The term fake news refers to the spread of false news that causes a dangerous circle of misinformation. This often results when objective facts are given less importance than shallow appeals to emotion or personal beliefs in the shaping of public opinion.

Politicians often manipulate the truth by telling huge lies—and in this kind of political communication, emotion prevails over rationality. Manipulation, half-truths or, directly, strategic lies play their part in forming an idea that suits a trend and can totally destroy the influence of those whom the manipulators consider to be their adversaries.

The practice of spreading fake news and rumors existed even before the human race was created. When rebellion broke out in heaven, Satan began his confrontation against the government of God by using this kind of weapon. The archenemy’s cunning and false rumors that God was unjust and His law oppressive—as well as the suggestion that a better system of government could be established, began to spread among the angels. “Much was involved in this controversy. . . . The questions to be answered were: Is God’s law imperfect, in need of being amended or abrogated? Or is it immutable? Is God’s government stable? Or is it in need of changes? Not only before those living in the city of God, but before the inhabitants of all the heavenly universe, were these questions to be answered.”1

The result of this work was disastrous. The influence spread to such an extent that the rebellion swept away a third of the angels, who, as a consequence, were cast out of heaven to the earth. (Revelation 12:4.)

Satan approached Eve with an evil suggestion—a rumor that he had supposedly heard, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1, last part). After trapping her in his web, Satan presented her with fake news: “God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Verse 5). Remember, fake news appeals to the emotions, so that rationality is suppressed and the individual is manipulated to act in the way that the originator of these falsehoods wants. Satan is an expert at triggering this kind of manipulation!

During the reign of Zedekiah, Judah was under the captivity of the Chaldeans. King Nebuchadnezzar subdued the city of Jerusalem, sacked the temple, and even seized the sacred vessels, taking them away to Babylon. All of this tragedy came about as a consequence of the apostasy of God’s chosen people, but the Lord was using this difficult experience to cure them from the evil of idolatry—and this restoration process was to take 70 years.

In this setting, an information war broke out in Jerusalem as well as the entire nation. While God sent clear messages appealing to the people to turn from their evil ways and submit to the yoke of Babylon for the specified time—70 years— Satan used so-called “prophets” who gave a contrary message, one that sought to numb the conscience of the people of God and lead them to hope for speedy restoration without meeting the necessary conditions of repentance and reformation. In Jeremiah 27:16 and 17 we see this confrontation between the actual truth vs. the fake news: “Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?”

Satan, the instigator of fake news, cunningly used his agents to nullify the truths that Heaven presented. The false prophet Hananiah appeared in the temple, and before the priests and all the people he brought the following message: “Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon: and I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the Lord: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon” (Jeremiah 28:2–4).

Here are some characteristics of fake news:

It seeks to attract as much attention as possible.

It appears to be true and imitate the true news as much as possible (by its origin, its form, and its importance).

Finally, the people were seduced by this false report that flattered their senses, so they rejected the truth and did not seek genuine repentance—and, as a consequence, what remained of the sacred vessels was looted and the temple was destroyed by fire. (Jeremiah 52:12–15.)

Jesus’ earthly ministry was full of signs and wonders that spread rapidly. Crowds gathered as He passed by. They listened intently to His words and saw great wonders which they described to their families and neighbors.

Satan did not remain silent about this reality. He began to spread fake news and rumors to stop—or at least hinder—Christ’s powerful ministry of salvation. Among the rumors that spread was the denigration of the origin of Jesus through the Pharisees: “Jesus denied that the Jews were children of Abraham. He said, ‘Ye do the deeds of your father.’ In mockery they answered, ‘We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.’ These words, in allusion to the circumstances of His birth, were intended as a thrust against Christ in the presence of those who were beginning to believe on Him. Jesus gave no heed to the base insinuation.”2

Another bit of fake news that was spread was that Jesus was possessed by Beelzebub—and this was supposedly why He was casting out demons. (Mark 3:22.) The fake news also circulated that He was a glutton and drunk who mingled with bad company. (Luke 11:19.)

Even in the resurrection of Christ, the enemy sought to plant fake news that would distort the wonderful event that had occurred: “Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day” (Matthew 28:11–15). It’s very sad that this fake news prevails to this day among those who were once God’s chosen people!

Digital communication platforms use algorithms that distribute existing content on the internet according to the most relevant interests for each user. By addressing filtered and conditional information, those who display material online seek to reach these individual users with specific content to keep them connected for as long as possible. Let us also take into account that the information flow in social networks is constantly updated, not only by relevance for the user, but also according to the scope and interactions of the posting—validating news only by its level of diffusion. Users believe that greater views imply greater credibility. This allows for public opinion to be manipulated by actually causing the circulation of misleading content to “go viral.” The collateral effects of this directing of information cause polarization and intolerance between those who have differing points of view, because everyone becomes much more opinionated by only feeding on perspectives that already match their own preconceived ideas.

By means of social networks, we become not only consumers, but generators or replicators of information that spreads in seconds and affects our contacts—including those of the congregation to which we belong. This puts a solemn responsibility upon the Christian.

When consuming information, a Christian must filter it with the sieve of the Word of God. The advice of the apostle Paul is very clear: “Prove all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21), or as the New International Version translates it, “test them all.”

A Christian cannot give credence to online information without confirming the origin and certainty of it, especially when it is of a religious nature. It is possible that the believer’s convictions may be misled and he/she be led down a path of perdition: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25). If we paraphrase this verse in relation to fake news, we would say that there is news that seems true, but ends up being false news that leads to confusion and spiritual death. Even without being actual news, nowadays pseudo-religious publications abound with harmful theories and doctrines. Satan is presenting these contents to ruin the consecration in the lives of believers, forcing us to be constantly vigilant when we consume information, always remembering the advice of the apostle Paul, “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14).

