Let’s be honest. We all get things wrong some times. The more firmly we believe something is true, the harder it is to let go, even if we learn it is false. We are also typically quite busy, and intellectually lazy, meaning we prefer not to spend too much mental energy evaluating ideas—we go with our gut. It’s also true that we love to have our ego fed. Being “in the know” is definitely an ego boost. It feels good to know something that others don’t know. Gnosticism was a heresy faced by the early church, which flourished precisely because it fed the ego of its adherents through the “secret knowledge” it made available to them.
Psychology tells us that humans prefer information that comes first. Another way to understand this is we quickly develop a worldview, along with certain biases, of which we are mostly blind, like a fish trying to see water. That means that from a very early age, we prefer information that already agrees with our worldview. It is very difficult to actually change our worldview based on new information. Very few people do so. It requires humility to admit that an idea one has believed is wrong. It’s even harder when one’s friends and family also share that worldview (which is true for most of us). Most people don’t really like being a maverick. It feels uncomfortable to stand apart from others.
We have all been implicitly taught to trust the written word. And why not? Historically, the written word in books, magazines, and newspapers has been largely reliable, written by professionals who had a reputation to maintain through accuracy. It’s only with the advent of the internet that any person without the slightest qualifications can post something online and have it read around the world, with no requirement that it be accurate, and no repercussions. We also live in a world where nothing shocks us. We have heard too much bad news, and too many examples of people who were formerly trusted falling from grace. Bill Cosby, along with many, many others comes to mind. Lastly, our hyper-polarized political climate has already demonized the “other side” to the point where they don’t even seem human. They are no longer just wrong; they are evil. They want to destroy us. Hear enough hyperbole like that, and many are ready literally to take up arms to save the nation.
Given all these aspects of human nature and our current environment, it’s not surprising that some people fall for conspiracy theories. At first glance they sound feasible, it’s in print, and because they feed our egos we don’t really want to put in the effort to determine whether or not they are true. Add to that our psychological bias towards anything that fits our worldview, and the social rewards we risk losing by abandoning any aspect of that worldview, and it quickly seems outrageous to even think about doubting, especially if the target is a person or group that we’ve already been trained to despise. And let’s face it; conspiracies do happen—in government, in companies, and even within the Church.
Sadly, many Christians have been fooled recently by conspiracy theories for all the reasons just listed. They don’t realize the harm this is doing to our witness. One who is spouting hate-filled conspiracy theories (whether on social media or in person) is NOT being a good witness for Christ, and loses all credibility with those who know better. As Christians, we should seek to be credible when possible. We should also seek to be truthful, loving, and humble.
To be truthful, we don’t spread information unless we have made the effort to confirm it’s accuracy. If no real evidence can be found for a claim, or we don’t care to make the effort, leave it alone. It isn’t worth passing on a falsehood. Our burden of proof should be high before we click to share. If everyone followed this simple rule, most conspiracy theories would shrivel and die quickly. To be loving, we must avoid slander and speech that tears others down, regardless of how much we may disagree with that person’s views. If you don’t like someone’s position, beat them with well-reasoned arguments, not lies and abuse. Remember Jesus telling us to love our enemies? Finally, we should be humble by being open to the possibility that we got something wrong. Don’t cling to a “fact” that has been either disproven, or is even questionable. Hold on to facts loosely to avoid letting your ego get away from you. On the other side, we should be humble by understanding how easy it is to be fooled by conspiracy theories, and not look down upon those who get caught up in them.
This brings me to my final point. If someone you care about is caught up in conspiracy theories (and it’s usually more than one), it can cause tremendous stress on the relationship. It may not be possible to get this person to change his or her mind with facts alone. Conspiracy theories unfortunately take hold in the brain with a strong grip—much like Gnosticism did. And because of the reinforcement people get from others on social media caught up in the same conspiracy theories, they function similarly to a cult. Try to be patient and loving towards those caught in conspiracy theories, knowing that arguing is likely to lead nowhere. Belief in conspiracy theories is as much a spiritual issue as it is political. Christians should behave differently than others, but unfortunately, many of us are failing to live like Christ, particularly online. Let’s make the effort to do better, and if we realize our social media has become a toxic environment, then it’s time to leave, for the good of our soul and our Christian witness.
