Whenever there’s a major oil spill, a couple of things become critical immediately:
1. Stop the flow.
2. Contain the spread.
3. Reverse the damage.
Similarly, evil, self-centered people accomplish the same three initiatives via the politics of ridicule in order to shut down anything they don’t like—mostly truth and facts before it can gain traction and expose them. They love the darkness, the Bible says, rather than the light.
Now, none of what I just mentioned is the hidden power of the conspiracy moniker. The hidden power comes from connecting kryptonite to the article, book, statement, theory, or alarm in the form of the implied warning label, “conspiracy theory.” Since many Americans are woefully uninformed about, well, anything, they rely heavily on some pretty shady characters to whittle down their reading list, and by reading list, I mean, Twitter rant, little headline, or just a viral video. If the mainstream media or social media big tech implies that something might be a conspiracy theory, well, the desire to look into it any further drops off a cliff for people.
And they’re very subtle in their labeling, often not coming right out and placing a diagonal red “conspiracy theory” stamp across the title. Instead, they now freeze accounts, shadowban, insert warnings on the bottom from a mysterious group called “fact-checkers” who wouldn’t know a fact if it bit them. Now add in several supposedly trusted media outlets, who cast doubt on the piece, or throw in a couple trusted names who encourage people that, “There’s nothing to see here folks. Move along now,” and you have a problem.
Conspiracy Theories Gone Crazy
However, some vital events have taken place over recent years in which the only thing conspiratorial about the news was that the conspiracy label was rushed into place before anyone has had the chance to take a look at the actual news.
Another shady approach to suppress real news is to try out your own conspiracy theory and strap on rocket boosters so that it overtakes the truth right out of the gate. Next, they’ll put that conspiracy theory of their own on steroids in order to keep it strong—read here, “in the news”—for months or even years, like the news pundits did with President Trump over the whole Russian collusion lie. (The Russian collusion story was finally exposed as a conspiracy theory itself, but only after three years of pounding it into everyone’s frontal lobes that it was absolutely gospel truth.)
But perhaps the most alluring thing about conspiracy theories is that they seem just plausible enough for people to latch on to. This is extremely important and not an amateur tactic. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 that “…Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” Wow. Satan himself doesn’t peddle the craziest, most outlandish theories. He offers up are realistic-sounding ones that people are probably already thinking about. Since most people want to find God and connect with Him, Satan plays off of that and markets himself as goodness and light.
So, what should we do about conspiracy theories? Well, put in some good old-fashioned work. Go digging for the truth. You might have to Google a few minutes longer about the subject, but if you get below the surface, you’ll begin to uncover the facts and not just some mumbo-jumbo that the “conspirators” want you to believe. You can also ask a trusted Christian friend or your pastor or other wise people whom you trust. And pray! Ask Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to you.
As for the crazy stories, like maybe aliens flew the planes into the World Trade Center buildings, don’t even give them the time of day. They really are conspiracy theories.
If you want to learn more about optics, fake news, and how to live a life of authenticity, grab a copy of my recent Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, Overliked: Finding Direction, Courage, and Meaningful Relationships in a Society Crippled by Social Media.
Until next Thursday, live in God’s peace!
~ Pastor Rob
Aka, P-Ro