![]() ![]() ![]() Each distorts the truth, relying on a partial knowledge of what God really said. As with fake news, each appeals to fear or desire. Those are just a few of the fins circling in the present currents of Christianity. You can lose your salvation, so you better not sin. You can’t lose your salvation, so live as you please. God wants you to be happy, so do what makes you happy. Sickness and trials are the result of your personal sin. You can earn God’s favor through good works. ![]() If you pray with enough faith, God will grant whatever you ask. In a smooth turn of phrase, Satan does what liars do best: Muddle together a heady cocktail of fact and fiction, twisting the very words of God to prey on fear and desire. The original misinformer appears in the earliest moments of human history, whispering into Eden’s atmosphere, “Did God really say?” Like fake news, false teaching has enjoyed a long history. The Christian equivalent to journalistic misinformation commits the same kinds of deception with much more at stake. Think fake news is scary? Try false teaching. It has also renewed our appreciation for time-tested, reliable news sources that have consistently demonstrated journalistic integrity. Growing awareness of its prevalence and potential dangers has reminded us of the importance of gauging the credibility of a story’s source, fact-checking its content, and analyzing its message for bias. It has always existed, but digital media has given it momentum and reach like never before. It can influence elections, defame character, incite unrest, and propagate fear. My neighbors laughed in hindsight, but the fake news provider laughed all the way to the bank.įake news is not always as benign as an improbable shark tale. The fine residents of Lewisville, minds cuing the theme from Jaws, swore never again to enter the murky waters of Lake Lewisville. In a sly stroke of comedy, the fisherman’s name was listed as “Ima Lion,” and his granddaughter’s as “Shebe Lion.” It is a classic example of “fake news,” complete with a clickbait photo of a child next to a giant shark on a dock. By the time the local news debunked the story, it had been shared over 100,000 times. The headline hit my Facebook feed at the peak of lake season: “Freshwater Shark Caught in Lake Lewisville.” Purportedly, a shocked fisherman landed a shark in the lake adjacent to my town. ![]()
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