“Social change is better achieved by being for something than against something.”
~ Helene Gayle
This article is a follow-up to my Virus Crisis Survival Guide. If you don’t have a copy, I’m offended! Just kidding. Go to frankviola.org/svg and get your free copy.
Warning: This article will soon vanish from the Internet, so be sure to read and spread it before “the globalists” take it down forevah.
Clears throat.
In last Thursday’s UNFILTERED article, I promised I’d tell you why I believe countless Christians who are otherwise intelligent, psychologically well-adjusted, and godly believe and spread crazy-sauce conspiracy theories.
Now hear me before you read further.
Genuine conspiracies DO exist in history. For example, the US government poisoned alcohol during the Prohibition, tested the effects of LSD on citizens without their knowledge, and did some unnerving experiments with STDs in Guatemala. These and others are all historically documented.
(I talked about real conspiracies in one of the episodes of The Insurgence Podcast in 2019.)
Furthermore, there IS “proof of collusion” – a chapter title from my book, Insurgence. (It has nothing to do with “Russian collusion,” by the way, but the more important collusion that Jesus and Paul spoke about.)
Are politicians on both sides of the aisle taking advantage of the present virus crisis? Of course. That’s a given.
That said, MOST conspiracy theories – especially the ones floating around social media right now – are preposterous. And most are demonstrably false.
Believing a conspiracy theory is NOT an indicator of intelligence, as you’ll see in a few minutes. It’s rather an indication of something else. Something we are ALL susceptible to (yea, I know that’s not proper English, about which I don’t particularly care).
Therefore, shaming a person for buying into a screwball conspiracy theory is inappropriate, and well, just plain wrong.
In my Virus Crisis Survival Guide (which you should have memorized by now!), I explained that even if a conspiracy theory happens to be true, it’s COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT to how we should be responding to this crisis.
I won’t repeat what I wrote there. If you’re new to my work, just read the guide.
The Anatomy of a Conspiracy Theory
The anatomy of a conspiracy theory is one that by its very DNA begs to be spread “so that others know … because, dude, everyone has to wake up and be informed!”
This, in turn, distracts otherwise godly people from talking about Jesus and His kingdom. It also causes some to go Looney-Tunes on these theories where nothing else seems to matter.
Conspiracy theories, for the most part, increase our faith in human creativity and imagination while reducing our faith in human discernment.
As conspiracy narratives are being pushed upon us, a lost world is watching “Christians” act like fighting cats. They’re also so distracted that they hardly ever proclaim the glories of Christ on their social media feeds.
As I put it in my article last Thursday: “Jesus has called you to make disciples to Himself and His kingdom, not converts to your opinions.”
An Experiment
Here’s an experiment. Look at the last 50 posts from your Facebook friends in your news feed. (Or Twitter or LinkedIn.)
Compare the number of posts you see that talk about or reference the gospel of the kingdom vs. those that discuss other things (like evil conspiracies or your general griping and fault-finding over the virus). Do a count for both.
If you love Jesus, you might get so depressed your eyes will cross.
Out of the social media feed, the heart speaks.
“The measure of my spirit of criticism is the measure of my distance from Christ.”
~ E. Stanley Jones
Back to the subject: Why, pray tell, do so many Christian people buy into crazy-town conspiracies, even when they’ve been debunked?
In preparation for this article, I sought out the foremost expert on conspiracy theories, thinking that he would be able to shed light on the subject.
Unfortunately, Elvis was occupied, so I tried pinging Tupac, but he wasn’t available either.
There are basically 4 reasons why countless Christians not only latch onto these theories, but why they spend all their social media bandwidth sharing and defending them while Jesus Christ and His kingdom get left out in the cold.
That being interpreted means: they expend all their online calories on discussing unproven theories instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. Which is what the world needs.
And NO, those two aren’t the same thing.
On this score, if you use social media, I encourage you to take my 15-day challenge. And let’s see how you do.
Sorry for the digression. I’m blowing a little steam here.
