the decieved deceive

2 Tim. 3:10-13 (ESV)
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, [11] my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. [12] Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, [13] while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
I sometimes wonder about the persecution complex that is so common in today’s world. Say anything bad about the Mormon Church, or not even bad, just point out its inconsistencies, and a persecution complex comes up, communication breaks down. The same is true of the Landmark Baptists, with their famous “Trail of Blood” tract. Funny, I don’t see the same in Paul. Paul was persecuted, but never seems to have a persecution complex that breaks down communication. He is proud of being persecuted for the faith, and believes that all Christians will be persecuted, as indeed they are in one way or another. He never sees this as an excuse to persecute others. Nor does he necessarily see it as a mark of the truth of his doctrine. People can be persecuted for false doctrine, for race, for whatever. He does rejoice though that when he was persecuted, he suffered with and for Christ who also delivered him.
Christians should not be surprised at persecution for their faith. The world will not ever understand us, and will persecute us for it. Evil people however will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. This is what is so unfortunate. The deceived become deceivers. We like to try draw a clear line between these two. As if we should not be so adamant in our rebuke with those deceived as we are with those who deceive. I do wonder though if there is this clear line. Those who are deceived contrary to God’s word, often are willfully deceived. And even if they aren’t leaders, pastors and such, they carry out their deception.
It has become my heartfeld conviction for instance, that no one really believes in Mormonism. How can they? It is so preposterous, it contradicts itself. The Book of Mormon contradicts Mormon doctrine. I know that many of them have never been exposed to anything but Mormonism, they have been so beaten by the church as to not even question. Yet, what they have been exposed to is so obviously a lie, that they really ought to know better. But I am supposed to believe that these are moral people who so tenaciously hold and defend a lie? Who not only are deceived, or were deceived, but insist on deceiving their own children in this lie, they know to be a lie? And so the lie perpetuates itself. Those who are deceived also deceive. It is vile sin.