- It's hard to believe,
00:00:00.73\00:00:02.13
but there are still
people in this day and age
00:00:02.13\00:00:03.37
who really think
the world is flat.
00:00:03.37\00:00:05.80
Yep, that's right.
00:00:05.80\00:00:07.00
They think the world is flat
00:00:07.00\00:00:09.80
and some of them insist.
00:00:09.80\00:00:11.74
It's a key part of
what the Bible teaches.
00:00:11.74\00:00:14.58
[upbeat music]
00:00:14.58\00:00:17.15
Back in 1838, a man by
the name of Samuel Rowbotham
00:00:35.46\00:00:39.00
set up an experiment on
the Bedford river in England.
00:00:39.00\00:00:42.40
What he hoped to prove
00:00:42.40\00:00:43.94
was that the
earth was indeed flat,
00:00:43.94\00:00:46.41
despite, you know,
00:00:46.41\00:00:47.91
thousands of years of
evidence to the contrary.
00:00:47.91\00:00:50.65
And sure enough,
00:00:51.51\00:00:52.81
his experiment
seemed to prove that it was.
00:00:52.81\00:00:56.05
The concept was
really pretty simple.
00:00:56.05\00:00:58.25
There's a six mile
stretch of the river,
00:00:58.25\00:01:00.06
more of a canal really
00:01:00.06\00:01:01.62
that runs perfectly
straight between two bridges.
00:01:01.62\00:01:04.83
He decided that
if you placed a mark
00:01:04.83\00:01:07.00
on one of the bridges at a
given height above the water,
00:01:07.00\00:01:10.03
and then backed up
to the other bridge
00:01:10.03\00:01:12.13
and placed a telescope
at exactly the same height,
00:01:12.13\00:01:16.04
you should be able to see
the mark on the distant bridge.
00:01:16.04\00:01:18.67
At least you
should be able to see it,
00:01:18.67\00:01:20.54
if the earth is flat,
00:01:20.54\00:01:22.38
if the earth is round, however,
00:01:22.38\00:01:24.38
six miles was far
enough that the mark
00:01:24.38\00:01:26.85
should disappear
below the horizon.
00:01:26.85\00:01:29.82
And sure enough, when they
looked through the telescope,
00:01:29.82\00:01:32.42
they could still
see the other mark,
00:01:32.42\00:01:33.89
which appeared to
prove the earth is flat.
00:01:33.89\00:01:37.16
Now, why proving
this was so important
00:01:37.16\00:01:40.00
to Mr. Rowbottom, I
really, really don't know.
00:01:40.00\00:01:43.20
From what I can gather.
00:01:43.20\00:01:44.73
He claimed that he got the
idea from reading the Bible,
00:01:44.73\00:01:47.14
which speaks about the
four corners of the earth,
00:01:47.14\00:01:50.81
which to his way of
thinking meant the earth
00:01:50.81\00:01:53.51
was a flat plane
instead of a round globe.
00:01:53.51\00:01:56.81
Of course, that would also mean
00:01:56.81\00:01:58.35
that the language of the Bible
00:01:58.35\00:01:59.91
does not allow
for figures of speech,
00:01:59.91\00:02:02.38
but for the moment,
that's really beside the point.
00:02:02.38\00:02:04.49
Somehow he came
to the conclusion
00:02:04.49\00:02:06.69
that people like
Isaac Newton and Copernicus
00:02:06.69\00:02:09.12
were absolutely wrong.
00:02:09.12\00:02:10.93
And in 1881, he
published a book names it
00:02:10.93\00:02:13.93
Zetetic
Astronomy, Earth Not a Globe.
00:02:13.93\00:02:17.07
And of course, given the
wild premise of his book,
00:02:17.07\00:02:20.04
he published it
under a pseudonym.
00:02:20.04\00:02:22.07
He called himself parallax.
00:02:22.07\00:02:25.07
But the problem with
publishing his theories in 1881
00:02:25.07\00:02:28.11
was that they had
already been conclusively
00:02:29.44\00:02:31.75
disproven in 1870.
00:02:31.75\00:02:34.08
When one of his own disciples,
00:02:34.08\00:02:35.72
a man by the
name of John Hampden,
00:02:35.72\00:02:38.02
put out a public challenge,
00:02:38.02\00:02:39.55
inviting people
to come and prove
00:02:39.55\00:02:41.12
the earth was indeed a sphere.
00:02:41.12\00:02:44.13
He even wager the
princely sum of 500 pounds
00:02:44.13\00:02:47.96
that nobody
would be able to do it.
00:02:47.96\00:02:50.63
On January 12th,
1870, he published an ad
00:02:50.63\00:02:53.34
In the weekly
journal Scientific Opinion.
00:02:53.34\00:02:56.00
And here's what the ad said.
00:02:56.00\00:02:58.01
What is to be said of
the pretended philosophy
00:02:58.01\00:03:00.48
of the 19th century.