Now this next sentence is foundational. People are apt to falling into emotional quicksand during a crisis. And conspiracy theories appeal to our emotions NOT to our intellects. (This explains why intelligent people can believe them.)
Why Christians (and Non-Christians) Believe Conspiracy Theories
1. Moral and intellectual superiority. Conspiracy theories make people feel morally superior to others. And that, in turn, raises their self-esteem. They feel smart and knowledgeable. And “knowledge is power,” as they say.
The exclusive feeling of being “in the know” makes people feel special. And they have great pity – or outrage – on the poor befuddled masses who are asleep. Consequently, their new-found mission is to save humankind from its blindness.
So there’s a certain self righteousness that comes with believing and spreading such theories.
Conspiracy theories are so entrenched in the minds of some that they appear impenetrable.
When a person has dug their heels into defending a theory, any push back is viewed as persecution. It sounds like this:
“Don’t get mad at me, man, because you can’t handle the truth! I’m but a messenger. Wake up, dude. Wipe that yellow matter custard out of your eyes and wake up!”
Do you see how peddling a conspiracy theory is a lot like evangelism? It’s a tragic substitute. A deflection and distraction to what’s really important and what can actually change a person’s life – both Christian lives and non-Christians lives: The gospel of the kingdom.
Wake up and smell the irony.
2. The desire for certainty. Right now is a time of mammoth uncertainty. As I explained last week, nobody knows what’s really going or where the current pandemic is headed.
Uncertainty makes people feel unsafe and insecure. By contrast, conspiracy theories feed people’s profound need for certainty. They end up making us feel psychologically safe at a subconscious level.
It sounds like this: “Ah ha! Now I know what’s REALLY going on! I saw this video before YouTube took it down, and it explains EVERYTHING. So I can finally take a nap today without keeping one eye open.”
When things aren’t certain or predictable, humans get stressed. And predictability is a stress reducer. (This is one reason why routines help maintain your sanity.)
But those who experience life in the kingdom of God are comfortable with unpredictability and uncertainty. This is partly because our King is radically unpredictable.
I said it before, I’ll say it again. Give up your need for certainty. Give it up for Lent (which is ongoing for many of us).
3. Laziness. People who buy into conspiracy theories – as a general rule – don’t want to be bothered with doing the hard work of thinking critically.
If you think critically through every assumption upon which most conspiracy theories are built, you’d quickly realize that it’s more plausible to believe that injecting light beams into your body will cure you of all illnesses, including COVID-19. (Can’t remember where I heard that one.)
Yea, critical thinking would end most conspiracy theories dead in their tracks. But laziness and critical thinking don’t coexist too well.
For example, the idea that all the governments and corporate hierarchies on Planet Earth have the ability to highly-organize themselves into some grand, evil plot on humanity strains the bounds of credulity until they snap. Come on now: the average government could barely pull off organizing a children’s picnic!
Again, outlandish conspiracy theories aren’t about logic, they’re about emotions.
But once someone has made up their minds that a given conspiracy theory is true, it’s almost impossible to shake them out of it. A reckless disregard for the truth strangely kicks in.
Keep in mind that a highly intelligent person can be lazy when it comes to critical thinking.
4. Boredom alleviation. Right now, people who are locked up in their homes are beyond bored. It is boredom raised to the 40th power.
Just look at the stuff your friends post on social media. Those eyebrow-raising posts are demonstrable proof that people are bored out of their minds.
By contrast, conspiracy theories are both fun and fascinating. They remove boredom. Plain and simple.
And here’s an added insight. Right now, one of the most important skills that the Lord wants to teach us all is how to transcend boredom. That is, without smoking crack, injecting heroine, watching pornography, snorting coke, or spending hours watching conspiracy-laden YouTube videos. (Good observation if you caught it. All of those are about as equally addictive.)
The alleviation of boredom is tied to being productive in creative ways (something I talked about in my Survival Guide.)
