Hoaxes

Many of the branches and denominations of Christianity have been responsible for some of the most ridiculous and diabolical hoaxes.  Jumping on the doom and destruction bandwagons (central to much Christian teaching) they have joined forces with some unlikely groups of would be prophets selling lies and deception as necessary beliefs.

The most significant one has to be the Year 2000 fiasco.  The number of Christians that linked this to their own versions of Biblical Prophecy is astounding.  I had people approach me to buy prophecy and fill up sheds with foodstuffs in order to alleviate the effects of the impending doom.  This has to be the greatest and most widely reported hoaxes in the history of the world.  Mind you it was not only religious fanatics that fell prey to this great lie, but many other gullible individuals.

This comes on the back of the 1980 prophecies that linked the alignment of the planets in our solar system with the coming end time calamities.  Men like Stan Deyo, the author of the Cosmic Conspiracy and Barry Smith author of numerous books predicting the end of our world fuelled the Christian frenzy.  Books and movies depicting tribulations, war famines and the impending judgement of God sucked millions in to its fanciful and fear ridden campaigns.  

Of course these are only a couple of events that I have experienced in my own relatively short lifetime. 

Even the disciples of the New Testament era fell victim to a hoax that still plagues evangelical Christianity and many of the Christian cults.  The return of Jesus Christ was supposed to happen within a generation.  If these were the words of Jesus, which they probably aren't, he was probably not Lord but a lunatic and a liar.

So why do Christians still perpetuate these lies and continue to believe them.  There has probably not been a generation in the last 2000 years that has not passionately chosen to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was going to return to earth in their lifetime.

Why are Christians so susceptible to the lie peddling campaigns of fear and death?  These remain core to conservative Christian belief because they create fear and in some ways help protect them from the reality that surrounds them.

Too harsh or too true?

Penny for your thoughts!