“TODAY MORE THAN EVER, THE GREATEST NONSENSE EVER FOISTED UPON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC is THE VARIOUS HOAXES WE SEE TODAY. YES, HOAXES FROM INTERNET LORE TO RELIGIOUS SCAMS. PEOPLE EVERYWHERE SEEM TO READILY BELIEVE THESE THINGS.”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about the many popular hoaxes we hear today, and how you can know truth from error concerning them. Stay tuned…

…Interspersed among the junk mail and spam that fills everyone’s Internet e-mail boxes today, are dire warnings about devastating new viruses. Trojans that eat the heart out of your system, and malicious software that can steal the computer right off your desk. Added to that are messages about fabulously free money, children in terrible trouble, and other items designed to touch the cords of your heart, and motivate you to press the “forward” button to email it to everyone else you know. Mostly all of these messages, unfortunately, are pure hoaxes or nonsense chain letters. 

While hoaxes do not automatically infect computer systems like a downloaded virus or Trojan, they still consume our time, and are costly to remove from the computer systems of America . Coupled with this are the many “religious” hoaxes that have frightened people into giving away their money and valuables, fearing the worst will come on them for not heeding the warnings given by them. Yes, my friend, hoaxes abound everywhere and they do present problems for many who just don’t know what is true and what is false, or what to respond to and not respond to. Well today, we’ll talk about hoaxes, some secular and some religious, to gain a better insight into how we are to respond to the many calls upon our lives for now and eternity. But first let’s listen to this…

…Now, as we begin, just what are Internet Hoaxes and Chain Letters?  Well, Internet hoaxes and chain letters are bogus e-mail messages written to entice you to respond to and then send them to everyone else you know. These messages are usually nothing but fairytale nonsense. Hoax messages appeal mainly to your emotional desire to do good, and to help other people. It is often hard to say no to these emotionally charged messages when you first see them. However, one usually has no way of checking out the validity of them, and most foolishly just passes them on by that infamous “forward” button.

Now, Chain letters are a bit different, although they have the same purpose, they use slightly different methods of wooing you into passing them on as truth. Chain letters, generally offer luck or money if you send them on, and threats of bad luck if you don’t. The chain letters that deal in money play on people's greed and are, in fact, quite illegal no matter what they say in the letter.

Now, how does one recognize a hoax? Here’s some advice.

#1 WATCH OUT FOR PLEAS TO PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW – Yes, the number one thing you should observe is the patterned plea to "send this to everyone you know." The truth is no real warning message, from a credible source, will tell you to send this to everyone you know. That’s a ploy to use you to promote false or erroneous messages for the writer of the nonsense sent to you.

#2 LOOK FOR THE USE OF TECHNO-BABBLE & FALSE CREDIBILITY – Often email hoaxes come with warnings explained in technical computer jargon to make it look authentic, and are often written by some “employee” or friend of one who found out about this news. Both of these are telltale signs that the email or chain letter is probably a hoax. Now, what should you do when you get one of the letters or emails?

Well, upon receiving such a warning or offer, you should check popular Internet hoax sites to see if this particular email or letter has already been declared as a hoax. Most anti-virus companies have web pages containing information about most known viruses and hoaxes. If you do not find the warning or plea at the hoax sites, it may just mean that this particular hoax is still new. If you still cannot determine if a message is real or a hoax, send it to your computer security manager, your ISP, or your incident response team there and let them validate it.  Actually, the best rule of thumb is as follows: 

1. “When in Doubt, Don't Send It Out!” – that’s actually the best advice.

2. Don't let your guard down! Always be alert for email viruses and hoaxes sent anonymously or by gang mail to you. Do not believe anything you receive unless it has been verified by you, even if sent by a trusted friend or family member.

3. Never open an email attachment unless you know what it is--even if it comes from someone you know and trust. Often your best friends and co-workers innocently pass on hoaxes and email viruses. Write back to the sender and ask them exactly what the attachment is. I open no email attachments unless I have verified it first. In fact, I personally receive more than 5-10 email viruses everyday sent by forwarded email letters from people all round the world.