Sustaining boredom is a spiritual discipline right now – one that I’m also learning as I spend most days on virtual house arrest (lockdown).
Connecting the Dots?
As with every far-fetched conspiracy of the past, the conspiracy theorists and those who believe them connect the dots wrong. It only takes one false assumption and the wheels fall off.
I’ll give you one example.
In early April, a friend of a Facebook friend was sharing videos by a so-called NASA “expert.” The NASA expert pointed out an asteroid was going to come to close to the USA (which is true), but would cause monumental debris, creating chaos and destruction in our cities.
The “expert” went on to say that ALL the major news networks were covering it up. It would create “too much panic” because “the masses cannot handle what’s about to happen.”
Well, the asteroid was supposed to level all this destruction on April 29, 2020. Guaranteed, because he “connected all the dots.”
Unless I’m living on a different planet, nothing of the sort happened. And that’s how conspiracy theories work. They flare and then fade because they’re held together by miscalculated assumptions.
Then those who spread those videos forget all about them, even denying that they bought into the conspiracies in the first place.
“Oh that video, yea, I never believed it. I just thought it was funny so I posted it.”
Yea right.
I say a lot more about such theories in my Virus Crisis Survival Guide — which I am told will soon will be banned by Google, Yahoo, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and even the US Postal Service — so you’ll want to get your copy before it vanishes into the cyberplasm.
Ignoring the New Testament
In last Thursday’s article – When Will Things Get Back to Normal? — I quoted this text from the Bible. (We even put it in a different color so it couldn’t be missed.)
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, TO SLANDER NO ONE, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” Titus 3:1-2
“Yea Frank, those verses are inspired. But they don’t apply to this pandemic.”
~ Said too many “Christians”
Face meet palm.
Here’s another word from Paul to Titus, which I believe applies perfectly right now:
“But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.”
~ Titus 3:9
Let’s 2020 that verse:
“But avoid foolish controversies and conspiracy theories and arguments and quarrels about COVID-19 on social media because these are unprofitable and useless.”
~ Titus 3:9
Amen Paul!
And for those of you who are screaming about “your rights” – consider these words by Oswald Chambers:
“If you are living the life of faith you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God choose for you. God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing where your own welfare would be the right and proper thing to consider if you were not living a life of faith; but if you are, you will joyfully waive your right and leave God to choose for you. This is the discipline by means of which the natural is transformed into the spiritual by obedience to the voice of God … The only right a Christian has is the right to have no rights.”
But Frank, didn’t Paul call on his rights as a Roman citizen?
Answer: Paul made clear in Philippians 3 that his primary citizenship and ONLY allegiance was to the kingdom of God, not to Rome. He only drew his Roman citizenship card for the cause of the gospel of the kingdom, so he could appeal to the Emperor with the hopes of getting out of jail and back on the road to raise up kingdom communities. Not so he can have a happy, secure, convenient life. For more detail, I address this issue in depth in Insurgence.org.
In closing, some of you asked:
I have friends and family who have lost their minds believing ridiculous conspiracy theories. How do I respond to them without hurting my relationships?
Answer: Simple. Share this post with them using the social media buttons below BEFORE it’s removed from the Internet by the “deep state.” Then all the hatred will be directed at me and you can sleep better at night. Oh, and you’re welcome!
Until next Thursday,
Yours in collective paranoia (I have no idea what that means, but it sounded cool and seems fitting),
Frankie V.
P.S. The podcast episode SHAMDEMIC: The Kingdom, Christians, and Conspiracies is an audio supplement to this article.
P.S.S. Related thoughts to ponder:
“As we take the many blessings of our lives for granted, the grace of God degenerates into entitlement.”
~ Ken Boa
“Our worst fault is our preoccupation with the faults of others.”
~ Kahlil Gibran
“Focus on remedies, not faults.”
~ Jack Nicklaus
If you enjoyed this article, you can subscribe so you don’t miss any of these Thursday UNFILTERED updates, none of which are “religiously correct.” (If you don’t understand satire or appreciate humor, subscribing can be damaging to your sanity, so we recommend against it.)
