Dr. Pete Menconi
Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center
Retirees seem more vulnerable than most
If you communicate by email, you probably have received those messages that herald the end of the world, some eminent doom, or a cautionary tale. During the past presidential election, thousands of these unverifiable emails were clogging cyberspace each day. Many of these emails ranged from the ridiculous to the sublime. “Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy endorsed by the KKK.” “Joe Biden to step down as vice presidential candidate for Hillary Clinton.” “John McCain declared on 60 Minutes that he was a “war criminal” who “bombed innocent women and children.” Then there was the photograph of Sarah Palin posing in a U.S. flag bikini holding a rifle.
Certainly the Internet and email allows us to communicate in wonderful ways, but it is also easily abused. Often well-meaning family members and friends forward emails that warn us of health dangers, anti-Christian movements, financial opportunities, and other issues of concern. Often the information is false or only partially true. Many email messages are hoaxes and urban legends. Perhaps because they have more discretionary time on their hands, retirees seem more vulnerable to the lure of these messages than most. And Christian retirees are no exception. Here is a sampling of emails making the rounds:
A group known as “The Second Coming Project” is seeking to clone Jesus from the DNA of holy relics.
You must sign a petition to stop Jesus from being portrayed as a homosexual in an upcoming film.
Airlines will not pair Christian pilots and co-pilots out of fear that The Rapture will snatch away both crewmembers capable of landing the plane.
While many of these email messages are laughable, others contain enough truth or are truthful sounding enough to be believed.
Here are a few tips on how to avoid email hoaxes and urban legends:
1. If the message has been past from email to email, be skeptical.
2. If the email message tells you “this is not a hoax,” it probably is.
3. The more urgent the plea, the more suspect the message.
4. Be skeptical if the message overuses exclamation points or uppercase letters.
5. Check with online websites that hunt down hoaxes and urban legends. Here are a few: www.snopes.com; www.urbanlegends.about.com; www.truthorfiction.com.
When receiving these emails, even from family and friends, be careful and thoughtful on how you respond. As followers of Jesus, it is good for us to reflect upon his words when he said, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
Pete Menconi is the Outreach Pastor at Greenwood Community Church, Denver CO and V-P of CASA Network.