Petition 2493

You've heard about the boy who died after being pricked with a used needle hidden in a playground's ball pit, haven't you? How about that e-mail from Dr. James Dobson about the petition to outlaw all religious broadcasting? Or the one about NASA scientists who, with a ballistics computer, accidentally discovered Joshua's "missing day" (Joshua 10:12-14)?

None of these is true: They are urban legends, along with countless other snippets of American folklore. Urban legends are alive and well in the information age. Spreading rumors has always been easy, but now, with e-mail and the click of a mouse, it's possible to forward unsubstantiated information to hundreds of people at a time.

Sadly, some Christians have embraced urban legends, developing a whole catalog of fables that are often used as affirmation of our faith in the Bible or to warn of a threat against religious liberties. The problem is that by uncritically forwarding some of these e-mails, we often violate the command against bearing false witness, and we hurt the church's credibility when we then try to preach a gospel of truth.

Here are a few examples of Christian urban legends:

The petition to outlaw religious broadcasting

Every Christian in America with e-mail has probably received warnings that Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the atheist who took credit for the 1962 Supreme Court case that removed prayer from public schools, has filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission to outlaw religious broadcasting. The e-mail is often accompanied by a counterpetition to be sent to the FCC. A similar rumor holds O'Hair responsible for taking the TV show "Touched by an Angel" off the air.

O'Hair was murdered in 1995. Even before then, though, this myth was easily proven false:

Information about the FCC's ruling is online, at www.fcc.gov/mb/enf/forms/rm-2493.html*. To date the FCC has received more than 30 million pieces of mail about the 29-year-old petition and innumerable e-mails and faxes.

The rumor continues unabated, most recently in a new e-mail. Allegedly written by Dr. James Dobson, founder and chairman of the board of Focus on the Family, the e-mail urges Christians to forward it to their friends or contact the FCC and protest. Needless to say, Dr. Dobson did not initiate the e-mail; nevertheless, Focus on the Family has received thousands of calls about it.

The "Belgian Beast"

In August 1976, an article in Christian Life magazine described a giant supercomputer in Belgium nicknamed "The Beast," which was being used to gather data about everyone in the world. Obviously the Antichrist would soon be using the computer and the mark of the Beast to control the world's economy. Christian Life soon received a letter from Christian author Joe Musser, who had invented the Beast for his apocalyptic novel Behold a Pale Horse (Zondervan, 1970). Musser was shocked that his fiction was being re-circulated as fact. But as is often the case, the correction received little attention, and the rumor spread like wildfire.

The Siberian hole into hell

In 1990, the hosts of a Christian television talk show read a letter they had received from a man in Norway. According to the letter, scientists had drilled a 9-mile-deep hole somewhere in Siberia and had heard human screams emanating from the hole. The terrified scientists concluded they had accidentally drilled into hell, and the incident sparked a revival in Siberia.

Months later, Christian journalist and talk radio host Rich Buhler called the man who had sent the letter, who immediately confessed that the letter was a hoax! By that time, the story had circulated widely on Christian television and in print. No one else had attempted to check the facts.

These are just three of the most spectacular Christian urban legends, but many others are easily proven false.

Christians should not rush to believe, much less repeat, unsubstantiated gossip. After all, it is the glory of kings to search out a matter (Proverbs 25:2). As we damage our credibility, so do we damage our ability to witness to the ultimate truth of the gospel.

E-mail is a powerful tool, but its ability to quickly, widely and cheaply disseminate information is only as helpful as the information being spread. As stewards of truth for the rest of the world, Christians need to be judicious in their use of the forwarding button.

Let Every Matter Be Established

Rich Buhler, the talk radio host who exposed the hoax of the Siberian-hole-into-hell rumor, has been researching Christian urban legends for years. His Web site, www.truthorfiction.com*, is a great place for Christians to check for the truth behind rumors, inspirational stories and prayer requests they get in their e-mail. Besides the Siberian story, Buhler has tackled and debunked numerous other Christian urban legends and hoaxes, including the infamous stories about:

• The 19th-century whaler who was swallowed by a whale and recovered alive, thus proving the account of Jonah.
• Procter & Gamble's CEO being a satanist.
• Charles Darwin repenting of evolution and embracing Christianity on his deathbed.
• Former Vice President Al Gore allegedly saying his favorite Bible verse was John 16:3 during a campaign speech.
• Attorney General Janet Reno allegedly saying that anyone who believes the Bible is a dangerous cultist.
• The American missionary on death row in West Africa after a traffic accident in which a Muslim teen was killed.
• The University of Southern California professor who dared God to reveal himself by letting a piece of chalk drop to the floor unbroken, only to run screaming from the room when just that happened. Variations of this rumor involve a glass flask or some other object.

"I don't fault every person who spreads a rumor; not every person has the time or money or expertise to look into it," Buhler says. "But I do fault the publishers and broadcasters, no matter how small they are; even if it's a church bulletin. Anybody who publishes or broadcasts has a responsibility to put time into checking something out." Buhler says that if a story can't be verified, it should not be repeated, or it should at least include a disclaimer that the story is unsubstantiated.

On his Web site, Buhler states, "The investigation into [a] rumor is not intended to question the Bible, but rather to clarify [an] unsubstantiated and apparently fabricated . . . story."

The issue, he says, is truth. "The standard of truth should be the same everywhere: Is something true or is it not?" Buhler says. "But the stakes are very high for Christians because of whom we represent. We certainly don't want to be incredible when telling our very credible story about Christ."

*(Note: Referrals to Web sites not produced by Focus on the Family are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)