When Will Things Get Back to Normal?
As I was reading this post (which by the way is excellent) I recalled a recent article I read about a study on the metacongition (ability to evaluate whether or not one might be wrong) of individuals with radical views. The study found that the “metacognition of people with radical views plays a part in shaping their beliefs. In other words, they actually can’t question their own ideas the same way more moderate individuals can”
The study showed those with radical views on both ends of the political spectrum, were “more likely to trust their opinion was correct than to question whether they might have gotten it wrong.” It’s a fascinating study into the human mind and how it thinks!
As I talk with fellow church attenders, I am amazed at the number of conspiracy theories I hear…the main one is that this is all being blown out of proportion just to get Trump defeated in 2020. I just wish believers were as passionate about sharing the gospel of the kingdom as they are about sharing their conspiracy theories!
Keep up the good work Frank, it doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated!
I wouldn’t classify that idea as a conspiracy theory, but simply using the crisis for political ends. That’s happening on both sides of the political aisle.
The conspiracy theories I’m referring to are ludicrous and they’ve been debunked. Those are circulating still at high tide right now. Most of them slander people the spreaders have never met and don’t know, which is at odds with Jesus and His kingdom ways.
Titus 3:9 the 2020 version. Yes and amen! Thank you.
I’m sorry to hear that Google, Yahoo, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and even the US Postal Service are conspiring against you! 😉
Lol. Thx. for “getting” it. Someone thought I was being serious with that line.
And I got my Virus Crisis Survival Guide just before it vanished into the cyberplasm.
Good on you, lol. I love Christians who have a sense of humor. Seems like that tribe is shrinking these days.
Frank, this article isn’t critical or mean-spirited like so much of the stuff online. It’s iconoclastic. This article and the virus guide and all your other books are iconoclastic. You’re an iconoclast, one of the few left. I really appreciate it.
This is so true. I just started reading Frank and he is an iconoclast. People who have hearts full of pride wrongly interpret iconoclasts as being prideful but iconoclasts just expose pride in others.
Amen! You’re right on target. Thank you.
Very good reading material. I’m blessed and enlightened.
This is the best thing I’ve read on this subject and I laughed out loud!
It was clever of you not to mention specific conspiracy theories. Well, you did, the one about the asteroid. Great example. I love the ones you listed in the virus guide. So funny!!!
Thanks for “getting” it. Appreciate the kind words and the observation. As an author, it’s always fascinating to me that two people can read the same exact piece of writing and come away with completely different understandings of it. As if they read two totally different documents.
I think in many ways, whenever we read something, it reads us at the same time.
Thx. for commenting.
“I think in many ways, whenever we read something, it reads us at the same time.”- Frank Viola
The quote above just shook me. I added it immediately to my collection of quotes.
I realized an approach to Scriptures, (related and even unrelated materials) which should be a conscious thing.
I am meant to deliberately allow the Scriptures read me as I read the Scriptures. Maybe it used to happen unconsciously before now but it can be done consciously henceforth.
Thank you.
Fantastic! Spot on.
Thx.
This article was so helpful. I found myself buying into some of these crazy theories and I’m embarrassed. I need to keep my eyes focused on what you talked about. I heard your recent episode on your podcast about the 15 day challenge and see you’re doing it yourself. I’m now doing it too. Thank you.
That’s great news. May your tribe increase!
This is the best thing I’ve read on the subject and it’s so witty. A joy to read. I also read the survival guide and it’s awesome. Love your humor. I am new to your work and listened to the first part of your book ‘Insurgence’ on your YouTube channel. Buying the book and will start reading your other stuff. I’m in my early 30s and I’ve turned your work on to my friends. Thanks man.
Thanks Mark. Appreciate it.
