How Christians should evaluate and respond to conspiracy theories
During 2020 I heard from different people I know to be Christians who told me:
The earth is flat.
The September 11 attack on the World Trade Center was an inside job.
Dr. Anthony Fauci secretly created the Covid-19 coronavirus.
I struggle to understand that people who not withstanding these statements seem pretty level headed to me, would believe these things. So I decided to research how we as followers of Jesus, can guard from believing conspiracy theories such as those above, or QAnon.
Read for 6 minutes:
This blog post by Ed Fetzer written for pastors gives good advice on how to guard ourselves from believing conspiracies, and what to do if we find out we have believed something false, which we passed along to others as true.
He proposes we should:
A. Be more discerning, as Christians seem to be more susceptible to believing false news.
B. Follow credible news sources, not social media.
C. Repent for sharing false news.
Read for 8 minutes:
These Christians, all with backgrounds in the scientific community provide a thoughtful argument as to why it's so critical for Christians to be wise in how they vet and share facts, and that scientists shouldn't be lumped in with "leftist" causes, as though the role of the scientist is not part of the body of Christ. All the parts of the body of Christ are necessary, they argue, so don't make the mistake of acting as though scientists are any less important.
Read or listen for 15.4 minutes:
This excellent article by Dr. Danny Faulkner contains all the background you need if trying to provide both a Biblical as well as scientific argument for why the earth is round.
Faulkner, who spent 26 years as a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of South Carolina Lancaster, responds to all the verses in the Bible which talk about the four corners of the earth and other verses that if taken literally, refers to the earth as flat. In summary, Faulkner argues those verses often evoke imagery, and should not be taken literally, and never have been taken literally in Christianity.
Read or listen for up to 11 hours:
I listened to a book called "Escaping the Rabbit Hole. How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic, and Respect," by Mick West, owner of MetaBunk.com. While not a Christian book, the author provides an in-depth glimpse into why many people slip into embracing conspiracy theories.
He points out that both a lack of exposure to alternate views and being surrounded only by people who also believe the conspiracy theory are often at play.
His advice for helping someone quit believing a conspiracy aligns with what the Bible teaches on how to invest in the lives of others.
Befriend those people. Often people in this group don’t have friends outside fellow conspirators, West says.
Listen to them.
Invest time in looking at the information they believe.
Treat them and their ideas with respect. Then see if they willing to also return the favor.
It's not fast, nor easy, nor does it always help, but it's the best approach he's found. The 11-hour book is split into two sections. The first explains why people believe conspiracy theories and how to reach out to them, while the second half breaks down specific conspiracies, and supplies you with evidence for debunking those conspiracies.
He covers Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center were an inside job and that the earth is flat, among other conspiracies. While it feels really timely, note that the book was published in 2018, so it doesn’t specifically cover anything related to the corona virus
Strive for wisdom
I'll end this issue with my favorite verse, as it seems a really good fit these days:
“Buy the truth and do not sell it. Buy wisdom, instruction and understanding.” - Proverbs 23:23, ESV
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash