Developing Discernment... In A World Of Controversies And Conspiracies
We are living in a time in which the very means by which information comes to us makes it hard to discern what is really true. It should be clear that in this age of internet media and cable news, what is presented as “information” is now an increasingly packaged presentation of fact and fiction. What comes to us may include some form of facts... but it is often shaped to feed our desire for drama .... which includes defining the “sides” that represent good versus evil.
Conspiracies, in particular, provide the lure of drama. They offer to identify the nefarious plots that have been hiding plans to do harm. For those who believe that there is a larger spiritual realm which includes the unseen sources of evil, conspiracies may seem like a discovery of the battle of good and evil that we had long imagined. With increased political animosity and pandemic frustrations, conspiracy beliefs have become a black hole of internet exploration. In the article, “QAnon is tearing families apart,” it is noted how many are losing friends, family, and marriages to those consumed by conspiracies. Adult children discover older parents whose only focus has become sharing their conspiratorial discoveries. As one adult son described, “It’s devastating. It really, really does feel like my mother abandoned me. She implicitly chose QAnon … over me.” QAnon refers to a source of conspiracy beliefs that began in 2017 by an anonymous source named “Q,” who claimed to be a government insider with Q security clearance, the highest level in the Department of Energy. It’s become an umbrella term for a loose set of conspiracy theories ranging from vaccines to pedophile rings. As the article notes, “what’s often forgotten in stories and jokes are the people behind the scenes who are baffled at a loved one’s embrace of the “movement,” and who struggle to keep it from tearing their families apart.” Many are finding that their friends, family, and spouses have enlisted in some mixture of crusade and cult. A spouse is described digging deeper, trying to understand his wife’s beliefs. “She was getting frustrated that nobody in her immediate family was buying in and supporting her. She felt like she was alone in this crusade. … And I know this was extremely frustrating and hurtful for her.” He and their then-18-year-old son held an intervention. It failed. “We were together a very long time. We managed to get past a lot of things I’ve seen end other marriages,” he said. “But this was the thing we couldn’t get past.” Their 20- year marriage ended.
Conspiracies can become both consuming and destructive for those involved. As one enters the rabbit hole, following each new turn in the drama, they may discover it’s hard to find their way out without some marker along the path. As such, I want to encourage each of us to develop ways of discerning the trails of truth through such times. It is not my desire to quench healthy curiosity... nor to claim the definitive truth on all such matters...but rather to provide some means to stay centered in relationships and grounded in truth.
With their potential to provide exciting explanations, we must not surrender our commitment to what really matters most...which is truth. It is vital that we seek truth more than simply what aligns with a general narrative we have become drawn to. A viral video should not be an acceptable source of truth about any claim that is controversial or consequential. If we allow our bias to guide our search and scrutiny for truth, we can become increasingly drawn into forming fiction rather than navigating facts. In addition, we may violate the ninth commandment by bearing false testimony... in sharing what includes false information and accusations about others. How we handle issues of fact and fiction is not something to take lightly. The integrity of our lives and testimony is on the line.
If we want to honor truth, we must actually choose to want truth... even inconvenient truth... more than we want the drama of conspiracies or the unsubstantiated confirmation of our views. I believe that it is incumbent on each of us, living in the internet age, to not accept anything that is controversial in its nature or source, without some significant pursuit to assess the facts. In assessing that which is controversial and consequential, let us take the responsibility to...
1. Consider our motives.
• Am I choosing to accept something as true too quickly because it supports my version of a political or spiritual war?
• Am I being drawn into dramatic claims as part of avoiding the responsibilities and challenges in my life?
• Am I willing to make an effort to discern what is true... even to embrace inconvenient truth... for the sake of integrity?
2. Consider the author and the source. Who is claiming this and why? Is this source reliable and reputable? The process of establishing facts involves many collaborating sources. Particularly in the field of sciences, claims must first stand up amidst institutional peers, then amidst national peers, and now often amidst global peers. As such, we should recognize that facts are better established in the light of many who can review their basis... in contrast to conspiratorial sources which make claims larger than their often limited evidence would tend to justify. If we claim that one video on YouTube...or one doctors experience ...or one “study”... establishes our truth over a mass of recognized sources...we should ask ourselves what basis we have for choosing that source over others.
3. Consider the facts. Are these claims logically consistent? Are they confirmed or challenged by other evidence? This can start with a simple internet search using the core words using the title of a particular viral video, claim, or source along with “fact OR fact-check OR legitimate OR critique OR false” to discover what may be available countering such claims. This can provide an opportunity to explore the sources and merits of what is claimed.
Following such patterns may not establish complete clarity or certainty about what is true. However, they will provide a clearer assessment of various claims...and that can be essential in both what we believe and what we publicly share with others.
It is important to understand that this is not a call to accept the “mainstream” media. It is a recognition that all information can be presented with a bias. However, if we value truth, we will not simply turn away from one source and embrace another without embracing the process of discernment. This is also not a call to discredit one political side in favor of another. Some may deem that the concerns being raised are themselves part of a political bias... because the current conspiracies are generally shared by those who are political and social conservatives. The truth is that manipulation of truth knows no political boundaries...nor does the value of discernment of truth. My encouragement for political and social conservatives is to focus on principles rather conspiratorial claims. My hope is that all will embrace the path that stays centered in relationships and grounded in truth.
For a further pastoral guide to the value and process of discernment, I encourage reading James Emery White’s quick read: Learning to Discern (October 2020).
In addition, the following resources can provide some more information about the nature of conspiracies and many common claims that one may find.
FACT CHECKING RESOURCES
FactCheck.org - A "nonpartisan, nonprofit" research center out of the University of Pennsylvania. PolitiFact - From the Tampa Bay Times, this fact-checking website won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009.
Snopes.com - Billing itself as "the definitive Internet reference source for ... misinformation", Snopes.com double-checks a wide range of claims, from urban legends to Internet rumors.
AP Fact Check - from the Associate Press news.
What Comes Next? A Resource Guide zine (and call to action) from Hunter College Libraries. How to think critically about your information sources
Guide to Fact checking, Verification and Fake News from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
ARTICLES ON THE NATURE AND SOURCES OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES
QAnon Is a Wolf in Wolf’s Clothing: There’s nothing sheepish about this insidious internet demon. By BONNIE KRISTIAN, AUGUST 26, 2020 (Christianity Today)
QAnon: The alternative religion that’s coming to your church Katelyn Beaty, August 17, 2020 (Religious News Service)
Conspiracy theories have flourished during the pandemic – here’s how to stop them in their tracks. 02 Sep 2020
Debunking Fake News By Eugene Kiely; July 6, 2017 – Broad info by FactCheck.org After Truth: how ordinary people are 'radicalized' by fake news
Conspiracy Theory Extremism: When Viral Claims Turn Dangerous, July 14, 2020 Bridget Johnson Misinformation on the virus is proving highly contagious By DAVID KLEPPER; July 29, 2020
The Coronavirus Conspiracy Boom, Atlantic, April 30, 2020
The Prophecies of Q - American conspiracy theories are entering a dangerous new phase.
How QAnon Conspiracy Is Spreading In Christian Communities Across The U.S. by NPR; August 21, 2020
Evangelicals are looking for answers online. They’re finding QAnon instead. How the growing pro-Trump movement is preying on churchgoers to spread its conspiracy theories. by Abby Ohlheiserarchive August 26, 2020
QAnon is tearing families apart By Travis M. Andrews, Oct. 12, 2020