So, be aware that the people who create destructive viruses are known to use popular hoaxes to their advantage. A good example is the AOL4FREE hoax. This began as a hoax warning about a nonexistent virus. Once it was known that this was a hoax, some cad began to distribute a destructive Trojan horse virus in a file named AOL4FREE, attached to the original hoax virus warning email! Those who opened it, well “bingo” you were infected with it.

Now the most widely distributed hoaxes these days are:

1. The AOL Web Billing Hoax

2. The "Guts to say 'Jesus'" Hoax

3. The WTC Survivor Virus Hoax

4. The "Win a Holiday " Hoax

5. Internet Tax (Bill 602P and email stamp) Hoaxes

More are listed below, at the end of this webpage, for your perusal and consideration. [i]  However, the point of all this is, we can be easily hoodwinked to believe lies as truth. Now in addition to these are the many Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors such as:

1. The Tainted Cola Soda Products - Sep 14, 2002 . There are several variations of emails being circulated that warn consumers not to buy Coca-Cola (or Pepsi) due to potential tainting of the products. These e-mails are a hoax. There are no advisories, recalls, or safety alerts concerning this product.

2. The Warning about Buying Antibiotics Online -Nov 1, 2001.

3. The Email Warnings about Anthrax from the CDC – The CDC has not conducted a mass email campaign to consumers, therefore, these emails do not originate from CDC.

4. The Warnings about Poisonous Perfume Samples in the Mail - Some State Health Departments have recently received inquiries concerning e-mail messages that allege that women have died after inhaling a free perfume sample that was mailed to them. According to these e-mails, the perfume sample was poisonous. These e-mails are a hoax.

5. The Warnings about Underarm Antiperspirants or Deodorants Causing Breast Cancer ( 02-04-2003 )

6. The Warning about a Texas Child that Died of Heroin Overdose After Being Stuck by a Used Needle Found in a MacDonald’s type of Play Area (03-28-2001)

7. The Warning that Hantavirus is Spread by Contact With Soda Cans or Grocery Packages ( 05-23-2001 )

All of these, and a host of other health warnings, are nothing but Internet hoaxes! But these are not the worst.

Now, even more insidious is the fact that millions of people are also fooled to believe the many religious HOAXES that Satan, the arch enemy of God and man, has devised to lead us astray and away from God and His truth found in the Word of God. Many of these hoaxes are specifically designed to make Christians first look foolish and ignorant.  That's not very hard to do since we are so obliging about jumping on a bandwagon and mass forwarding them without checking out the facts.  It is beyond me, how one hoax can last for 25 years (The Madelyn Murray O’Hare FCC and religious broadcasting hoax), but it has, with the help of gullible Christians. 

Still another religious hoax believed by Christians is that a movie is coming out that presents Jesus and His disciples as GAY, so sign this email petition to "ban" the movie (since it's already been banned in other countries according to this message).  There is no movie coming out and no movie has been banned in any country. Then there is the old, old nonsense hoax about Proctor and Gamble and the Church of Satan where the CEO of Proctor and Gamble admitted on a national TV Talk Show that company profits support the Church of Satan . All are hoaxes designed to make the one who forwards it, and believes it, to look foolish and invalidate everything else they might say.

These religious hoaxes and myths may be benign but they are still harmful to the Christian faith, for they are believed by multitudes of Christians to their embarrassment and incredulity. But now there are other religious hoaxes that are not just an embarrassment, but are critical, even deadly and dangerous, to all who believe and embrace them. What are they? Well here are a few of the most popular.

1. THE MYTH AND HOAX OF THE ORIGINS OF LIFE BY EVOLUTION – Yes, I’m sure you haven’t thought about this as a malicious and dangerous hoax foisted upon
the unsuspecting public, but it is!!! We’ve all been taught that our human presence in the world has come about by unintelligent, lifeless random chance. By many, retelling this as truth long enough, millions blindly accept it without checking out its validity and factualness. Because millions of respected educators and scientists pass it on as truth, many just believe it based solely on their credibility. The truth is, the theory of evolution as a source of all life cannot be verified, and worse, can actually be discredited by the known laws of science and probability if examined. Those who believe the myth of evolution pass it on to others, and unless rejected will bring them and others to an eternal Hell and destruction. The truth is the Bible tells us factually about the origin of all living things. We read in,

Gen 1:1 (NIV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Gen 1:26-27 (NIV) Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Col 1:15-17 (NIV)  He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Yes, the great hoax of evolution is perhaps the most insidious and dangerous lie ever propagated and spread among humanity, and cannot, and I repeat absolutely cannot, be verified as truth. So why believe it or pass it on?

