Conspiracy Theories and Evangelism
It is intriguing to think that what is seen may not be the reality; that behind everything our government or media says, there is a shadowy world of conspiracy. For years, Hollywood has traded off this intrigue with the numerous thrillers produced. Many of us would have seen films that revolve around a secret world of an unheard-of organization that really controls what is happening.
I know these kinds of conspiracies interest us, because my social media feed and email inbox often fill with people promoting particular views. After the recent solar eclipse and the upcoming US Presidential elections, I suspect we will see an increase in conspiracy theories. But how do these theories impact our evangelism?
Let me be clear, I am not going to examine certain theories, nor am I going to give my opinion on whether they are valid or not. I have no interest in adding my name to the list of people who spend their days discussing different views; however, I do want to address how conspiracy theories impact evangelism.
I write this article with caution and fear because I know some of my friends are strongly committed to certain views. But I must address that which I believe is damaging our gospel witness. Let me be clear – conspiracy theories do absolutely NOTHING to help the gospel; rather, they often hinder the work.
Over the years, I have said some dumb things and have made more mistakes than I can count, so I am not writing to be critical, nor to pull down. Rather, I want to write in a way that hopefully brings a balance, as my concern is that conspiracies can sometimes damage the gospel.
Let me illustrate. During COVID-19, I was sent a tract by an evangelistic ministry in the UK. This tract was about the size of a postcard and was very basic. It was double-sided with black text on a white background. On the front of the tract, it questioned the effectiveness of face coverings and the vaccine. Then on the back, it mentioned the Beast of Revelation, followed by an exhortation to read the King James Bible. Finally, they referenced a booklet that explains how the word ‘mask’ is only one letter away from ‘mark.’
This tract grieved me, as there was no focus on the gospel; instead, it was all about the author’s view of COVID-19. Jesus wasn’t the hero of the tract; the conspiracy theory was. Yet, hundreds, if not thousands, of these tracts were distributed throughout the post-Christian United Kingdom. Surely, we must ask, “What is more important? The gospel, or your view on masks?”
Sadly, when it comes to the issue of conspiracies and evangelism, I have found that people spend more time discussing a theory than they do about Jesus. As I meet Christians while I’m out sharing the gospel, often they want to discuss the latest thing they found online. When I try to point out that the gospel is more important, they readily agree but then quickly go back to the conspiracy. Non-Christians seeing this rightly wonder what our message is about – is it Jesus, or is it the latest round of questionable views?
Conspiracy theories do nothing to help our gospel witness; rather, all they do is muddy the water and hide the gospel of grace. If the world is going to think of us as fools, then let it be for our message – the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, not the latest thing we saw online.
The Apostle Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” This should be our declaration in evangelism. We should spend our time and effort making much of Jesus, not a shadowy world of conspiracy.
I know conspiracy theories can be intriguing and they get the imagination running, but are they helpful when it comes to sharing the gospel? Do they damage our witness? Do they distract us from sharing the only message that saves?
Let’s commit to being people who make much of Jesus, not conspiracies.