Bulletin Articles
INFORMATION OVERLOAD AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
INFORMATION OVERLOAD AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
It only takes a modicum of intelligence to see that much of the information available on the internet is contradictory. Consider the situation with Covid-19. The available information about this virus is so varied that our own government can’t even get its facts straight! The “facts” change almost daily; and the opinions offered by the medical community are in a constant state of flux. And then, as if to “add insult to injury,” we are told that we must blindly “follow the science.” Frankly, that’s kind of hard to do when the so-called “science” changes almost daily!
Now take that one example, and multiply it by all of the available topics to explore on the internet, and all of the various opinions about those topics, and you can see how some people might conclude that there is no such thing as absolute truth. However, I hasten to add that to the Christian, the concept of “no absolute truth” is anathema! Indeed, the Christian believes in absolute, unchanging, eternal truth! (cf. Ps.119:160; Jn.8:31-32; Jn.17:17).
Taking this a step further, if absolute truth exists, then anything which contradicts absolute truth is, by definition, false! Simply put, in a world where truth exists, there are also lies, falsehoods, and errors. This, in turn, means that much of the “information” available in “the information age” is MISINFORMATION! And right here is the place where “personal responsibility” comes into play. Brethren, we simply cannot believe everything we see, hear, or read, because much of it is wrong! Each one of us has a personal responsibility to investigate what we are being told, and determine if it is true or not (cf. Ac.17:11; 2Tm.2:15; 1Jn.4:1).
And speaking of personal responsibility, it is extremely important to mention that the solution to misinformation is NOT censorship! We cannot leave the work of sifting out misinformation to the government, news media, or “big tech.” When we let someone else control the flow of information, we yield our personal responsibility, and become subject to the biases of others. We empower others to “shout down” the truth, and put ourselves in great peril (cf. Ac.19:23-34). Censorship is the tool of totalitarians!
But when we take personal responsibility to seek truth, we must, of necessity, give up on “party-line thinking.” This is easier said than done! Most people want to identify with “like-minded” folk (which is not an inherently bad thing, cf. 2Pt.1:1, “like precious faith”). But the danger comes in when we get lazy, and simply “go along” with what everybody else in our little group believes. We see this problem everywhere: in families, in politics, in society, and even religion. Believing something just because “everyone else believes it” is the ultimate self-deception! Instead of “party-line thinking,” we must learn to think for ourselves: we must research, study, and think. Then, we must have the courage to stand for what we believe to be the truth – even if the rest of the world thinks we’re wrong!
With all this being said, there is yet another side to this story. You see, some people become so determined to be “independent thinkers” that pride forces them to embrace “non-traditional” views just for the sake of “being different.” Consequently, in their quest to “think for themselves” they become purveyors of misinformation, just as surely as any “party-line thinker.” As you can see, the search for truth is a never-ending struggle, which requires a “mental toughness” that precious few people have (cf. Mt.7:13-14).
The task of seeking truth (on ANY subject) is difficult – but it is not impossible. We must constantly strive to educate ourselves, and constantly hone our reasoning skills. We must be willing to accept truth, regardless of where it leads us. And we must be willing to change our viewpoints, if truth leads us to do so. In the final analysis, this is what it means to be a “disciple” (Mt.28:19-20; cf. 2Pt.3:15-18).
--Lanny Smith