Now there is another dangerous and popular religious hoax today which we’ll call,

2. THE MYTH AND HOAX OF EARNING HEAVEN BY A GOOD LIFE – How many people today have been told, and believe, that if one lives a good life, does good, and tries to do the best they can, that when death comes and they face our Creator God, He will accept that for forgiveness of our sins and wrongdoings in this life that deserves punishment. Why millions, perhaps billions of people, have this lie passed on to them by family, friends and religious gurus. Yet the Bible tells us in no uncertain terms, it’s a hoax! …

Prov 14:12 (NIV) There is a  way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Isa 64:6 (NIV) All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Ezek 18:4 (NIV) For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

Rom.3:23 (NIV)  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Eph 2:8-9 (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

The Bible clearly tells us that we are sinners by nature through birth, and we are under God’s judgments. We can therefore NEVER earn heaven or eternal life, or forgiveness of sins by doing good works, religious or not. God forgives only on the basis of His sacrificial substitutionary exchange called the “Death of Christ on the Cross.” Yes, the truth that dispels this great hoax is, God is a just God who will by no means clear the guilty. God cannot just forgive sin, for all of it must be paid for. So God determined the only way sin can be paid for and for the sinner to go free and be forgiven, is for another to take our place. God solved this problem by sending His Son, or rather Himself, to become a qualified human being and for Him to offer up His perfect sinless life as payment. Indeed, Christ died for the sins of the whole world, especially for you and me. God the Father accepted His death as full payment, once for all, for all sinners who will accept this substitutionary legal transaction – “aah” but this is problematic. How does one get their sins forgiven if not by good works? The answer is by a legal payment transaction, which God offers to all sinners.

You see, when we look up to Heaven and believe the truth, not the hoax, but the truth that Christ died for you and me, and that our sin was worthy of death, which God has decreed, God the Father accepts Christ’s death on our behalf, and writes across the law books of Heaven, our debt is paid in full for Christ was, and is, forever our worthy substitute!

Indeed, these two hoaxes are believed by so many religious people today who have formed their own brand of religion to accommodate this lie of “works righteousness.” From Islam to Hinduism, from Pseudo-Christian faiths such as Roman Catholicism, to Mormonism, to all the works righteousness teachers – they promote, endlessly, the lie that we can be eligible for heaven and eternal life by following their religious works systems and rituals. Yet, God’s Word, that has proved reliable in every way, says absolutely no!

So friend, whether it be from the Internet or the holy halls of a church or religious institution, there are many lies, hoaxes and cruel false information that continues to be spread and believed, simply because it comes from a friend, family or religious source. Yet is it untrue and false!

I hope you’ve been able to see that all of these things need your absolute scrutiny before you accept them as truth, and worthy of passing it on.

Now in the world of true bible believing Christianity, which alone is the historic element of the Christian faith, we, too, must pass on what we have heard. The Bible commands,

2 Tim 2:2 “For you must teach others those things you and many others have heard me speak about. Teach these great truths to trustworthy men who will, in turn, pass them on to others.”

John 3:16-17 (NIV)  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Now that’s truth that can be verified! And, this is truth that needs to be believed by every human being alive, for without it all will perish for eternity in their sins. How sad that those who often know this truth, rarely pass it on. Rather with their emails and their computer “forward” button they endlessly pass on nonsense, lies, hoaxes and often malicious Trojan viruses deeply embedded in their emails accepted and read. Often they make fools of themselves, at the least, but more insidiously, they pass on those viruses that wreak others computers and cost them time and money in repairs.  Better to pass on the truth. Say, if you want an email to pass on, write to me at this broadcast at  dennis@wwy.org, for I’ve prepared a special email for mass mailings you could, and should, send to everyone you know. It will not be harmful, it will contain no viruses, guaranteed, but will contain the words of eternal life, offered free to all who will believe. Now that’s good news and good email that needs to get out to the entire world. First, of course, in your own heart. Have you believed God’s Word about Jesus Christ?  Have you accepted it and turned your life in surrender over to your great God and Creator Jesus Christ?  May God so bless these thoughts to every listening soul for Jesus sake. Amen.

