February 13, 2026
Dr. Adami A. Gabriel
When the Church Speaks the Language of Babylon:
A Prophetic Warning Against the Subtle Infiltration of Marxist Thought into Adventist Institutions
By: Dr. Adami A. Gabriel, PsyD
1.
Introduction – The Language of the Age and the Church of ProphecyEvery generation faces the challenge of communicating the gospel in a changing world. Language, however, is never neutral. Words carry worldviews. Whoever defines the terms defines the debate, and whoever shapes the debate shapes belief. As the American linguist Edward Sapir stated, "Human beings... are very much at the mercy of the particular language which has become the medium of expression for their society". He further elaborated that "We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do because the language habits of our community predispose certain choices of interpretation" (1929). This strongly suggests that language is inherently biased by cultural assumptions and worldviews. Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1922) famously articulated the deep connection between language and our perception of reality, stating "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world". The Marxist philosopher and linguist V.N. Voloshinov (often associated with Mikhail Bakhtin) argued that "Every word is a microcosm of the world, every word is a philosophy." (1973). The French philosopher Michel Foucault (1978) extensively explored how "discourse” is inseparable from power relations. He argued that the power to define "what can be said" and "who can speak" fundamentally shapes societal knowledge and belief. Finally, in modern cognitive linguistics, authors like George Lakoff (2004) emphasize how political "framing" through language heavily influences public opinion and belief systems. He argues that political discourse relies on specific, culturally embedded frames, and controlling the frame, or defining the terms, is essential to winning a debate and shaping public understanding.
Secular scholars and academics understand these principles on how influencing, shaping and reengineering culture and worldviews through language work and operate. In recent decades, secular society has produced a new moral vocabulary—equity, systemic oppression, inclusion, diversity, allyship, and social justice. These terms, born out of Marxist and postmodern theories (Mor Barak, 2005), often embed values that differ from biblical anthropology and morality.
In official statements and institutional materials, the Seventh-day Adventist Church increasingly employs this same vocabulary in its attempts to address racism, poverty, and human suffering. While these causes may appear righteous, the uncritical adoption of the world’s terminology risks compromising the distinct prophetic mission entrusted to the remnant church. Scripture warns,
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2, NKJV).
When the church begins to think and speak in the categories of the world, its transformation becomes reversal.
This paper offers a public apologetic and prophetic warning: that the borrowing of secular ideological language—especially language rooted in Marxist social theory—inevitably shapes thought, theology, and practice (Wittgenstein, 1922; Foucault, 1978; Lakoff, 2004). It will demonstrate, through examples from official SDA sources, how such language has become normalized, and then will analyze, through Scripture and the writings of Ellen G. White, why this blending of sacred and profane language is spiritually dangerous, even when pursued for a “good cause.”
