For thus the LORD spoke to me with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread.” Isaiah 8:11-13
I find it is increasingly common for men that I interact with to be taken with conspiracy theories. It is an interesting byproduct of the increase in access to information that we have all seen play out in our lifetimes. Every one of us is just a few clicks away from exponentially more information than even the most learned men of previous generations had access to. In theory this would lead us to be less prone to conspiracy theories. But there’s just one small problem: with all this information available at our fingertips, how much of it is reliable? How much of it is true?
Not only that, but the quest for attention in the social media and podcasting sphere incentivizes controversial ideas much more than straightforward facts. Outrageous opinions and outright lies lead to reposts, follows, and subscribers. Clear-headed rationality? Not so much.
And the rise of AI and the potential for deepfakes means the problem is about to get even worse. Conspiracy theories are attractive in any age, but the ubiquitous presence of modern technology (and all its manifestations) means it is a unique problem for our age. What you believe (and who you believe) depends on your preconceptions and biases. Whatever you are looking for out there, you will find it, and loads of affirmation to go along with it.
Mirriam Webster defines a conspiracy theory as follows: “A theory that explains an event or situation as being the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators. It often seeks to explain harmful or tragic events as the result of the actions of a small powerful group, rejecting the accepted narrative surrounding those events.”
In this article I will make no attempt to prove or disprove any specific theory, or even categorize something as a conspiracy theory or not. I also want to note from the outset that it is a common rhetorical ploy to call a belief a “conspiracy theory” when, in fact, any observer with common sense can discern that it is actually a legitimate potential explanation. Just because someone calls something a conspiracy theory does not mean it is one. And what I discuss about conspiracy theories applies more broadly to “misinformation” as well. What one group calls misinformation another group calls truth. I make no attempt to sort this out, I only acknowledge that it is a difficult problem, and the problem only stands to get worse.
In my experience, there are two qualities that tend to characterize people who believe in conspiracy theories. The first is that they are emphatic about the veracity of the theory. The theory is not just one of many possible explanations. It is the right explanation, and you are naïve or ignorant if you do not agree. The second is that the theory poses some degree of fear/dread to the person. It frequently comes up in conversation. They get worked up by it. It seems to occupy their mind.
With these observations in mind, I offer two thoughts of encouragement as we attempt to discern, with a biblical mindset, the abundance of information that we are all exposed to.
- Maintain a measure of humility about the limits of your knowledge.
One of the great truths of Scripture is that man’s knowledge is imperfect. Consider the following:
In the book of Job, one of the thrusts of God’s argument in His discourses against Job in chapters 38-41 is Job’s lack of knowledge. Recall Job’s response in 42:3: “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”
In Ecclesiastes, we are reminded repeatedly about man’s lack of knowledge (e.g. 1:15, 3:11, 6:12, 7:14, 7:27-28, 8:16-17, 9:1, 10:14, and 11:5).
Jeremiah does not mince words in 10:14: “Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge.”
Paul argues in Romans 3:11: “There is none who understands,” which itself is a quote from Psalms 14:2 and 53:2. Paul also warns in Romans 12:16, “Do not be wise in your own estimation.”
Finally, consider 1 Corinthians 8:1b-2: “Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know.”
There is one source of pure truth available to us: God’s Word. Every other source of information we have is either incomplete, imperfect, or wrong. Whatever your view of current events, you do well to have it in focus that you might not be right. Furthermore, as I will argue below, it does not matter. What matters is that God is in control and events are playing out exactly how He wants them to.
We also do well to remember Hebrews 11:6: “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” You do not impress God by your level of certainty about anything, let alone worldly events. You impress God by living out a life of faith, trusting God’s promises, believing God and everything He reveals to us in His Word for no other reason than it is Him who is speaking.
- You are not to fear worldly events. You are to fear God and you are to be in dread of God and God alone.
In Isaiah 8:11-13, the passage I started with, the context is that Syria (Aram) and Ephraim (the northern kingdom of Israel) were invading Judah. Seeking protection from this invasion, Judah was tempted to join an alliance with Assyria, an emerging world power. Isaiah the prophet warned the King of Judah, King Ahaz, not to put his trust in Assyria, and instead to trust in God alone. As I understand the passage, the people were not necessarily wrong in their assessment of the danger posed by the invasion of Syria and Ephraim. From a worldly standpoint, they were probably right on. And yet God warns Isaiah that he must not walk in the way of the people, and he must not fear what they fear.
Why was Isaiah commanded to fear God and not the military invasion? Because God was in complete control of the events. God is sovereign. Every appearance of pain that we see in the world has been authored by God, a God who loves us and has our best interests at heart. Whenever we find ourselves fearing worldly events it is always a tell that we do not have the sovereignty of God in proper focus.
As you observe chaos and injustice in the world it is easy to become consumed by it. As you find yourself dwelling on it, becoming disturbed by it, you are at least in the ballpark of fearing it. Whatever the problem at hand, you are not to fear it. Even if you have nailed the worldly explanation for the problem, and even if your conspiracy theory is right on the money, it does not matter. God is in control. God is the author. You are to fear God, you are not to fear your circumstances.
Paul Johnson, the late British historian, wrote that conspiracy theories were for the weak-minded. What did he mean by that? Consider the following two explanations for a perceived evil in the world:
The first explanation is that a small group of people, smarter than the rest of us, have contrived a nefarious plan, effectively executed the plan, and have managed to keep it secret from everyone else.
The second explanation is to understand the following biblical truths: 1) Men are inherently sinful. 2) Men lack understanding. 3) The world is unjust. 4) Creation is fallen (and thus men are opposed in all we do).
What I am saying is that the bible tells us we live in an unjust world where even the best of men are inherently sinful and stupid. And not only that, the fallen world we live in opposes us at every turn. All of us are susceptible to the idea that we are always getting the short end of the stick, and that some guys are in the know while the rest of us are on the outside looking in. But I suggest that when bad stuff happens, the second explanation is virtually always superior to the first.
The world is clamoring for your attention. As you survey the events of the world you will see chaos and upheaval. You will see injustice. That is true in all ages. It is definitely true in our age. It is easy to be consumed with such things, and the pervasiveness of modern technology makes this especially so, leading us to focus on the temporal while robbing us of the time we all need to dwell on what really matters: our souls and all things eternal. As you digest world events, be diligent to do so with the understanding that God is in control and that our mandate is to fear Him and not the world. Greatness in the eyes of God is defined not in your degree of accuracy as you analyze worldly events, but in your taking risks in the direction of the promises of God.
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