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The Joel Osteen Hoax

Another Reason To Teach Your Family Media Wisdom

By Natalie Fertig, Public Relations Editor

In the age of Twitter, Facebook, and mobile devices, news can spread quicker than it can be substantiated. In most cases, news outlets are quick to substantiate or discredit rumors and random tweets, but sometimes things slip through the cracks. Such was the case with Monday’s Joel Osteen Hoax.

As the west coast headed to work and teenagers sat in their first period classrooms, a piece of news circulated Facebook and Twitter that saddened many conservative Christians across America. According to initial reports, Joel Osteen had apparently stepped down from his position as pastor of one of America’s largest churches and denounced Christianity as being “untrue.” But, what at first seemed credible, soon crumbled into an elaborate hoax.

According to MSNnow, a WordPress blog named “Joel Osteen Ministries” posted two images of fake CNN articles titled ‘Pastor of mega church resigns, rejects Christ,’ as well as a fake “letter from Joel Osteen.”

The information circled Facebook and Twitter with many people expressing emotions from sadness and incredulity to downright disbelief, before a few smaller news organizations picked up the story and tracked down the website. Inquisitr.com, MSNnow, and the Christian Post all quickly looked into the facts and soon labeled the entire thing a “hoax,” and many breathed a sigh of relief.

Putting aside any opinions of Joel Osteen’s often-criticized and sometimes questionable theories and teachings, this situation is very important for families to consider. How does this tie into media wisdom?

You may have seen this State Farm Insurance commercial featuring a conversation between a man and a woman, in which the woman seems to believe everything because she “read it on the internet”…

We may be amused by the absurdity of this insurance commercial, but many of us don’t realize that we too can be suckered into this same mentality. Sure, we might not believe that her fanny-pack-wearing online date is a French model, but we can be seduced by less obvious things – like this Joel Osteen hoax.

It’s important to remember for ourselves, and to teach our children, never to believe anything we see on the Internet at first glance. Information is very quick in this day and age, and it’s always important to check multiple reliable sources – such as large news agencies or the home website of an organization or person – before believing anything. Also giving things time – a few hours or days – for the whole story to come to the surface before acting on any information you see (the Trayvon Martin case is a perfect example).

Media wisdom extends to the Internet each and every day, and without thinking critically about everything seen or read, huge mistakes can be made. Instruct your children. Take some time this week and talk to them about the Internet, and how to discern the real truth from all the dubious chaff.

 

FROM MOVIEGUIDE®:

The Best Help for Cultural & Media Wisdom!

 

Our children and grandchildren spend 40 times more hours watching movies and television, listening to popular music, and playing video games than they do at church – and that’s if they attend every week. Yet the amount of money we spend on teaching our children to be media-wise and influencing the entertainment industry with the Gospel of Jesus Christ accounts for less than 50 cents per person in the United States!

Dr. Ted Baehr’s CULTURE & MEDIA-WISE FAMILY teaching series presents important information on how you can use discernment in selecting your family’s entertainment and redeem the values of the entertainment media. It includes a behind-the-scenes look at what is happening in Hollywood.

How do movies, television, and other media affect children? What is appropriate viewing at different age levels? How do children learn? This talk addresses each of these issues and examines the ways different types of media present worldviews. Instead of just saying, “Toss out the TV and VCR,” this talk helps Christians, families, and parents develop a discerning eye.

Buy the book at here.

 

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.