Conspiracy Theories and Evangelism
Conspiracy theories have always been around, and they’ve always intrigued people. We can see this is the case by looking at some of the thrillers that Hollywood has produce over the years. I’m sure we can all think of films that revolve around the shadowy world of some government organisation or secret society which has plans to take over the world. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent US presidential elections, I have noticed that my social media feed and email inbox has filled up with people engaging in what would be commonly called, “conspiracy theories.”
Let me stress, the purpose of this blog is not to examine certain theories; I am not even going to give my opinion on if I agree or disagree with what is being spread. I have no interest in adding my name to a growing list of people who want to spend their time talking about shadowy movements or resets, however, what I want to do is address how conspiracy theories impact evangelism.
I write this blog with caution, and also a little bit of fear, as I know that some of my friends would be very strongly committed to particular views; but I must address that which I believe is actually damaging our gospel witness. Conspiracy theories do absolutely NOTHING to help the gospel, rather they often hinder the work of evangelism.
I want to be careful how I write here, as I am striving to be less critical of my fellow Christians, especially towards those who are zealous for evangelism. Over the years I have said many dumb things, and have made more mistakes than I can count, so I am not seeking to say that I’m perfect; however, I do feel that I need to address this issue, because the gospel is at stake.
To illustrate, let me tell you about a tract I was sent just the other day. This tract is about the size of a postcard, and it is distributed by an evangelistic ministry in the UK. The layout of the leaflet is quite basic, it is double-sided with black text on white background. On the front of this tract in big bold letters is the conspiracy that COVID-19 doesn’t exist. From there it goes on to talk about the failures of masks, and then questions the vaccine. On the back of this tract the questioning of vaccines and testing for COVID continues. Then there is a warning about the Beast of Revelation, followed by an exhortation to read the King James Bible. Finally, there are six Bible verses in very small print. If that wasn’t enough, you can go to the website of this ministry to purchase a more in-depth booklet which warns that the word ‘mask’ is only one letter away from the word ‘mark.’
The focus of this tract is on COVID and the conspiracy around it, then almost as an afterthought the gospel is tacked onto the bottom. As I read this tract, I found that I was grieved, as the emphasis wasn’t upon Jesus, rather it was on the author’s personal view. Jesus wasn’t the hero of this tract; the conspiracy theory was.
Sadly, when it comes to the issue of conspiracy theories and evangelism, I have often found that more time is spent discussing the theory, than actually talking about Jesus. This is true not just for the current round of conspiracies, but I have seen this played out repeatedly over the years. As a result, the world thinks that Christians are more interested in talking about fringe ideas, rather than actually talking about the Lord Jesus.
Conspiracy theories, or literature like the one mentioned above, do nothing to help our gospel witness. Rather, all that occurs is that the water becomes muddy, and the gospel of grace is hidden. If the world is going to think of us as fools, then let it be because we are actually preaching the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and not the latest conspiracy.
The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:2 – “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” This should be our cry in evangelism as well. We should spend our time and effort in making much of Jesus, not the shadowy world of conspiracies. I know conspiracy theories can be intriguing and they get the imagination running, but they are not helpful when it comes to reaching out to the lost. Let’s commit to being people who make much of Jesus, not conspiracies.