weaponizing "misinformation"

 

Today I heard a news account where Harvard had dismissed a Republican US representative from some Board for spreading "misinformation." Further, students petitioned Harvard to revoke degrees from US Senators who had questioned the results of the 2020 Presidential election. Raising questions about the legitimacy of the election is considered an act of "spreading misinformation." Taking away or "cancelling" those who are spreading misinformation is necessary to maintain democracy, such people claim. But, is this movement gaining momentum today simply a weapon some are using to silence views or ideas that they oppose? Is this actually a threat to democracy?

Are the people in this cartoon being influenced by misinformation? They certainly didn't understand the information they were given. The sign is factual, but the people seem to be misled. Should the makers of the sign be banned from society for misleading the people? What goes on in the world of information? This bog is not at all about the election, but using the context of how people have responded to make a much broader and profound point about society.

Let's look at what "misinformation" is, and then see if it is not a subtle movement of the culture to cancel Christians who walk by faith. You might think I'm intoxicated by conspiracy theories, but hang with me and let's see.

The 1828 Webster dictionary defines "misinformation" as a false account. The definition has been upgraded to include the caveat of "with an intention to mislead." So, today not only does misinformation attempt to advance ideas that are not true, there is a questionable motive attached to the action of spreading the misinformation. By adding motive, those who want to use "misinformation" to control others are not as interested in the issue of truth. They now wish to minimize or eliminate the influence of those who have motives that they judge as intentional deceit.  

This subtle change in the meaning is profound in its implications. Seeking truth has always been a process of challenging untruth. This has never threatened democracy at all but has served to advance the freedom of sharing perspectives so that the right view can be uncovered. This is democracy at its best, according to our founding fathers. 

Today, weaponizing "misinformation" to silence those whose motives are in opposition crosses the line and begins to destroy democracy, not protect it. However, if you are a Christian, there is a greater issue or concern with the advance of "weaponizing misinformation."

This now becomes another tool for the culture to assault people of faith. You see, faith by its very nature is truth that cannot be defended by what we observe. Enemies of God used to try and debate truth questions, such as does God exist? Notice that this type of historical debate has achieved desired results so it isn't of interest anymore to those opposed to God. They have a new approach to discrediting Christianity.

When the motives of Christians are seen as ways to sway the political thinking of liberals, then Christians are viewed as intolerant, elitist, and even unjust. Their message to the world is considered misinformation. Their presence in the world is cancelled. This happens not because of any debate on truth, but because evangelicals' goal is to deceive people as to who and what they should trust.

Faith becomes misinformation.  The world doesn't need to prove the things of God to be untrue. To persuade people to trust something they cannot see shifts control to "those evangelical Christians", who are mean and ugly to others.  The thinks that when Christians use their faith for political purposes, they are deceiving people of the right path their life should take.

Teaching our young people proper Christian worldview and theology is not a bad thing to do, but it's shooting at the wrong target. Weaponizing misinformation doesn't care about truth anymore. While it may appear to attack key tenets of democracy, it is actually the newest form of the ageless fight human nature has against its very Creator. Imagine that! 

Ponder not what you see, but what you see it is .....   

"it's not enough"

My granddaughter Holli did a college writing assignment at Belmont last year. It was an insightful assignment to describe how Hallmark Christmas movies "glamorize" popular ideas, but not always correctly. Topics like grief, love, relationships, angels, Christmas, etc. are often presented in "feel good" ways that miss subtle issues of Christian truth. I offered her a perspective on this assignment that seemed to help her write a very nice paper. Today, I saw another example. Makes for a good blog. 

I'm watching a Hallmark Christmas movie. It's a typical tear jerker. The storyline is a teenager whose family suddenly finds he has a serious heart condition that is threatening his life. He is given only days to live without a transplant. No donor is found. He is getting worse. The mother is an active Christian who relies on her faith. The father has indulged his wife's faith and doesn't typically rock the boat. 

But crisis can change normal family dynamics.

As their son's condition worsens, the wife and mother prays more. The husband and father just hurts more. The son has another heart attack and the doctors give them little hope. The son now only has 24 hours at best unless he gets a heart transplant. No donor has been found. 

You can imagine the plot line from here. After all, it is a Hallmark movie. What caught my attention is not the story as it unfolds, that's pretty predictable. It was the response of the parents at the point of little hope their son will survive. Their response was likewise predictable, and its this predictability that is worth noting.

The mother (wife) said to the father (her husband), "all the tears, all the prayers, all the faith - it wasn't enough." In desperation the father leaves to be alone. He goes to the chapel to make a deal with God. He prays, "I'm willing to believe, please help my son."

These are very typical responses. That's why they show up in a Hallmark movie. These ideas appeal to "good people." So, what's the problem? Why blog this?

Many Christians have as their "go to" Bible verse, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." I just heard a leading Christian teacher and writer reference this verse and then share how he applies it. He, too, sees this verse similarly to these parents in the movie. Trust for them does not eliminate fear and anxiety. Trust is more like the remedy to the stress of fear and anxiety. BUT, scripture tells, "do not fear" and "be anxious for nothing." Why? Fear and anxiety comes to us as circumstances don't meet expectations. Too often Christians see this verse as a circumstantial based trust. It is a trust that God will ultimately deliver desirable outcomes in difficult situations. This view is pervasive among Christians. 

The problem is that too often Christians "lean on their own understanding" of trust."

Biblical trust is source based, not outcome based. In other words, to "trust in the Lord with all your heart" is never strengthened or weakened by what happens in life. Godly trust is a complete vulnerability to God because of who He is, not what we see He does. If Godly trust produces no fear, no anxiety, then why do we need a remedy for fear and anxiety? 

When Jesus says, "Seek first His kingdom and the righteousness you have because of His approval of you and all things will be added to you," What are "all things"? You think He is speaking of your circumstances. He has just got through referencing the blessings (fortune) of the beatitudes. All the provisions and privileges of His eternal realm, not the material benefits of a finite and temporal world. He tells His disciple Thomas, "you believe (trust) because you see, blessed are those who believe (trust) but do not see."

The Hallmark movie glorifies a faith that "needs" God to act a certain way. God needs to do what we think He should do. This is a "feel good" error. God desires for us a faith that does not need Him to "verify."

We generally know this in our head, but our fallen nature can lead us astray. When our natural biases affect our soul, we miss His Kingdom.