As a former reporter, I was trained to present both sides to every news story. My opinion didn’t matter. I was only reporting the facts as I interviewed people from different and opposing sources. That was back in the 1980s. I’m glad that I am no longer in the field today because I would have a hard time with the ways things are being reported.
Take for instance the Covid-19 pandemic. In a sense, it has created its own kind of pandemic: the “conspiracy stories pandemic.” I have seen SO many stories circulating on social media, including the “plandemic” YouTube video and the anonymous “Q” source. Many sincere Christians I know believe some of these stories. What are we to think about them?
History has shown that there are plenty of conspiracies out there: Area-51 (UFOs); flat-earth; the Illuminati; chem-trails, and more. And with every conspiracy theory, there is an element of truth to them, which makes them believable.
The trouble today is that there is a lot of false information being circulated, too, and it’s impossible to navigate everything to a reliable source. Anyway, who has the time for that? Even the brightest investigative reporter could not possibly follow the trails down every rabbit hole.
Nonetheless, with access to more information today, we must learn how to navigate what is true and what is improbable.
How to Evaluate Conspiracies
[1] 1. There is a difference to what is possible and what is plausible
A. What is reasonable? Things with sufficient evidence.
- Is the story based on enough evidence to rise to the level of reasonable? Need to do your own research
- Anyone can make a claim, but not all claims are reasonable
- Don’t post things that are only possible – post things that are reasonable
- Give some time to your re-post; do your homework first!
2. What is the motivation? Three main reasons
A. Sex, power and money are the three primary motivators behind conspiracies
- Ask yourself if these stories are benefiting from these three thing
- If these motivators drive us to do bad things, consider the source
3. Successful Conspiracies
A. Smallest possible number of co-conspirators
- It’s easier to keep a secret when the number of people is small (2 or less is easiest)
- Held for a short-time (two weeks is a lot easier to keep a secret than 2 years)
- Excellent communication between co-conspirators
- To pass information between each other without getting caught
- Deep relationships with each other won’t typically ‘rat-out’ the secret
- Relatives are better at keeping secrets than those who are not emotionally connected
B. Small geographic area involved
• A secret within a small town is easier to keep than a global one
4. Only time will tell
- Ultimately, time will tell us if these conspiracies are true or not
- We must be patient (in a culture that does not value the virtue of patience)
5. Trust issues
A. If you don’t trust main-stream media or authority, then you must do the homework yourself
- If you only have ONE source claiming something, be wary—multiple sources claiming the same thing is a better bet
- A little skepticism is not a bad thing; we need to be discerning (prayer helps!)
- Everyone has a bias (even you and me)
- Don’t just look at your side of the story; consider opposite views
As a Christian, we need to be cautious with information. Not only is passing along false information a bad idea, but it hurts your Christian witness. Some people out there in “social media land” don’t have Christian friends. All they know about Christians is what is portrayed in the media. With that in mind, be careful how your media presence portrays what you believe; after all, Christians are the ambassadors of Christ in the world.
What are some good ways you represent Christ in social media? I’d love to hear your comments below. God bless!
[1] J. Warner Wallace, author of Cold-Case Christianity, recently shared these tips on Frank Turek’s Cross Examined podcast.
You asked => What are some good ways you represent Christ in social media? I’d love to hear your comments below. God bless!
Perhaps one way is to actually and specifically state on your social media page(s) that you are a Christian AND that this means you believe in Jesus’s birth, death for our sins and Resurrection every now and then. Not every day, But more than once a year too! Remember how Jesus said that if you were ashamed of him, then he would be ashamed of you (Luke 9:26). But then this leads to something even more important … then make sure you speak and act in a way that God would approve of because people are watching how you speak and act. Thus, if you follow through with the first, make sure you also follow through with the second.
And yes, you likely will get some flack. You might lose some of your Facebook friends. But Scriptures also promised that to you as well. And you might not see the good effects of this right away (or ever). I have been retired for almost 10 years now. I used to work for the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration. I used to put several small nativity sets up on my desk at Christmas time and I always had something posted on my cubicle that clearly showed that I was a Christian. Now, granted this example is NOT social media, but it can lend an example that would apply regardless, because just three weeks ago out of the blue I got a Facebook message from someone who also worked at the Department of Administration. We were not working on the same projects, but our desks were on the same floor. And here is how the message started:
I thought of you many times when I was working on this project. You were the only other Christian employee at DOA who wasn’t afraid to let it be known.
