Avoiding Conspiracy Thinking
by Jeff Reed
The Apostle Paul once offered some great advice to Timothy that is urgently relative to our world today. “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1 Timothy 1:3-4, ESV). These speculative myths, Timothy was told to call out, have a modern equivalent.
Contemporary conspiracy theories are unproven speculations that lead individuals away from the fundamentals of faith in Jesus. Mainstream Christian conspiracy theorists will often combine their theories with biblical prophecies to promote imaginary fears. This behavior makes these teachers biblically unfit stewards spreading paranoia and fear to those who listen to them, and it is the opposite of what Jesus wants for His Church. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27, ESV).
Conspiratorial thinking is a thought process of seeing collusions and evil when none exist. Despite overwhelming objective proof that their conclusions are wrong, conspiracy theorists are unwavering in their delusions. The typical reaction to evidence is to conclude that the source of these facts is part of the cover-up. Surprisingly, according to a Washington Post poll, at least half of Americans accept at least one conspiracy theory. Belief in these falsehoods can affect mental and physical health and dangerously lead Christians away from sound doctrine. It is essential to understand that humans tend to develop a herd mentality, and large groups of people can believe misinformation due to emotions rather than reasoning. As part of the Church, we are told to be different.
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Currently, many in the evangelical Church believe some ridiculous myths.
Frankly, most conspiracy theories that sound insane are insane, and the individuals misled by them could develop distorted thinking patterns. These thinking patterns could, and sometimes do, prevent Christians from rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). So, can Christians avoid conspiratorial thinking? Yes, it is possible with a few biblical fundamentals to avoid being misled.
“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions” (1 Timothy 1:5-7, ESV). A true Christian teacher will preach love. False teachers have vain discussions. In other words, they teach nonsense. Listening to confident nonsense from someone who appears knowledgeable could possibly deceive us. As Christians, we must be able to identify when someone teaching is a deceiver.
Here are some examples of the behaviors a deceiver may use:
They will cherry-pick their information, pretending to be objective, avoiding anything that counters their narrative. A false teacher accomplishes this by avoiding certain Bible verses or news sources that disagree with them. Biblical teachers are instructed to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV).
They never will admit they are wrong. God’s Word instructs us to confess our faults to each other (James 5:16).
If one of their theories or predictions fails to occur, they will incorporate this into the conspiracy acting as if they were teaching this the whole time. But God tells us that “When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him” (Deuteronomy 18:22, ESV). We can also apply this verse to false predictions made by conspiracy theorists.
They use weasel words or statements that are ambiguous or misleading. Changingminds.org explains that “weasel words are designed to give the appearance of truth whilst protecting the speaker from attack or legal redress.” Jesus tells his followers to “let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” True biblical teachers teach unambiguously.
They shift the burden of proof. A conspiracy theorist may make an extraordinary accusation and then demand that others prove it false: “You cannot prove that it did not happen.” This is an argument from ignorance. A lack of evidence against a claim is not evidence that the claim is true. The person making the accusation is responsible for providing credible evidence. Christians are instructed to “test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, ESV).
They use circular or self-sealing reasoning. Any evidence against the conspiracy is reinterpreted as evidence that the conspiracy is even bigger. If an expert denies the claim, the denial supposedly proves that the expert is involved in the cover-up. This makes the theory impossible to disprove because every possible outcome is treated as confirmation. This type of circular reasoning is commonly associated with conspiracy theories. “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” (Proverbs 18:17, ESV).
They continually move the goalposts. When someone supplies the evidence they originally requested, the conspiracy theorist changes the standard and demands something more. No amount of evidence is ever sufficient because the requirements for proof keep changing. A Christian sincerely searching for truth should be willing to identify beforehand what evidence would cause them to reconsider their conclusion.
They create a false dilemma. Conspiracy theorists may insist that there are only two choices: either accept their theory or support the supposed conspiracy. Anyone who questions their interpretation is labeled ignorant, deceived, or part of the enemy. In reality, there may be several reasonable explanations for the available evidence. Godly wisdom is “open to reason” and “impartial and sincere” (James 3:17, ESV).
They attack people rather than address evidence. Instead of answering an argument, they may accuse the person presenting it of being corrupt, controlled, paid off, or spiritually blind. Even when criticism of a person is justified, it does not automatically prove that the person’s evidence is false. Jesus said, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24, ESV).
They rely heavily on anecdotes and isolated examples. A single testimony, unexplained photograph, edited video, or unusual event may be presented as conclusive proof of a much larger conspiracy claim. Individual experiences may deserve investigation, but one story cannot establish a sweeping conclusion. Scripture recognizes the danger of relying on unsupported testimony: “A single witness shall not suffice” (Deuteronomy 19:15, ESV).
They appeal to fear instead of reason. Frightening music, alarming predictions, dramatic language, and images of impending catastrophe can create strong emotions without providing strong evidence. Fear can make people accept claims they would otherwise question. “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7, ESV).
Another biblical practice that helps us avoid being consumed by false conspiracy theories is learning to trust experts. An expert is someone who has studied a particular topic, subject, or science and is trusted by their peers to be a reliable source of information. Most often, conspiracy theorists will use unreliable or dubious sources for support. God encourages us to pursue the best information. “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors, there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14, ESV).
Say, for example, we have 100 experts on a particular topic, and one of the experts believes that he is correct and that the other 99 are wrong. He could be accurate, but most likely, he is wrong. It is safer and wiser for us to put confidence in the 99 over the one. “Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses” (2 Corinthians 13:1, ESV). The more witnesses, the likelihood of their testimony being true increases. If conspiratorial thinking has corrupted your mind, you would be more likely to believe the one over the 99 if they agreed with your preconceived notions. And with actual conspiracy theories, it is more like believing the one out of a thousand or ten thousand. The minority opinion about something could sometimes be correct, but it is wise and prudent to be skeptical of their claims.
So what does a Christian need to do to examine conspiratorial claims objectively? “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17, ESV). We need to ask for the wisdom that God can provide us, and this pure wisdom will present itself peaceably and gently. This behavior is the opposite of conspiracy theorists who often use vile language towards their opponents and hate those involved in their fictional hypotheses. This wisdom from God will make us open to reason, and we will examine facts with a genuinely open mind putting out our preconceived notions. Impartiality is a quality of the mind of God, He knows all the facts, and His conclusions are always right and just. God will give us this wisdom if we humbly let Him.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2015/02/19/fifty-percent-of-americans-believe-in-some-conspiracy-theory-heres-why/
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/liberal-fever-swamps/530736/
https://www.americansurveycenter.org/rise-of-conspiracies-reveal-an-evangelical-divide-in-the-gop/
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/quick-to-listen/conspiracy-theories-qanon-bible-christians-jesus.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_mentality
http://changingminds.org/techniques/language/modifying_meaning/weasel_words.htm