"The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O Lord, are on high forever. For behold, your enemies, O Lord, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered." (Psalm 92:6-9 ESV)
The empirical laws in science and mathematics have acquiesced to moral relativism with no absolute binding principles. People run in herds and believe up is down, 1+1=3, a baby in the womb is just a clump of tissue and not a human being with unique DNA. Mass psychogenic hysteria is running rampant thanks to social media and emotions have replaced human biological science. A male can say they are a female, or vice versa, even though their chromosomes and anatomy are genetically the opposite of what they feel and say they are.
In the church, some chase after "false signs and wonders" and are taken "captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ" and believe things about God that has zero biblical support (2 Thessalonians 2:9; Colossians 2:8 ESV).
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV)
The Bible says some people lack mental sanity and exhibit a deficiency of discernment, along with reckless, inconsiderate behavior and thought processes devoid of commonsense and a clearheaded perception of reality in both the natural and spiritual worlds and are unable to control their lusts (Luke 11:40, 12:20, 24:25; Romans 1:14, 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:36; 2 Corinthians 11:16, 12:6,11; Titus 3:3; 1 Timothy 6:9).
The words "stupid" and “foolish” in Scripture are often used interchangeably and are translated from the Hebrew word 'kecil' which refers to a stupid, dull, and foolish person. It appears over 70 times in the Old Testament. The Psalmist describes them as an enemy of God who has knowledge of Him but, seeing the wicked flourishing, they do not correctly evaluate or understand the knowledge they have of God.
English dictionaries define 'stupid' as slow of mind, given to unintelligent decisions or acts, lacking commonsense or reason, or acting thoughtless or careless.
"It's better to meet a mother bear who has lost her cubs than a fool in his stupidity." (Proverbs 17:12 ISV)
The Hebrew word translated as "stupidity" is 'kesil' and means a stupid and foolish person who hates knowledge and delights in harming others (Proverbs 1:22, 10:23, 18:22).
Being stupid and foolish is not just about mental deficiency or low IQ but is about an inclination to make wrong choices because of pride, moral impertinence, and the rejection of God's Laws.
Stupidity and foolishness are the opposite of wisdom and being wise. Stupidity is enticing to the ignorant and immature but will lead to their destruction and ruin (Ecclesiastes 2:1-13).
Atheists make the stupid and foolish claim that there is no God and no one can know if there is. Yet, the only way that can be proved is to have the ability to travel the entire Cosmos and examine every quantum particle to qualify as having the authority to make that assertion. It seems clear that they must have more faith NOT to believe than to believe.
"For the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity, to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the Lord, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink." (Isaiah 32:6 ESV)
"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion." (Proverbs 18:2 ESV)
Stupid people lack wisdom because it is beyond their grasp, making them a serious menace to society (Proverbs 24:7). They are immoral, lewd, shameless, petulant, confrontational, and militant because they are doing the will of their father, the devil (Proverbs 7:22, 20:3). They enjoy doing acts of wickedness (Leviticus 18:17; Proverbs 10:23). Their words bring strife, riots, looting, and violence with their adversaries (Proverbs 18:6).
"Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly." (Proverbs 26:11 ESV)
The world is spinning out of control in a downward spiral to chaos. The culture worships the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I and studies me-ology rather than the theology of the Triune God. Morality is by a majority. Subjective, ever-changing cultural mores continue to creep into the church to replace the Bible as the final and absolute authority in the life of a Christian.
God gave the Ten Commandments as rules for righteousness for the family to follow so that the home would be a happy and healthy place to raise children and build a strong marriage. Broken homes have broken people inside them who have children who will have broken homes producing more broken people.
"Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! (Psalm 112:1 ESV)
The Ten Commandments are not arbitrary. They give us the knowledge of right and wrong and define the parameters where love cannot exist. However, they were not given, nor are they able, to make a person righteous, perfect, or to save them (Galatians 3:11; Romans 3:20). The Commandments reveal human sinfulness and show there is no way to keep the law to avoid condemnation. Jesus did not come to abolish or do away with the Ten Commandments. Instead, He came to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17-18). Fathers are to teach them continually to their children.
"Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown." (Proverbs 4:1-9 ESV)
A stupid person does not fear the Lord and hates knowledge because they find no pleasure in understanding His laws and do not focus on what is right (Proverbs 1:22, 29; 17:24; 18:2). The ultimate end of their self-righteousness is destruction (Proverbs 1:32).