“If you are living a life of faith you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God choose for you. God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing where your own welfare would be the right and proper thing to consider if you were not living a life of faith; but if you are, you will joyfully waive your right and leave God to choose for you. This is the discipline by means of which the natural is transformed into the spiritual by obedience to the voice of God … The only right a Christian has is the right to have no rights.”
I am taking it to heart. Thank you, Frank, for the help and encouragement that you bring to each of us to do what is right.
May God in His grace and mercy keep you pushing towards the promised land and our hope of glory, CHRIST JESUS, Amen.
Chambers understood the gospel of the kingdom, though he didn’t use that term as far as I know. But he saw the reality.
It’s a lost message, as all the clamor by some about “my rights” has revealed. One cannot read Matthew 5 – 7 rightly without it adjusting one’s concepts of “rights.” Hence why I wrote INSURGENCE. It just echoes the massive need for that book in our time.
This is beautifully written. Your reasoning is methodically laid out in the article.
I enjoyed it immensely!
Thx. for the kind words, Joel.
A WhatsApp sharing icon would be nice for sharing this articles on WhatsApp (have had to copy and paste the links of many articles on my WhatsApp status).
Please do not stop doing these articles… They’re helping much more than you can imagine.
– An Insurgent
“Please do not stop doing these articles… They’re helping much more than you can imagine.”
I’m wondering if that’s the Lord speaking to me through you, because I’ve been considering taking a sabbatical from writing on the blog.
Hmm….
OK, I hate to admit it, but I was skeptical about this article coming out ????. I hadn’t/haven’t read the Survival Guide yet, because I have been busier than ever during this time and not bored … so it didn’t even seem applicable (both jobs have been busy as well as the four weekly fellowships/studies I’ve committed to).
HOWEVER, not too surprisingly, Frank has amazed me again with his insight, balance and great perspective. I appreciate your acknowledging true conspiracies up front … ones that are still difficult to believe happened around us in our country. The question of whether we are to be involved in discerning and addressing these types of things as part of our society either through intercession or action is still a matter for profitable discussion. I do feel I have been recently (last 2 years) exposed to some “red-pilling” that I’d rather not know about, and certainly doesn’t make me feel superior, but I do feel what we’ve learned (my wife and I) has caused us to pursue the Kingdom in a way of greater focus in meeting the needs of the people coming out of these things as survivors. To be some of the trained Kingdom servants to love on them and address their unique issues. (None of this, of course is about COVID). I think most Christians are like me, not wanting to see what they’d rather not see (like the warning in front of Pagan Christianity “if you like your Sunday morning the way it is”, or Communities of Faith not standing up for the Jews in Nazi Germany).
Any way, GREAT article, … I’m looking forward to sharing, and if I have time to get on social media, I’ll run the experiment. (It’s not about our posts, per se, but our feed, is that right?)
Thanks Lee. Glad to hear it, bro.
Thanks! I loved this article! (Me encantó este artículo)
Gracias.
Frank please consider the following paradox carefully. In the same “breath” you say:
“Come on now: the average government could barely pull off organizing a children’s picnic!”
Then later you quote:
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, TO SLANDER NO ONE, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” Titus 3:1-2
And?
One can believe a government isn’t efficient or organized and yet submit to it as Paul stated.
Sorry that’s all you got from the article.
Quick addendum. So one of the more popular conspiracy videos that defames certain well-known names has been debunked by numerous researchers who did their homework.
But beyond that, a few others have created their own conspiracy videos that attack the producers of the aforementioned video as having “a New Age agenda.”
In other words, “my conspiracy video trumps your conspiracy video!”
This is where a lot of this leads, folks. Once a person goes down the gutter road of slandering people (or entertaining slander), it never ends.
And all the while, Jesus and his kingdom are forgotten amid the pandemonium.
btw/ How’s that count-the-social-media-feed experiment going for you all?
P.S. I just did the experiment myself.
Looking at the last 50 Facebook posts in my news feed, here’s the count:
* Only 1 post on the gospel of the kingdom. (The person shared an article on it.)
