John 19:12&15
12From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."
15But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
For the past several weeks I have been thinking about the manipulation the religious leaders used to coerce Pilate. It has been over a dozen years since my Intro to Logic class but I think (rather, i am guessing) this is the fallacy of a appeal to fear.
Manipulation and fear tactics are funny to me in Dilbert. In real life they always feel demonic in nature. The religious leaders had to threaten Pilate in a veiled manner; "If you do not meet our wishes, we will inaccurately portray you to the emperor as one who is disloyal and acts impotently toward treason." Pilate chose to yield to the manipulation and fear.
Manipulation and fear tactics will not be a part of the eternal Kingdom of Jesus. For that I am thankful. Leave it to Dilbert to get me focused on eternal things.
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