Now, I was just being myself at work and wasn’t actually talking about Christianity unless someone happened to ask me. Yet, people were watching me and now almost a decade later someone writes to tell me how I inspired them at that time and still to this day.
So, to answer LisaQ I might say … be a light. The darker it gets, the brighter your light will appear.
Awesome witness advice, Len. We need to just be ourselves, be the light and not hide it under a bushel, but let our light shine for God’s glory. Thanks for your helpful comments.
Thank you for this enlightening message. We must research for the facts. Don’t believe everything you read or hear. 🙂
So true – don’t believe it just because it’s on the internet! Thanks, Melissa.
Lisa, thank you for tackling yet another difficult topic with grace. I find it difficult to believe everything in mainstream media because there is usually only one viewpoint represented over and over again. It makes me wonder why other points of view are not even considered. I am also very wary because I notice that certain news stories are publicized widely while others are removed and wiped clean. Only to discover later that the news reports containing mistruths were those that were popularized. To me that looks like indoctrination instead of allowing people to express themselves and think for themselves. I read a quote once, I’m sure you know it… Those who own the news media own the minds of the people.
As a Christian, I try to first focus on God’s Word for it is absolute Truth and will stand forever. I try to primarily post scripture verses to that end. I pray for the Holy Spirit to help me recognize the deception of satan which is all around this world, for as Jesus said, the devil is the father of lies. May we have Holy Spirit wisdom and discernment at such a time as this.
Good point about how some stories are buried while others get wide publicity. I always remind myself that the news business is a “business”, after all.
And you’re absolutely correct in that the best “news” is the Good News of Jesus Christ! Thanks for your thoughtful comments.
Thank you so much. So many people need to read and evaluate each news story and conspiracy theories. I pray we can seek God’s truth when confusion sets in.
Great lessons here on doing our own thinking instead of letting others do it for us. Thanks and God bless!
This is short and concise and extremely helpful. We often just share without evaluating. Later we have to retract. It’s so much better to take a few minutes to reevaluate. For instance, how many shared that the dictator of North Korea was dead recently? Nope! Still alive. It’s better to pause, to see if other sources are sharing this information, and to consider if it’s reasonable. Thank you for this post!
I appreciate this introduction to logical thinking. Bias always enters into our thought patterns because we form opinions based on our life experiences. I find many auto immune impaired friends tend to believe unorthodox testimony because they are searching for an answer to their sickness. We want someone to blame. But if God is the final decision maker for all that happens in the universe, we should ultimately look to Him. Thus, I struggle with what to believe. Like pilot I ask, what is truth? Jesus Christ is the truth. I personally struggle, however, with how best to do His will in the midst of this chaos of opion information masquerading as truth. I also know I want to believe certain things more than others and have to take my thoughts to God for help to discern wisely. Thank you, Lisa.
Very wise insight, Lisa. I especially liked our need to decide if something is reasonable with enough evidence, and determine the motivation behind the story/conspiracy. There’s always some motive behind any story or action. Discerning if it is honorable or not goes a long way.
Most non- Christians don’t believe satan exists. If there are any conspiracy theories that are true he is going to do everything he can to get you to not do your due diligence to check it out. It took me a lot of prayer before the Lord started showing me if something was true or false.
Hi Frank! You are absolutely correct in that most Christians no longer believe Satan is real. The statistics group, Barna, did a study on that a while back and that was the result — that many no longer believe Satan exists. I think it is because of the worldview of Naturalism, which has seeped its way into the mindset of many church folks. So, that is another influence that prevents people from believing a devil exists. And again, you are right in that with the power of prayer, we are able to be more discerning. Thanks for your comment! Blessings to you.
Another interesting AND informative article in The Verge talks about how to figure out if what you are reading are lies (with a touch of truth to get you to believe them), deception (trying to get you to believe something that is not true) or just merely tricks (even the smartest people are fooled by some of these). Here is the story: https://www.theverge.com/21276897/fake-news-facebook-twitter-misinformation-lies-fact-check-how-to-internet-guide