I remember reading about an American science student who wanted to show how scientific scare stories spread so he asked people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.”
This substance, he said:
1. Can cause excessive sweating and vomiting.
2. Is a major component in acid rain.
3. Can cause severe burns in its gaseous state.
4. Accidental inhalation can kill you.
5. It contributes to erosion.
6. It decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes.
7. It has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients.
8. When it comes in contact with other materials it can initiate a chemical reaction,
9. It meets three of the requirements for classification as a hazardous material.
He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical.
Forty-three said yes. Six were undecided. Only one knew that the chemical was water (H2O)! The title of his prize winning project was :”How Gullible Are We?”
I think it is possible for us as Christians to be just as gullible about some of the propaganda thrown at us by the world. We need to remember that most of what we read in newspapers and see on television has been subject to a process of “spin” before it gets to us. We should question everything, and examine it in the light of the Bible. That is our touchstone by which we judge all things. Indeed we need to be “Christian sceptics” – not taking everything at face value.
