Short Take#1 : Re-examining the Topic of Christians and Conspiracy Theories

Here is another short take the Christian worldview with David when I want to start out by just making a clarification.

We had some email feedback of some who were wondering what Pastor Tom Pennington was saying last week with regard to Christians believing in passing on conspiracy theories and I really couldn't find anything biblically wrong. I thought it was biblically right actually what he said about Christians should have evidence in eyewitnesses and not be passing along falsehood. That's absolutely true, but I think the assumption was he was talking about the issue of election fraud. I'm not really sure that's what he was doing what he actually referred to was Christians passing along conspiracy theories.

I look at the definition of what a conspiracy theory actually is. Think there's an assumption out there that a conspiracy theory is necessarily false, but that's not what the definition is the definition is a theory that rejects the standard explanation for an event and instead accredits a covert group or organization with carrying out a secret plot or another definition is the idea that many important political events are economic and social trends are the products of deceptive plots that are largely unknown to the general public so in those definitions does not imply that conspiracy theories are necessarily true or false. Although I think there mostly is assumed to be mostly false or might be kernels of truth that people believe and therefore they believe the bigger narrative of the can of the conspiracy theory which is false. My own definition as I think of a conspiracy theory would be an alternate perspective to the mainstream view or a majority accepted view of something that happened, but Tom Pennington didn't specify that election fraud was the conspiracy theory.

He was talking about an hour earlier in this message.

He had talked about the capital right and what led to the capital riot and here's that soundbite which I think give some context but at the same time it's important for us to acknowledge that it is not just those who entered the capital, who are responsible for this national tragedy. Their actions were fueled by reckless, divisive rhetoric, public officials on both sides of the aisle, including our president and millions of our citizens who have posted and reposted angry incendiary accusations on social media for years. All of them share alike responsibilities for what transpired and they bear responsibility for the fruit of their words, we understand that legally as well as biblically.

If you walk into a building and cry fire. You are responsible for the outcome of those words. Okay, so the context of what he said about conspiracy theories probably was not related to alleged election fraud, but maybe more. The theories around why the capital riots the right at the capital took place. Now this is where I diverge from what the point he made here. I don't believe that it is fair to say that all sides, sharing what happened at the capital. People are responsible for their own actions.

The people responsible for the riots are the ones who rioted, not other rally goers who came there peaceably, not people who even pull strong views on social media.

There is a reason that incitement is a legal definition. The essence of the law of incitement legal definition here is that a person the insider urges another person or persons to commit a criminal offense. You say to someone you let's go to the capital goods breach through must take over government that incitement. You could say that social media posts course in our divided country lead to division in our country leads to anger, and so forth incitement is it completely different story that that is prosecutable. We have talked about previously, the present trip did lay out his viewpoint for voting fraud in this past election.

In that speech of the capital.

But he never incited anyone to commit a crime over we won't go over that again he said peacefully and patriotically Walker march to the capital and some people a group of people did what they had decided to do and they created a criminal offense by breaching the capital so I'm not sure exactly what conspiracy theory Tom Pennington is referring to. But I'm going to guess in light of what he said in this recent soundbite which I didn't play last week. That is the general left versus right battles that you see taking place online all the time on their Facebook or twitter and elsewhere. This is been a short take on the Christian worldview with David. We find out more about the Christian worldview resources make a donation, monthly partner or contact us visit the Christian worldview.org you can also call us toll-free 1-888-646-2233 right to us at Box 401, Excelsior, MN 5531 that's Box 401, Excelsior, MN 551