The term ‘fake’ news is now an everyday expression. We’re subjected on a regular basis to tsunami levels of concerted and unprecedented misinformation.
Murray Smith
Spin and propaganda strategies deployed by governments and despotic entities to promote agendas aren’t new. Nor is disseminating carefully crafted messages designed to shape and manipulate society for evil motives. Sadly it appears New Zealanders haven’t proved any less gullible than others as an audience receptive to misleading narratives.
It’s truly alarming how people can be collectively swayed into having their values, beliefs and behaviours bent by a ‘pitch’ that’s repetitively loud and persuasive – even though it’s patently false.
I watched a movie recently set in Germany during the 1930s as that country became spellbound by an evil dictator. Hitler spun a vision of a glorious national recovery that appealed enormously to the pride of the masses. Compelling promises of revived fortune and status bewitched the majority of the nation.
Photo: Markus Winkler, pexels.com
Embracing Hitler’s demonised rhetoric, nationalistic fervour tragically blinded most German citizens into overlooking or justifying the evil atrocities that Nazi Germany set about introducing – sadly most of the church also embraced the delusion. As World War Two broke out, a confident German nation with few protesting, set out to assert itself, crushing every opponent, eliminating those deemed unworthy – European Jews particularly being targeted and victimised.
That was 80 years ago. The German experience and the weird, strange new age since Covid-19 should have taught us one thing… to stand up and cry foul when it’s necessary.
The misinformation and good versus evil served up over recent times is next level. Humans are generally very bad at detecting what’s fake because fake ideas often look like the real deal.
A desperate need exists for discernment of the truth to resist the noise of insistent voices that are false. It’s happening – what Jesus spoke of repetitively.
Some years ago a mother with a daughter came to see me. They described experiencing frightening ‘paranormal’ manifestations in their home. I asked candidly about what might have ‘opened the door’. They agreed it coincided with the daughter’s interest in ‘occultic arts’. Finding it intriguing, she had innocently become captivated dabbling with psychic readings, divining, tarot cards, palmistry, spiritual readings and more.
I commended her search for spiritual answers but was quick to point out there are two sources of spiritual ‘reality’- a dark side that is a deceptive entrapping counterfeit, leading to bondage as opposed to what is true, leading to freedom and can only be sourced from God. This is the age old battle between darkness and light, truth and error.
Some may say, ‘if it works to make spiritual connection and provides answers, it must be ok’ The fact it ‘works’ is irrelevant – the important issue is what’s the source and what is the fruit?
Thankfully, for this family where things had escalated to being seriously ‘out of control’, they renounced the fake, finding freedom in embracing the truth.
Propaganda posters. Photo: Sinitta Leunen, pexels.com
