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Verse:“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” —John 17:17
In the 1970s, mysterious patterns started showing up in fields across Great Britain. Crops had been flattened into strange patterns, and even though many experts said the designs were not the result of anything supernatural, there were those who believed they were the work of aliens from outer space.
In 1991, after men claimed responsibility for the creation of the circles, many people continued to believe the crop circles were part of some wider phenomenon.* Mysterious patterns appeared, people were intrigued, and in the rush to assign a far-fetched origin to the crop circles, many people were convinced by unlikely explanations.
Even when the creators of the patterns themselves raised their hands and said, “It was us,” and gave demonstrations showing how they created the mysterious circles, people didn’t believe them.
When my team produced programs that discussed certain conspiracy theories —in which we were clear we did not agree the earth was flat or that the moon landing was faked— I was assailed by people who questioned my judgment and others who told me I was a danger to society.
How does a mind get to the place where it is prepared to believe the unbelievable? Psychologists say people who are prone to believe off-the-wall ideas are urged on by paranoia, among other things.
I was told many times, “You simply can’t believe anything they tell you,” even when no one was sure who “they” were. A more important question might be, How does a person get to the place where they will believe the strangest ideas about God and the Bible? Although faith is not merely an intellectual pursuit, it is important a person searches for the truth of what the Bible says. Jesus prayed to His Father and said, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” God’s Word prepares us for eternity. While there is certainly room for differing opinions on matters of faith, it is important not to be led into doubt and skepticism. It is important to stand on the Bible, on what may still be referred to as a “thus saith the Lord.”