual vs physical in that regard. It may not be directly stated as the belief but this is the reasoning at its core, every time.
I need to make this blunt and crystal clear when I say this is a spiritual and intellectual tantrum and nothing more. Insisting because they insist harder, shake the house harder with "i was enlightened so clearly by it!", or even *because you resist*, it proves more and more, the more and more of these there is, that they're right. These people are manipulators drunk on their own delusion, who rebel against the very idea of reason in their infinite regress of insisting upon themselves. It is a truly pitiful sight to see these preachers crop up and I pray none of you fall prey to this lion's den of an idea.
The warning: steer clear of preachers who disconnect faith from reason and empirical truth. It’s not spiritual boldness—it’s a dangerous manipulation.