00:03:00.48\00:03:01.94
When not one
educated man in 10,000
00:03:01.94\00:03:04.41
knows the shape of the
earth on which he dwells,
00:03:04.41\00:03:07.18
why it must be a huge sham.
00:03:07.18\00:03:09.42
The undersigned
is willing to deposit
00:03:09.42\00:03:11.19
from 50 pounds to 500
pounds on reciprocal terms
00:03:11.19\00:03:15.49
and defies all the philosophers,
00:03:15.49\00:03:17.13
divines and signs to
professors in the United Kingdom
00:03:17.13\00:03:20.80
to prove the rotumdity
and revolution of the world
00:03:20.80\00:03:23.53
from scripture, from
reason, or from fact,
00:03:23.53\00:03:26.74
he will acknowledge that
he has forfeited his deposit,
00:03:26.74\00:03:29.27
if his opponent can
exhibit to the satisfaction
00:03:29.27\00:03:32.04
of any intelligent referee,
00:03:32.04\00:03:34.08
a convex railway
river, canal, or lake.
00:03:34.08\00:03:38.45
So in other words,
00:03:38.45\00:03:40.25
if you could prove
the curve of the earth,
00:03:40.25\00:03:42.52
he would pony up a
considerable sum of money,
00:03:42.52\00:03:45.99
but alas for poor Mr. Hampden,
00:03:45.99\00:03:48.42
a professional surveyor
named Alfred Russell Wallace,
00:03:48.42\00:03:52.26
took him up on the challenge
00:03:52.26\00:03:53.56
and publicly destroyed him.
00:03:53.56\00:03:55.93
What Wallace
understood was the principle
00:03:57.07\00:03:59.43
of atmospheric
refraction, which bends light,
00:03:59.43\00:04:02.77
and actually allows us
to see just a little bit
00:04:02.77\00:04:05.54
over the horizon.
00:04:05.54\00:04:07.21
Refraction is the
reason you can see the sunrise
00:04:07.21\00:04:10.01
just a few minutes
before it actually comes up.
00:04:10.01\00:04:13.11
And it's the reason that stars
00:04:13.11\00:04:14.55
in the sky appear to twinkle.
00:04:14.55\00:04:16.02
It's the bending of
light in the atmosphere.
00:04:16.02\00:04:19.65
Wallace knew that the telescope
00:04:19.65\00:04:21.49
in Rowbotham's
experiment had been set
00:04:21.49\00:04:23.66
eight inches above the water,
00:04:23.66\00:04:26.09
which enhanced refraction.
00:04:26.09\00:04:28.33
So what he did was
add an important element
00:04:28.33\00:04:31.33
to the Bedford
River that compensated
00:04:31.33\00:04:33.64
for this
atmospheric optical illusion.
00:04:33.64\00:04:36.47
He put a pole in
the water halfway
00:04:36.47\00:04:38.34
between the two bridges
00:04:38.34\00:04:39.94
and he put mark on the
pole at the same height
00:04:39.94\00:04:42.08
above the water as
the telescope at one end
00:04:42.08\00:04:44.31
and the mark on the
bridge at the other,
00:04:44.31\00:04:47.05
then he put a second
mark on the midstream pole,
00:04:47.05\00:04:49.72
just a few feet below that.
00:04:49.72\00:04:51.99
If the earth was
flat, Rowbotham believed,
00:04:51.99\00:04:55.39
then when you look
through the telescope,
00:04:55.39\00:04:57.39
the top mark on the pole
00:04:57.39\00:04:58.86
and the mark on
the distant bridge
00:04:58.86\00:05:00.50
should lie up perfectly
00:05:00.50\00:05:02.56
because they
were the same height
00:05:02.56\00:05:04.07
above the water
as the telescope.
00:05:04.07\00:05:06.97
But if the earth was a sphere,
00:05:06.97\00:05:08.67
then the mark on the pole
should appear to be higher
00:05:08.67\00:05:11.74
because the curve of the earth
00:05:11.74\00:05:13.27
between the
bridges would lift it up.
00:05:13.27\00:05:15.81
Sure enough, Wallace was right.
00:05:16.95\00:05:19.51
Not only did the top mark
00:05:19.51\00:05:21.08
on the pole appear to be higher
00:05:21.08\00:05:22.45
than the mark on the bridge.
00:05:22.45\00:05:23.65
So did his bottom mark,
00:05:23.65\00:05:26.05
which is exactly
what you would expect,
00:05:26.05\00:05:28.02
if the earth is a globe.
00:05:28.02\00:05:30.09
Appalled by the
devastating results,
00:05:30.09\00:05:32.19
Mr, Hampden
refused to pay the bet
00:05:32.19\00:05:34.46
and even ended up in court,
00:05:34.46\00:05:35.76
trying to get out of payment.
