The dangers of conspiracy theories finding their way into church
Many people don’t connect conspiracy theories with going to church or their faith journey, yet currently, many Americans are seeing such theories invade their church life in worrying ways.
Just how serious is the problem? Lifeway Research did a study in January of 2021 that found that nearly half of Protestant pastors claimed they “frequently hear members of their congregation repeating conspiracy theories they have heard about why something is happening in our country.” Such a trend is something that Christians should definitely be concerned about. One reason Christians should be worried is the many dangers that conspiracy theories can have when they find their way into church.
Three dangers of conspiracy theories finding their way into church:
1. They foster feelings of fear.
The Bible warns us about giving into fear again and again. For instance, in the Bible, God tells us:
“Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.” (Isaiah 41:10 MSG)
Yet, many of the conspiracy theories that are coming into churches right now simply breed fear against other people, especially those who work for the U.S. government. This is directly contrary to the love Jesus encourages us to feel for those around us, and ensuring that they’re preaching messages rooted in God’s love can help offset the influence of conspiratorial theories.
2. Such theories break up faith communities.
Many Christians draw strength from the faith communities that they are a part of, and these communities can be sources of comfort in hard times and places to celebrate good times. However, conspiratorial theories like QAnon breed distrust and fear of the people around us. One result of these feelings is that people often react negatively when a pastor or church official speaks out against negative theories. In some cases, people are even moved to leave their faith community entirely.
3. These theories rely on eisegesis of Christian texts.
Interpreting the Bible and other Christian texts is something that almost every Christian does. But it’s important to do so using exegesis rather than eisegesis. Exegesis means interpreting the text based on what is actually written in it and the context in which it was written. Eisegesis means interpreting the text only through your own preconceived notions.
Conspiracy theories tend to rely on eisegesis-based interpretations of just about everything, including religious texts. The danger in this is that it encourages Christians to fit Bible passages to the preconceived notions these theories deal in rather than listening to what God is telling us through these passages.
Centerpoint Church is ready to walk with you on your faith journey
At Centerpoint, our community believes in purpose and passion, and we would love to walk with you on your journey in finding yours. We understand how it feels to struggle to find a place to belong, which is why we strive to welcome people of all types and backgrounds into our community.
Do you want to grow in your faith, or are you simply curious about who this Jesus guy is? You’re not alone. We encourage you to listen to our series online and welcome you to come to one of our Sunday morning services in Valrico, Florida.