* 49 posts had to do with other things UNRELATED to the Lord and His kingdom.
Either Facebook is shadow-banning all gospel of the kingdom posts (yea, I get to make up my own conspiracy theory … why not?)
OR
I am really wasting my time ….
Yes. Our everlasting craving for security. The voice of the Lord in Hebrews 12:27-28 should be an antitoxin for this craving. It starts now — “We are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken.” There’s the certainty we really crave. Everything else is on the Table of Shaking. And Jesus has this way of overturning tables and turning the tables on the enemy. Great series of articles! Past time for the Body of Christ to season. Or we’ll waste this season!
Right on. You make a good point when you say “series of articles.”
I don’t think this article can be fully grasped — especially the spirit behind it — without reading the Virus Guide and the previous article from the week before.
This one is a follow-up to those.
It’s for this reason that some people (who are new to my work) are completely misunderstanding the points as well as the spirit behind them. But that’s par for the course.
Deep, reflective reading is fairly rare online these days.
For me personally, I rarely read stuff online. Too much is missed. If I want to read someone, I print out the blog post or article and read it carefully off line with highlighter and pen in hand.
There’s a fifth reason, which might actually just be a part of one of the other four. I’ve been so deeply depressed that I hated my life and wanted the Rapture to happen now. I would look at these conspiracy theories as proof or hints that I won’t have to be in this $%&# world much longer. Looking back, it was probably a selfish mindset on my part, and I’ve since taken off my tinfoil hat. But my guess is I’m not the only one who has looked for the Lord’s return through these conspiracy theories.
Thx. Michael. I’m sorry to hear of your depression, bro. You are right. I believe the four I mentioned are the most common. But there are certainly others as the one you described.
btw/ depression is at high tide among pastors today. Two well-known pastors took their lives in the space of 8 months. I knew one of them. I wish he had come to a MinistryMind. I invited him for years, but he never attended. It’s so unnecessary and so tragic.
Hey Frank. This is just as amazing as your virus guide! thanks for writing man, this is so needed right now.
Question, do you think people who haven’t read your book Insurgence or the virus guide will really understand where you’re coming from?
I say no, what do you think?
I say no. That’s been my experience. I wouldn’t have really understood this article or gotten the humor if I hadn’t read Insurgence and listened to his podcast (which is really funny like this article).
I would have thought it was uncharitable, but this article is very charitable and full of grace towards people who disagree.
Agree with you both. My email confirms. 😉
Thank you my brother. I always look forward to your Thursday thoughts and have just finished re-reading your book, “Insurgence.” This article was very powerful to me as the Holy Spirit used it, and especially the Oswald Chambers quote, to convict me of forgetting the admonition of loving my neighbor while focusing on the need to fight the governor’s violation of constitutional rights (I am a constitutional rights attorney, so that tends to overtake my thinking).
Thanks for being a willing vessel to carry the Spirit’s message and keep us on track as citizens of the kingdom of God.
Thanks Mary. Impressive! So glad you’re re-reading the book.
I’m writing for one segment of the body of Christ – the Insurgence. Those who have joined it AS WELL AS those who are looking for it, not knowing it exists, and have found it because another Insurgent shared an article, video, book, or podcast episode with them.
I fully understand that Christians outside that camp don’t really connect with my message, and that’s how it should be. There’s plenty of Christian writers who are promoting conspiracies, griping and complaining and finding-fault with people they don’t know and have never met. And who are stepped head-long into politics.
I encourage people who are into those sorts of things to ignore my blog and books and support those other writers.
It’s important that we find our tribe and stick with it.
This is so true! As a writer myself, I get ‘drive bys’ who read my work and don’t understand where I’m coming from and they are quick to misunderstand and misrepresent, but I’m not writing to them. I’m writing for my own tribe.
Great insight.
Appreciate the comment. As it’s often said in the publishing world, “If you write for everyone, you’re writing for no one.”
I personally don’t know any author who writes for everyone. Most of us write for a narrow target audience.
