The Facts Of Life
The fact is, most people believe what they are told. It doesn't have to be true, it doesn't have to make sense, people will simply believe it because "it was on the news" or because "my cousin told me - he read it in the paper!"
I received an email from a well known Christian artist today. This person is a gem (in my opinion) and understands the heart of God. Unfortunately the email forwarded falsely represented a Christian organization. And it falsely represented one of the presidential candidates. You may have received this email since it's been circulating for the past few months. The email is lengthy so I won't include it all here, but the introduction says:
The rest of the email goes on to belittle what Obama has and hasn't done and how evil he is. Hear me. I am not taking a stand for Obama. I'm taking a stand for truth. I'm encouraging you to become informed.
I decided to research the email only to discover that it did not originate from anyone connected with Billy Graham. Go figure! Not to mention that the email repeatedly misrepresents Obama, stating things like, "He voted against banning partial birth abortions" when in fact Obama voted against a bill in 1997 which would have turned doctors into felons by banning so-called partial-birth abortion. (Not to mention that the same legislation defined a fetus as a person, & could have criminalized virtually all abortion.)
The election is less than a week away. People should inform themselves and stop listening to everything they hear in the media and on the net. And that includes my blog. Don't believe what I'm saying, research it - check it out - get informed.
Get the truth.
But this post in not about politics. This is about people believing facts that are false. Get the truth about life, death, prescription medication, health care, schools, theology - stop believing (ver⋅ba⋅tim) everything the doctor, teacher, politician, theologian, author and ESPECIALLY email forwards are saying!
The information you are receiving may not be the truth.
This may take some work on your part, and will certainly take time. Learn how to accurately handle truth. Prepare yourself to give truthful answers and to state the facts - do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience. And please, if nothing else, stop passing along information that you haven't researched or that you don't know to be truth.
That, unfortunately, is careless, misguiding and terribly annoying.
I received an email from a well known Christian artist today. This person is a gem (in my opinion) and understands the heart of God. Unfortunately the email forwarded falsely represented a Christian organization. And it falsely represented one of the presidential candidates. You may have received this email since it's been circulating for the past few months. The email is lengthy so I won't include it all here, but the introduction says:
Obama, by Bill Brown on the Billy Graham team...
These are things we all need to know before it is too late. Make your vote count by being an informed American. Vote your choice, but vote carefully. This is well worth reading and thinking about.
It is always interesting to me to read the viewpoint of someone like Bill Brown. Bill Brown, is a highly respected retired member of the Billy Graham team. So, I take his assessment of Obama very seriously and for that reason accept his challenge to pass this on. I share his concern about the "rock star" image Obama has and watch with growing concern at the celebrity status the media has foisted upon him.
The rest of the email goes on to belittle what Obama has and hasn't done and how evil he is. Hear me. I am not taking a stand for Obama. I'm taking a stand for truth. I'm encouraging you to become informed.
I decided to research the email only to discover that it did not originate from anyone connected with Billy Graham. Go figure! Not to mention that the email repeatedly misrepresents Obama, stating things like, "He voted against banning partial birth abortions" when in fact Obama voted against a bill in 1997 which would have turned doctors into felons by banning so-called partial-birth abortion. (Not to mention that the same legislation defined a fetus as a person, & could have criminalized virtually all abortion.)
The election is less than a week away. People should inform themselves and stop listening to everything they hear in the media and on the net. And that includes my blog. Don't believe what I'm saying, research it - check it out - get informed.
Get the truth.
But this post in not about politics. This is about people believing facts that are false. Get the truth about life, death, prescription medication, health care, schools, theology - stop believing (ver⋅ba⋅tim) everything the doctor, teacher, politician, theologian, author and ESPECIALLY email forwards are saying!
The information you are receiving may not be the truth.
This may take some work on your part, and will certainly take time. Learn how to accurately handle truth. Prepare yourself to give truthful answers and to state the facts - do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience. And please, if nothing else, stop passing along information that you haven't researched or that you don't know to be truth.
That, unfortunately, is careless, misguiding and terribly annoying.
Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.[ Psalm 25:4-5 ]
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 8:04 AM.
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10:19 AMListening to email forwards is relatively risky business. Except for the ones filled with glitter and happy faces and kitties containing positive poems about friendship and that plucky little puppy who could...
those ones are awesome. Save them and cherish them. And by all means... pass them on
12:58 PM
I DO cherish those forwards Dave! How'd ya know?! And now that I know YOU like them too I'll be SURE to pass them along!
:-|
1:31 PM
Here's an interesting link and I've also read a related newspaper article recently. We are a nutty bunch, we humans!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21311730/
1:46 PM
Yes, yes, yes!!
My son and I like to create magnetic poetry on our refrigerator door. One of the poems currently staring us in the face every time we reach for a cold drink is entitled "Question Everything."
I've always encouraged my son to seek the truth and to not fear or demonize different points of view. In two years, he has gone from calling himself a Christian to a doubter to an atheist to an agnostic to an evolution-rejecting agnostic who leans toward the idea that there might be a Supreme Being after all.
His journey has been a difficult one for me, as a believer, to walk with him. However, I firmly believe that if God IS the truth and we KNOW the truth, then no question is too scary or too dangerous to be asked and considered.
God is the I AM and He shows up on His own timetable and in His own way. My job isn't to rush that process or to prove anything. My job is do the best I can to present (really to LIVE) the truth and to pray that God makes Himself real to my unbelieving friends and family.
Great post!!
3:01 PM
@lrainey - great link - thanks!
@ttm - thank you for your thoughts and encouragement!
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