Truth Seekers
Bible in a Year :
[Having] carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you.
Today's Scripture
Insight
Why do we have four gospels? Basically, each one presents a unique perspective on Jesus, and having more than one account adds to their credibility. The Holy Spirit inspired the writers to pen their accounts. Though the four books have many similarities, each author emphasizes a different theme for an intended audience. Matthew wrote mainly for Jews, emphasizing that Jesus, the son of David, was the Messiah for whom they were waiting. That’s why he began with a genealogy and includes multiple references to Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus. Mark emphasizes Jesus as the Suffering Servant of God. This was especially relevant to believers in Jesus who were suffering for their faith. Luke was written to Theophilus, a gentile. Luke presents Jesus as the Son of Man and Savior of all people. John presents Christ as the Son of God and Creator of the world.
A woman once told me about a disagreement that was tearing her church apart. “What’s the disagreement about?” I asked. “Whether the earth is flat,” she said. A few months later, news broke of a Christian man who’d burst into a restaurant, armed, to rescue children supposedly being abused in its back room. There was no back room, and the man was arrested. In both cases, the people involved were acting on conspiracy theories they’d read on the internet.
Believers in Jesus are called to be good citizens (Romans 13:1–7), and good citizens don’t spread misinformation. In Luke’s day, numerous stories circulated about Jesus (Luke 1:1), some of them were inaccurate. Instead of passing on everything he heard, Luke essentially became an investigative journalist, talking to eyewitnesses (v. 2), researching “everything from the beginning” (v. 3), and writing his findings into a gospel that contains names, quotes, and historical facts based on people with firsthand knowledge, not unverified claims.
We can do the same. Since false information can split churches and put lives at risk, checking facts is an act of loving our neighbor (10:27). When a sensational story comes our way, we can verify its claims with qualified, accountable experts, being truth seekers—not error spreaders. Such an act brings credibility to the gospel. After all, we worship the One who’s full of truth (John 1:14).
Reflect & Pray
Why do you think conspiracy theories spread so quickly? How can you be a truth seeker?
Father, help me discern truth from error as Your Spirit guides me.
It is disheartening to see so many born-again Christians and politicians succumb to misinformation, conspiracy theories and lies.
Marjorie Taylor Greene admits she shared false info about Harris 'whistleblower' car crash
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on Sunday admitted to spreading a false report relating to allegations that Vice President Kamala Harris received the debate questions ahead of her face-off with ex-president Donald Trump.
Greene, who has recently reignited her war against House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), over the weekend regurgitated a talking point from right-wing conspiracy theorists about Harris received debate questions before the event where she is widely thought to have beaten the former president. Trump himself has pushed this theory, too.
Greene took it a step further, suggesting that a purported "whistleblower" who leaked the claim died in a car accident.
Want more breaking political news? Click for the latest headlines at Raw Story.
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"The ABC whistleblower who claimed Kamala Harris was given debate questions ahead of the debate has died in a car crash according to news reports," Greene posted on social media. In fact, "news reports" did not say that. Instead, Greene linked to a Wordpress blog.
National security attorney Bradley P. Moss replied, "Please seek mental help."
Artist Art Candee said, "You need to be in a psych ward."
In a later post, Greene ultimately admitted the story was false.
"This story appears to be false and I’m glad to hear it," Greene said Sunday. "We need a serious investigation into the whistleblower’s report that Kamala Harris was given debate questions ahead of time from ABC!"
Greene did not delete her original post in which she shared the misinformation.
Ohio Attorney General Leans Into Pet-Eating Lie While Bomb Threats Close Schools
While bomb threats forced elementary and middle schools in Springfield, Ohio, to evacuate Friday for a second day, the state’s attorney general was amplifying the conspiracy theory that likely prompted those bomb threats in the first place.
Despite lacking any firm evidence, and in the face of clear denials from city officials, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost this week leaned into the lie that immigrants in Springfield are abducting and eating domesticated animals around the city.
“There’s a recorded police call from a witness who saw immigrants capturing geese for food in Springfield,” Yost wrote on social media Wednesday.
“Citizens testified to City Council. These people would be competent witnesses in court. Why does the media find a carefully worded City Hall press release better evidence?”
Yost appeared to be referencing a weeks-old, non-emergency police call from a resident who claimed to see immigrants carrying dead geese.
Springfield’s deputy director of public safety and operations, Jason Via, told NPR that local authorities are familiar with that claim, among others.
“We get these reports, ‘The Haitians are killing ducks in a lot of our parks’ or ‘The Haitians are eating vegetables right out of the aisle at the grocery store,’” Via said. “And we haven’t really seen any of that.It’s really frustrating.”
And even the accusations about local waterfowl are a far cry from the conspiracy theory propagated by Republican nominee Donald Trump during the presidential debate on Tuesday that immigrants are abducting and eating peoples’ cats and dogs.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs,” Trump said Tuesday night. “The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country. And it’s a shame.”
Debate moderators immediately debunked Trump’s remark, citing a statement from Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, has also said there’s no merit to the claims.
In the days since, as other GOP politicians nonetheless doubled down on the lie, a barrage of bomb threats has forced schools, government agencies and other buildings in Springfield to evacuate.
The city hall building had to be evacuated on Thursday. On Friday morning, three elementary schools in the city were evacuated due to “information received from the Springfield Police Division,” according to the Springfield City School District. Threats closed a middle school before it could even open for the day.
While the FBI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from HuffPost regarding the particulars of the threats, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue told The Washington Post the threats had used “hateful language” toward Haitians and immigrants.
Asked by the Ohio Capital Journal if Yost believes a 911 call is more credible than public declarations from the Springfield mayor, city manager, police chief and Ohio’s governor, and if Yost was concerned that his actions are inflaming racial resentment, a communications director for the attorney general deflected.
“This is what the people of Springfield are reporting,” she told the outlet. “You can choose to believe them or not believe them. But the indisputable fact is that the heavy influx of immigrants is overwhelming the city’s services and schools.”
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