"The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." (Psalm 14:1 ESV)
"Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge." (Proverbs 14:7 ESV)
The wisdom of God leads a person on the right path to the brightness of the full day, while stupidity seduces a person to follow the way that leads into darkness (Proverbs 4:18-19).
Associating with stupid people will deprive a person of knowledge, and those who attempt to befriend them will be destroyed (Proverbs 13:20,14:7). Trying to instruct them in truth is futile because their minds have been "blinded" by their "father the devil," who is "the prince of the power of the air" and is actively "at work" in them (2 Corinthians 4:4; John 4:44; Ephesians 2:2; Proverbs 16:22). It is Jesus alone who can "destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8 ESV). Those who live for this world only are destined for destruction because they despise wisdom and discipline (Psalm 49:14; Proverbs 1:7,15:5). Stupidity often wins out over reason.
THE NATURE OF STUPIDITY
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a brilliant theologian living in Germany before and during World War II. He was part of a small circle of resistance to Adolf Hitler, the dictator in Germany. He was imprisoned and ultimately executed for the things he wrote. He spent a long time in prison contemplating and trying to understand the nature of evil. He concluded that evil itself was not the most dangerous enemy of good. Instead, it was stupidity.
He reasoned that you can fight against evil that "carries the seeds of its own destruction," but "against stupidity, we have no defense. Neither protests nor force can touch it. Reasoning is of no use. Facts that contradict personal prejudices can simply be disbelieved — indeed, the fool can counter by criticizing them, and if they are undeniable, they can just be pushed aside as trivial exceptions. So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self-satisfied. In fact, they can easily become dangerous, as it does not take much to make them aggressive. For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous."
Bonhoeffer came to understand that the nature of stupidity has its roots deep in the subconscious.
"We note further that people who have isolated themselves from others or who live in solitude manifest this defect less frequently than individuals or groups of people inclined or condemned to sociability. And so it would seem that stupidity is perhaps less a psychological than a sociological problem."
Even though a person can act stupidly when they are a part of a group that acts stupidly, the hive/herd mentality dramatically impacts each individual, compounding the entire effect. Hive/herd behavior is among the primary causes of stupidity and fosters vitriolic group-think movements. The logical part of the brain tends to shut down, and they function on the level of slogans, memes, hashtags, and irrational rallies. Numerous scientific studies have shown how individual humans can be swayed by peer pressure to adopt positions against all logic and God-given common sense.
The hive/herd mentality results in the ‘Illusionary Truth Effect,’ which is a psychological condition that causes the tendency to be persuaded to believe repetitive false information over truth because it overpowers logic and rationality. That leads to a cognitive bias known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect where people with limited knowledge, experience, and expertise tend to greatly overestimate their knowledge and abilities.
Bonhoeffer concluded that stupidity was not the problem of the individual but was a matter of groups of individuals coming together because madness finds its force in crowds.
"The power of the one needs the stupidity of the other. The process at work here is not that particular human capacities, for instance, the intellect, suddenly atrophy or fail. Instead, it seems that under the overwhelming impact of rising power, humans are deprived of their inner independence, and, more or less consciously, give up establishing an autonomous position toward the emerging circumstances. The fact that the stupid person is often stubborn must not blind us to the fact that he is not independent."
Bonhoeffer wrote that when a person is in a conversation with a stupid person, they virtually feel "that one is dealing not at all with a person, but with slogans, catchwords and the like that have taken possession of him. He is under a spell, blinded, misused, and abused in his very being. Having thus become a mindless tool, the stupid person will also be capable of any evil and at the same time incapable of seeing that it is evil."
Bonhoeffer also noted that historical forces and external conditions could exacerbate the problem of stupidity. It is an ever-present danger lurking at every corner of the political spectrum. He argued that stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. While "one may protest against evil; it can be exposed and prevented by the use of force, we are defenseless against stupidity. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplishes anything here. Reasons fall on deaf ears."
"It is a particular form of the impact of historical circumstances on human beings, a psychological concomitant of certain external conditions. Upon closer observation, it becomes apparent that every strong upsurge of power in the public sphere, be it of a political or of a religious nature, infects a large part of humankind with stupidity."
Bonhoeffer concluded that "We must abandon all attempts to convince the stupid person" because it is of no use.
Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "Never argue with stupid people; they will drag you down to their level, and win with experience."
