There seems to be a trend, especially with folks over the age of 55, that anytime they read something especially online, they accept it as factual. I was raised to trust people by their word but as I have grown older I have come to the realization that it is best to be somewhat skeptical of everything I hear and read. This should even hold true in the realm of preaching and spiritual matters.
Before you call me untrusting and cynical hear me out. You should always make sure that what you read or hear is truthful. Believe it or not even preachers and teachers don't always say the truth. It may even be unintentional.
Two examples: My pastor stood up and said that he accidentally attributed a quote to the wrong person in a previous sermon. He was very bothered that he had done that and I respect him for making the correction. However, there is undoubtedly someone who didn't hear the correction and passed on the incorrect information. His mistake was not intentional. On the other hand we had a guest speaker who on the topic of stewardship said that "we borrow for everything else in our life so why not borrow for church projects". Um, maybe because the scripture is clear about not being in debt? Running out to get loans is not a desirable course of action. There is a difference in these two examples but they were both inaccurate and if you accepted either one of them without validating if they are true then you are passing along a fallacy.
The most glaring example of this and my biggest frustration is with emails. The generation I mentioned earlier could benefit from a healthy dose of skepticism. Just because it comes through in an email does not mean that it is true, especially if it has been forwarded. Amazing pictures you see are more often than not, very much fake. I know, I work in a program called Photoshop and I can make you think that what you see is real even if it is physically impossible. Emails about Obama eating a baby kitten are most likely not true. (Extreme example I know but you get the point)
I implore everyone young and old, check up on those emails before you send them. SNOPES.COM has put many of these emails to rest as lies. Chances are the email you are about to forward has been around for years and has been proven false. Be a little skeptical for a change. Even when hearing a sermon you should check the Word of God to make sure what is said is truth. It doesn't matter if the information you receive is delivered wrong on purpose or by accident. We all have done it ourselves without knowing it but I fear we have become so overly trusting that we accept everything we see on the news, in the paper and online as accurate and worth repeating. It's often not totally accurate and being partially right is completely wrong!
Check it before you send it or say it. Please. :)
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