In the age of the internet, hoax news reports and false stories abound. Social media is piled up with articles and posts that share misleading and even deceptive information. Considering how easy it is to create and share information online, the need to wisely filter out the truth from lies has increased.
In the past couple of weeks, I have noticed more and more how many of the hoaxes I catch on my newsfeed are being shared by my Evangelical Christian contacts. We've probably seen some of these hoaxes - news on miracles, apologetic findings, Goliath's bones being found, Procter and Gamble being satanic, Jesus walking alive today in Mexico, and the like.
The other week, there was a post that went viral across Philippine Christian circles on a popular expression, "Pak Ganern." Someone had made claims of the phrase being translated into latin as "I praise you, Satan, forever." Days later an Italian linguist had dubbed the news as false and baseless, but only after thousands of Evangelical Christians had shared them on their own social media profiles.
While there are also many non-believers, atheists and even people from different religions falling for faux news, what should really catch our attention is how many Christians fail to heed biblical warnings by falling for such information.
In Mark 13:5, Jesus clearly instructs us saying, "See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray." If there's anyone who should be careful about information we take in and share with others, it should be Christians. When we follow Christ, He makes available His wisdom to us and we are to walk in it. Proverbs 2:20-21 says, "So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it."
When we walk in credibility, we walk in integrity. When we don't then we miss out on the integrity of testimony we have. Some of you might think "well, it's just an article that I shared," but when we become Christians we automatically speak as if we represent Christ. You are most likely the only connection the world has with God.
Knowing and verifying the truth is a simple task that requires us only to think twice before sharing information. Let us remember that while sincerity is important, it does not override the truth. Even Christians can be sincerely wrong if we do not be careful with the information we are commanded to steward. Proverbs 28:18 reminds us saying, "The one who lives with integrity will be helped, but one who distorts right and wrong will suddenly fall."