“Idle tales are brought in as important truths, and by some they are actually set up as tests. Thus controversy is created, and minds are diverted from present truth. Satan knows that if he can get men and women absorbed in trifling details, greater questions will be left unheeded. He will furnish plenty of material for the attention of those who are willing to think upon trifling, unimportant subjects.”3

When generating information or distributing third-party publications, we must always bear in mind that the ninth commandment prohibits us from bearing false witness. (Exodus 20:16.) This mandate is expanded as follows: “Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness” (Exodus 23:1). Therefore, a Christian cannot afford to spread false or distorted news that ends up hurting his credibility as an individual, undermining the credibility of our congregation, and ultimately affecting the presentation of the pure gospel of Jesus to a world perishing in the mire of sin.

“In these days many deceptions are being taught as truth. Some of our brethren have taught views which we cannot endorse. Fanciful ideas, strained and peculiar interpretations of the Scripture are coming in. Some of these teachings may seem to be but jots and tittles now, but they will grow and become snares to the inexperienced.

“We have a decided work to do. Let not the enemy cause us to swerve from the proclamation of the definite truth for this time, and turn our attention to fanciful ideas.”4

In the face of the pandemic troubling our planet and the consequent shaking for the church and its need to wake up from missionary lethargy, multiple and genuine concerns have arisen that, since they are not subjected to a systematic study within the framework of the great controversy between Christ and Satan and the plan of redemption, they generate fanciful ideas that absorb time and effort that should be devoted to the proclamation of the solemn truths for this time. Among the ideas that can absorb us may be: Trying to set dates for the Sunday decree, being preoccupied with papal encyclicals, etc. Does this type of information constitute the mission of the church? Are these the type of issues that should be presented to the people?

“If you have any question as to what you should teach, any question as to the subjects upon which you should dwell, go right to the discourses of the Great Teacher, and follow His instructions. . . .

“Do not allow anything to draw your attention from the question, ‘What shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ (Luke 10:25). This is a life and death question, which we must each settle for eternity. Let the mind be weighted with the importance of the solemn truth which we possess. Those who allow the mind to wander in search of cheap, unimportant theories need to be converted.”5

“God desires men and women to think soberly and candidly. They are to ascend to a higher and still higher grade, commanding a wider and still wider horizon. Looking unto Jesus, they are to be changed into His image. They are to spend their time in searching for the deep, everlasting truths of heaven. Then there will be nothing frivolous in their religious experience. As they study the grand truths of God’s Word, they endure the seeing of Him who is invisible. They see that the most uplifting, ennobling truths are those most closely connected with the Source of all truth. And as they learn of Him, their motives and sympathies become firm and unchanging; for the impressions made by the All-wise are substantial and enduring. The living water, which Christ gives, is not like a surface spring, which babbles for a short time, and then dries up. The living water springs up unto everlasting life.”6

It is possible that in our desire to awaken people, we fall into the error of presenting or spreading strange and fanciful theories, even going so far as to force the biblical message to give strength to our words. This is wrong and does not contribute to the progress of the truth. To the contrary, it will only generate a momentary interest that will end up hardening the heart and being a stumbling block for inexperienced souls.

Preaching Jesus in His purity, inviting people to contemplate Him, presenting the plan of redemption clearly, and urging them to live a “faith that works out of love,” not out of fear—this is our urgent task.

“Let us follow the revealed will of God. Then we shall know that the light we receive comes from the divine Source of all true light. Those who cooperate with Christ are on safe ground. God richly blesses them as they consecrate their energies to the work of rescuing the world from corruption. Christ is our example. By beholding Him we are to be changed into His image, from glory to glory, from character to character. This is our work. God help us rightly to represent the Saviour to the world.”7

The news, blogposts, pseudo-religious videos and other information sources with misleading content and falsehoods are abundant; these are available to everyone who has access to the internet and have become an effective tool of Satan not only to deceive the unwary, but also to ensnare the careless ones who are not following the faithful example of the Bereans who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).

“We need to search the Scriptures daily, that we may know the way of the Lord, and that we be not deceived by religious fallacies. The world is full of false theories and seductive spiritualistic ideas, which tend to destroy clear spiritual perception, and to lead away from truth and holiness. Especially at this time do we need to heed the warning, ‘Let no man deceive you with vain words’ (Ephesians 5:6).”8

Our only assurance is in daily systematic, prayerful study of the Bible. To avoid being ensnared by false religious news and conspiracy theories that take our eyes off Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), we must make the revealed word of God our only reliable counselor.

Many years ago, a local newspaper announced that a major bank needed to hire an expert to recognize counterfeit bills. Appreciating this opportunity, a distinguished young man appeared who was sure of being hired. In his interview with the manager, he claimed to know all the counterfeits and he made his expertise known. The manager stared at him and boldly declared:

“You’re not the one I need!”

“But why not?” the young man replied.

“Fake banknotes appear every day, distinguished gentleman,” replied the banker. “What we need is someone who fully knows the real bill, as this will allow you to confidently distinguish counterfeits.”

There is no reason to stop and waste time presenting or feeding on the fantastic theories and fake news presented on digital media and social media. What we urgently need is to dedicate sufficient time to the daily and systematic study of the truth of God presented in His inspired Word: “and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

“My brethren and sisters, appreciate and study the truths God has given for you and your children. Spend not your time in seeking to know that which will be no spiritual help. ‘What shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ (Luke 10:25). This is the all-important question, and it has been clearly answered. ‘What is written in the law? how readest thou?’ ”9

May Heaven keep us from being trapped by false news generated by the father of lies and may we not be stumbling blocks to our neighbor by generating or spreading falsehoods. Amen.