Finally a voice of reason and wisdom. Thanks Frank for sharing this. People are going nuts these days.
Amen and thanks Frank! Great advice. Will be sharing.
This is great! I’ve been asking why people believe conspiracy theories lately. I was sent a video, and after watching it, I realized I couldn’t discount the people as crazy or silly. I began to ask why these intelligent people would be making such unsupportable leaps in judgment and connecting dots that don’t connect. This was really timely and gave some additional insight.
Thanks.
If every Insurgent spread videos and articles about the Insurgence like they do the nonsense about COVID conspiracies, we’d see a Revolution in the body of Christ. I can’t for the life of me understand why that’s not happening.
It seems that the masses of Christians are always drawn to become passionate about stuff that doesn’t matter compared to what the world actually needs and what counts for eternity. It’s beyond baffling to me.
Why was my comment removed?
This is the Blog Manager, not Frank. I don’t see any comment removed. But if you don’t see it, read this: https://www.frankviola.org/rules/
It’s one of those reasons.
Frank, thanks for writing this. One additional reason I think Christians are particularly susceptible to conspiracy theories is that the Christian narrative is full of conspiracies that are contrary to the narrative the world believes. For example:
• The entire universe, including human beings, was created by a Supernatural Being rather than through impersonal, natural, scientifically “proven” processes
• Another evil being tricked humans into giving him their power to rule the world, and ever since then he and his minions have been deceiving and enslaving people, and are the source of all evil in this world. Talk about a conspiracy!
• The first Supernatural Being led and guided an entire nation of “chosen people” for thousands of years, miraculously saving them from floods, famines, captivity, and wars, which most people believe are just legends.
• This Being is not just a being but 3 Beings in one, which doesn’t make any sense.
• One of these 3 Beings came to earth, and performed miracles like healing people, changing the weather, predicting the future, and raising people from the dead, which everyone knows is impossible.
• This Being also came back to life after being killed. Also not possible.
• Later one of these Beings came into the world to actually live inside the bodies of millions of people. Now that’s crazy talk!
• This Being is actually the true king of this world and is quietly building a kingdom behind the scenes, a kingdom that will one day take over the entire world.
All of these Christian beliefs sound like conspiracy theories.
In order to be a Christian, you have to be willing to embrace some ideas that most people think are crazy, stupid or even evil. In some places, these ideas are considered so bad, evil, and subversive that you can be arrested, imprisoned and even killed for even talking about them.
My point is, to be a Christian is to be a person who is willing to stand out for going against conventional wisdom, and so it’s not surprising that some of us would tend to embrace other conspiracy theories.
Thanks Paul. This is an interesting observation, but I’m unsure about it right now. For instance, I’m someone who has gone on record stating that I believe and accept all the miraculous elements of Scripture as well as believing that all the gifts of the Spirit are still operative today.
At the same time, I’m skeptical of any modern reporting of miracles until I see evidence for it. This is because there have been so many false reportings of miracles by “Christians” and/or excessive exaggerations.
This sort of dishonesty is prolific in one particular movement of the Christian family.
One man recently observed that some of the same people who believe in preposterous conspiracy theories at the same time believe that systemic racism is far-fetched. I thought that was a cogent observation.
I’ve also noticed that people who tend to gravitate toward believing the debunked conspiracy theories don’t quite understand the role that principalities and powers play on the world system and the false gods of money, sex, and power that drive the entire narrative of American culture and our way of life (not to mention other cultures).
As you know, I talk extensively about this in INSURGENCE (the book) yet most believers appear to still be caught in the Matrix, being addicted to consumerism, and trying to make that narrative fit the Bible.
Again, real conspiracies do exist. But most of what’s out there today is ludicrous. And it’s already been discounted. That’s what I’m speaking of in this article (I think you get that, but I’m saying this for some newbies who are going apoplectic because they read this article as a stand alone and didn’t read the Virus Guide or the article that came before it — which is necessary for understanding the spirit behind this post.)