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[i] LISTING OF FALSE EMAIL HOAXES
The Outback Steak house / RH Power Email Tracker (Forward for money) Hoax (Updated March 21, 2002 )

The WTC Survivor Virus Hoax (Updated February 8, 2002 )

The O'Hare Atheist (Touched by an Angel) Hoax (Updated November 8, 2001 )

The Terrorist Halloween Mall Threat Hoax (Updated October 11, 2001 )

The Nostradamus ( World Trade Center ) Hoax (Updated September 17, 2001 )

The Worst Ever Virus (CNN) Hoax (Updated August 31, 2001 )

The SULFNBK.EXE Virus Hoax (Updated June 4, 2001 )

The Pictures of Family (Family Pictures) Virus Hoax (Updated April 16, 2001 )

Microwave to Heat Water Hoax (Updated April 13, 2001 )

The Upgrade Internet2 / Perrin.exe Virus Hoax (Updated December 20, 2000 )

The Cracker Barrel Gift Certificate Hoax (Updated November 4, 2000 )

The Aids Needle Hoaxes (Updated November 4, 2000 )

The 'Lets watch TV' Virus Hoax (Updated October 27, 2000 )

The IWON Forward for Money Hoax (Updated September 20, 2000 )

Internet Tax (Bill 602P and email stamp) Hoaxes (Updated September 8, 2000 )

The AOL / Intel Merger Hoax (Updated July 10, 2000 )

The Gas Pump Aids Needle Hoax (Updated June 20, 2000 )

The Victoria 's Secret Gift Certificate Hoax (Updated June 16, 2000 )

The AOL IM Voting Hoax (Updated June 6, 2000 )

The Ericsson Phone Hoax (Updated June 5, 2000 )

Klingerman Postal Virus Hoax (Updated May 18, 2000 )

Love Letter Email Worm (Updated May 9, 2000 )

The American Cancer Society Hoax (Updated April 28, 2000 )

The Asbestos Tampon Hoax (Updated April 24, 2000 )

The Spunk ball Gang Hoax (Updated April 1, 2000 )

The Antiperspirant Breast Cancer Hoax (Updated March 14, 2000 )

The Coca Cola Hoax (Updated February 26, 2000 )

The Valentine Virus Hoax (Updated February 13, 2000 )

The ( Costa Rica ) Flesh Eating Banana Bacteria Hoax (Updated February 6, 2000 )

The Ball Pit Hoax (Updated January 30, 2000 )

KFC ( Kentucky Fried Chicken) Hoax (Updated January 7, 2000 )

Funny Video Hoax (Updated January 4, 2000 )

Happy New Years (2000) Hoax (Updated December 30, 1999 )

The Elf Bowl and Frogpult Virus Hoax (Updated December 12, 1999 )

The Perfume (Mall Parking Lot) Hoax (Updated December 2, 1999 )

The Bath and Body Works Hoax (Updated November 28, 1999)

The Dying Girl / Dave Matthews Hoax (Updated November 1, 1999)

The CelCom Combined Hoax (Updated October 18, 1999)

The Microsoft/AOL Merger Hoax (Updated October 12, 1999 )

The Honda (Free Car) Hoax (Updated October 3, 1999 )

The Y2K / Free M+M Candy Hoax (Updated October 2, 1999 )

The Lump of Coal Hoax (Updated September 23, 1999 )

The Y2K Test (Short Date Format) Hoax (Updated September 22, 1999 )

The Airport Blush Spider Hoax (Updated September 17, 1999 )

The Gap (free clothes) Hoax (Updated August 23, 1999 )

The Abercrombie and Fitch Hoax (Updated August 22, 1999 )

The Old Navy Hoax (Updated August 17, 1999 )

The Procter and Gamble Satanist Hoax (Updated August 16, 1999 )

The PBS / NPR Funding Petition Hoax (Updated July 23, 1999)

The ATM Envelope / Cyanide Hoax (Updated July 11, 1999 )

The 'Miller / Free Beer' Hoax (Updated July 7, 1999 )

The 'Free Computer' Hoax (Updated July 3, 1999 )

The 'AOL (IM) Instant Message' Hoax (Updated June 29, 1999)