Abraham Lincoln said, "When arguing with fools, be absolutely sure that the other person isn't doing the same thing."
Albert Einstein said, "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe."
THE LAWS OF STUPIDITY
Carlo M. Cipolla (1922-2000), a professor of economic history, devised Five Laws of Stupidity in a humorous letter he wrote to his friends, gaining worldwide attention among social theorists. He divided people into four categories: The helpless, the intelligent, the bandits, and the stupid. Of the four categories, he believed that someone stupid is the most dangerous person and consistently contributes to a net loss to society for no apparent reason. Their actions also frustrate, anger, and confuse everyone.
The Five Laws
1: Always and inevitably, everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.
2: The probability that a person is stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person. Education, wealth, or status have nothing to do with it.
3: A stupid person is someone who causes losses to other people while deriving no gain.
4: Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid people and keep forgetting that dealing with stupid people always turns out to be a costly mistake.
5: A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person, even more dangerous than a bandit.
DESTROYING STUPID AND FOOLISH ARGUMENTS
The Bible reveals how to destroy stupid and foolish arguments.
"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV)
The Born-Again Christian who walks in humility, esteeming everyone more highly than themselves, and casting all their cares at the feet of Jesus, overcomes and conquers the enemy "by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death" (Revelation 12:11 ESV – see also James 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:5-7).
"Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered." (Proverbs 28:26 ESV)
Just as it was for Job, the fear of God is what gives confidence to a person to continually trust in Him (Job 4:6, 8:14; Proverbs 3:26). Those who experience the peace of God are less likely to turn back to stupidity and foolishness (Psalm 85:9).
"A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools." (Proverbs 26:3-12)
The Born-Again Christian must learn to "answer the foolish arguments of fools" but not argue with them because, if they do "they will become wise in their own estimation" (Proverbs 26:5; 23:9 NLT)
"The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless." (Proverbs 14:15-16 ESV)
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at WORK in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:1-2 ESV – emphasis mine)
The word "work" is translated from the Greek word 'energéo,' which means to 'energize' by working in a situation that brings it from one stage to the next. A lost person is made stupid by the enemy, who energizes and blinds them to truth, which makes them capable of any evil because they can't see that what they are saying and doing is evil (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 also 1 John 5:19). Only the act of liberation by the Holy Spirit can overcome stupidity. Until that happens, it is futile to try and convince the stupid person of the truth because their mind is full of slogans and regurgitated rhetoric.
"Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will." (2 Timothy 2:23-26 ESV also Titus 3:9-11)
THE ANTIDOTE FOR STUPIDITY
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7 ESV)
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it." (Proverbs 9:10-12 ESV)
"The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor." (Proverbs 15:33 ESV)
The word translated as "fear" in these verses is the Hebrew word 'yirah' and refers to the reverence of God. It does not mean to be afraid or terrified. Another word translated as "fear" in the Bible is 'yare' and depending on the context, it connotes standing in holy awe and reverence. The people delivered from Egypt saw God's great power, "feared the Lord, and they believed the Lord, and his servant Moses" (Exodus 14:31 ESV). 'Yare' can also mean to be afraid. Adam told God: "...I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself" (Genesis 3:10).
When a person begins to reverence God by becoming Born-Again, they start to grow in knowledge and wisdom, which gives them spiritual discernment in all they do.
Solomon asked God for wisdom and was considered the wisest person on the planet, but he had 1,000 wives who "turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David, his father" (1 Kings 11:3-4 ESV). As a result, Solomon "did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord (1 Kings 11:6 ESV). What Solomon did NOT ask God for was HIS wisdom. Instead, he asked for worldly wisdom.
"For the wisdom of this world is folly with God." (1 Corinthians 3:19 ESV)
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom." (Proverbs 11:2 ESV)
"Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered." (Proverbs 28:26 ESV)
Within Jesus "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:1-4 ESV).
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:5-8 ESV)
"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." (James 3:13-18 ESV)
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV)
"Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people." (1 Peter 2:13-16 ESV)
CONCLUSION
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."
(Attributed to the French philosopher Voltaire 1765)
God implores us to "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2 ESV). The Bible tells us how to live and please God - that we "abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgresses and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness" (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7 ESV).
We are commanded to "not love the world or the things in the world" because it is "passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:15-17 ESV). Doing what is right and good in this world will "put to silence the ignorance of foolish people" (1 Peter 2:16 ESV).
