Internet Hoaxes and Christians
The Internet is a great resource for Christians. Through the Internet, the Gospel can reach places and people that otherwise would never have had the opportunity, or desire, to hear God’s Word. The Internet can also destroy the testimony of all Christians in the eyes of non-believers when used recklessly.
As email became a common form of communication for the world, email hoaxes became more and more prevalent. Some are rather harmless, but others are misleading, deceptive and even dangerous.
While most of these Internet hoaxes are not related to Christians or Christianity, a small number attempt to make false claims in order to promote the cause of Christ. These emails are naively forwarded by thousands of Christians every day to everyone on their email lists. These Internet hoaxes make grandiose claims that attempt to validate Christian beliefs or further the cause of Christianity.
Think about all of the ramifications of these emails! Does God want His cause promoted through deception? Obviously not. This goes against the very principles of Scripture.
One such Internet hoax gives a detailed account of how Charles Darwin accepted Christ and denounced evolution on his death bed. This story is completely fabricated. By spending five minutes doing a little research you could find the truth behind Internet hoaxes such as this. On the other hand, by blindly forwarding such an email, you risk losing your credibility and damaging your testimony with every person that reads your email.
But it goes even further than your own credibility and testimony. You open all Christians up to ridicule and further close the minds of those that haven’t accepted Christ. In their eyes, Christians are small minded people who blindly follow a false God.
Do YOU want to reinforce that view of Christians… and our Savior? Verify the validity of any email before sending it to your friends. Most Internet hoaxes can be found at Snopes.com.
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