AOL4Free:Trojan (and hoax) (Updated July 1, 1999)

The 'Give a Cat a Colonic' Hoax (Updated June 26, 1999 )

The Taco Bell Dog Hoax (Updated June 21, 1999 )

The Explore Zip Worm -- not a hoax. (Updated June 19, 1999)

The Wobbler/California Virus Hoax (Updated June 6, 1999 )

Frog Blender / Fish Bowl Hoax (Updated May 30, 1999 )

Poor Dog / Win a Holiday Hoax (Updated May 27, 1999 )

Netscape AOL Money Hoax (Updated May 10, 1999 )

A Bugs Life (BUGGLST) Virus Hoax (Updated May 6, 1999 )

Undelivered Mail, Hackingburgh, and Crew Virus Hoaxes (Updated May 6, 1999 )

Buddylst, "Win a Holiday ", Bud Frogs Screen Saver, and "Unable to Deliver" Hoaxes (updated May 6, 1999 )

Littleton and Other Sympathy Hoaxes (Updated April 30, 1999 )

Canadian Internet Tax Hoaxes (Updated April 22, 1999 )

New "Guts to say 'Jesus'" Hoax Variants (Updated April 19, 1999 )

The Deadly Mix Hoax (Updated April 14, 1999 )

Do NOT forward the Melissa Warning! (Updated April 7, 1999)

Yet another Aids Hoax: The Aids Sticker (Updated April 13, 1999)

The "Guts to say 'Jesus'" Hoax (Updated April 9, 1999 )

"Pass the word" Hoaxes (Updated March 15, 1999 )

Pass It On / One Line Virus Hoaxes (Updated March 17, 1999)

An Oldie From the Past: The Cookie Story (Updated March 11, 1999 )

Very Cool Hoax (Updated March 3, 1999)

Aspartame Warning Hoax (Updated February 26, 1999 )

A Really Bad Day!(educational humor) (updated February 16, 1999 )

Gullibility Virus (educational humor) (updated February 16, 1999 )

A Rerun: The Old Hoaxes Combined. (Updated January 12, 1999)

The Microsoft Piracy Hoax (Updated December 17, 1998 )

The "Get More Money" (German) Virus Hoax (updated November 30, 1998 )

Headlight / Gang Hoax (Updated November 24, 1998 )

Speeding Ticket Hoax (Updated November 18, 1998)

Dying of disease Hoaxes (Updated November 9, 1998)

The Londhouse/AltaVista Virus Hoax (updated October 14, 1998 )

The Disney / Bill Gates Email Hoax (updated October 12, 1998 )

Forward For Money Hoaxes (updated September, 29, 1998 )

Memphis.98.MMS Virus Hoax (updated September, 15, 1998 )

The Waterproof Sunscreen Hoax (updated September, 20, 1998 )

The ASP Virus Hoax (updated July, 29, 1998 )

Budweiser Frogs and Similar Hoaxes (updated August, 3, 1998 )

The "Win a Holiday " Hoax (updated August 12, 1998 )

Flashing IM (AOL) Hoax (updated June 29, 1998 )

Anti-virus Vendor Fooled by Hoaxes (updated June 1, 1998 )

The "Organ Theft" Hoax (updated May 19, 1998 )

The "Cute Chicken" and related hoaxes (Devil) (updated May 14, 1998 )

The "Chain Letter" Hoaxes (updated April 27, 1998 )

The Free Vacation Hoax (updated April 2, 1998 )

The Bill Gates / Windows 98 Hoax (updated March 18, 1998 )

A.I.D.S. Virus (or "OPEN: VERY COOL") Hoax)(updated March 3, 1998 )

Are Trojans a real threat to your PC?

Phony Macro Virus Warning (Apple/Dune Zero/EMO12)

The Death69 Virus Hoax

The NaughtyRobot Spider Hoax

Matra R-440 Crotale Virus Hoax

AOL4Free:Hoax and Trojan

Yukon3 Virus Hoax

New Hoaxes:Deeyenda, Penpal, and Red Alert

The Irina and MMF Virus Hoaxes

The "Good Times" Email virus hoax(updated May 1, 1999 )

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[i] MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Ge 2:24). Nashville: Word Pub.

[ii] THE BIBLE NETWORK - http://www.siscom.net/