Thanks for the comment. Always a smart contribution from you, bro.
Awesome! Shared…with a prayer a lot of folks (including me) get the larger picture.
Blessings!
Yeah got caught up too. Oh the rabbit trails… being naturally curious, a researcher, and someone that likes to know what other people think, fed into it. I view most of it as fiction, and I love a good fiction story. But I also love history, especially discovering truth like I did from Pagan Christianity. All to say, thanks for reminding me that my time right now is better spent on my relationship with God, pursuing His Kingdom, which is way better than any conspiracy, and sharing hope and coming against fear in my social.
Me too, Tracy! I am one of those people that likes to read. I have not spread any conspiracies and I also have not bashed any political party or person and delete those from my feed.
However, I do spend too much time reading about the theories.
So, I agree with you – my time is better spent pursuing His Kingdom! I created a video (I’m not trying to promote it here) to encourage people during this time. I did it out of obedience even though my flesh did not want to do it, because it revealed my own struggles and how the Holy Spirit himself ministered to me.
Hit the nail on that one. I recently was sent a video by a friend “connecting all the dots” about COVID, tattooed vaccines, the mark of the beast, the rapture, 5g, and more. I couldn’t even really respond to this friend as it would take more typing than I’ve done in a long while.
But your 2020 version of Titus 3 is about the perfect response. Now, do I believe he’ll take it to heart. Nah, not really. And yep, he’s a pastor.
Thanks for putting this into the wild world of the globalists. Although they’re onto you Frank; be careful!! LOL
Thanks for getting it, Mark.
Nah. No push back will come close to the storm I endured for writing this: http://PaganChristianity.org
And I tried to be charitable to those who have bought into the debunked theories. If someone wants to believe them, that’s fine with me. I’d just encourage such people to spend 90% of their social media bandwidth on sharing the gospel of the kingdom (which is the audience I wrote to and for – fellow Insurgents) and 10% on the Covid stuff.
Amazing! I love the virus guide too. I shared it with all my friends. Thank you for all that you do Mr. Viola.
So true and wonderful to have Gospel inspired sanity during these times. Grace and peace to you!
Appreciate it.
Hey Frank, great sharing, thank you.
Why will your “virus crisis survival guide” be banned, like you described in your article?
Or was it one of your jokes? Then – sorry – I didn’t understand.
Your brother, Holger
‘Tis humor and spoof. Those who are familiar with all the conspiracy hype will understand.
God has been working on my tendency to judge and conspiracy theories feed that. I made a conscious decision a while back to stop reading or listening to most of what is posted on Social Media. Thank you for this article Frank. I am convicted yet again that buying into Conspiracy Theories is an attack on my ability to exercise God’s gift of discernment.
Yes, and amen. And as you state, trying to reason with people who have sunk themselves into these theories on YouTube and all the mess out there is a complete waste of breath.
I’ve been appalled for months, and couldn’t for the life of me figure out what they were thinking.
You make some good points, and the addiction connection is one of the best ones.
Yes Frank, So true. We serve up a nice plate of conspiracy theory and instead of just gorging on it ourselves, which is dangerous enough by the way, we decide to share it like we do the thought of a good dessert.
You know the one that looks good, but can’t possibly taste nearly as good as that, and then say “oh you’ve got to try this!”
Thank you for speaking into the lives of believers. We need so many reminders today that the true disciple does not look like the world because he/she lives by the Spirit and the Spirit will show us all things. Included in that ALL is how to discern the truth and more importantly get on with the work of the Kingdom, which does not have time for conspiracy theories anyway.
Unfortunately, as you well know the present church does not spend a lot of time encouraging people to LIVE by the Spirit which leaves a lot of time to let our soulful minds wander onto tantalizing ideas that sidetrack us.
Blessings Brother
Brilliant! So funny too. Definitely sharing this. Thanks for your courage, eye opening also.
Thx. for getting it.
Ditto!