00:05:35.76\00:05:37.87
The humiliation of
losing this bet publicly
00:05:37.87\00:05:40.17
was so overwhelming
that Hampden went on
00:05:40.17\00:05:42.14
to budger Wallace without
mercy for another 15 years.
00:05:42.14\00:05:47.14
In fact, he even
issued death threats.
00:05:48.24\00:05:51.35
So in response, here's
what Wallace wrote in 1905.
00:05:51.35\00:05:54.38
He said that the wager,
"Cost me 15 years of continued
00:05:54.38\00:05:58.15
worry,
litigation, and persecution
00:05:58.15\00:06:00.79
with the final loss of
several hundred pounds.
00:06:00.79\00:06:03.36
And it was all brought
upon me by my own ignorance
00:06:03.36\00:06:05.93
and my own fault,
00:06:05.93\00:06:07.40
ignorance of the
fact so well shown
00:06:07.40\00:06:09.40
by the late professor de Morgan,
00:06:09.40\00:06:11.33
that paradoxes as he termed them
00:06:11.33\00:06:13.07
can never be convinced
00:06:13.07\00:06:15.07
and my fault in wishing to
get money by any kind of wager.
00:06:15.07\00:06:18.71
It constitutes therefore
00:06:18.71\00:06:20.08
the most regrettable
incident in my life."
00:06:20.08\00:06:24.35
Now here's what I
want you to think about
00:06:24.35\00:06:27.28
for most of us,
there's little doubt
00:06:27.28\00:06:29.12
the earth is a sphere.
00:06:29.12\00:06:30.35
We've known that
for thousands of years
00:06:30.35\00:06:33.39
and we've even pretty much known
00:06:33.39\00:06:35.06
the exact
circumference of that sphere
00:06:35.06\00:06:37.13
for thousands of years,
00:06:37.13\00:06:38.86
ever since
Eratosthenes calculated it
00:06:38.86\00:06:41.66
in the city of Alexandria.
00:06:41.66\00:06:43.63
And I guess what I
really want you to notice
00:06:43.63\00:06:45.97
is just how
deeply vested Mr. Hampden
00:06:45.97\00:06:48.24
was in a very bad idea.
00:06:48.24\00:06:51.04
He took the loss personally
00:06:51.04\00:06:52.94
and spent years trying
to destroy his opponent.
00:06:52.94\00:06:56.08
And you've gotta wonder why?
00:06:56.08\00:06:57.88
What is it in our
human nature that attracts us
00:06:57.88\00:07:00.22
to wackadoodle theories
and makes us so unwilling
00:07:00.22\00:07:03.28
to accept any
evidence to the contrary?
00:07:03.28\00:07:06.25
I mean, I don't know if you've
had any personal experience
00:07:07.69\00:07:10.09
with flat earth people,
00:07:10.09\00:07:11.26
but for some
reason I have a gift
00:07:11.26\00:07:13.19
for attracting these folks.
00:07:13.19\00:07:14.46
I hear from them all the time
00:07:14.46\00:07:17.20
and I know sure I'm gonna get
00:07:17.20\00:07:18.70
a few letters after this show.
00:07:18.70\00:07:20.57
And the one thing I've learned
00:07:20.57\00:07:22.07
over the past few
decades is that discussing this
00:07:22.07\00:07:24.11
is a complete
waste of your time.
00:07:24.11\00:07:26.21
I mean, I used to slow down
00:07:26.21\00:07:27.94
and talk to just
about anybody with any idea,
00:07:27.94\00:07:31.15
but I've got to admit,
there's a subset of society,
00:07:31.15\00:07:33.95
I'm no longer
willing to waste time on.
00:07:33.95\00:07:37.02
Last summer in the Northeast,
00:07:37.02\00:07:38.52
there was this
guy who approached me
00:07:38.52\00:07:39.85
after I was done
speaking in public
00:07:39.85\00:07:41.52
and he told me,
"Man, I really, really
00:07:41.52\00:07:43.16
wanna talk to you."
00:07:43.16\00:07:44.43
And I said,
"Look, I'm a little busy
00:07:44.43\00:07:46.09
because I've made some
commitments this evening,
00:07:46.09\00:07:47.86
but I'm gonna be
here for a few days,
00:07:47.86\00:07:49.36
and so maybe on another day,
00:07:49.36\00:07:51.37
I'll have a little
time to talk with you
00:07:51.37\00:07:53.27
after I'm done in the meeting."
00:07:53.27\00:07:55.27
You know, my gut kind of told me
00:07:55.27\00:07:57.84
he wanted to talk
about something weird
00:07:57.84\00:07:59.54
because well, after
almost 30 years on the road,
00:07:59.54\00:08:02.24
you get a sense for it.
00:08:02.24\00:08:03.75
So I probably shouldn't
have promised him anything
00:08:03.75\00:08:06.41
because sure enough, he
proved very eager to talk.
00:08:06.41\00:08:10.49
The next day,
00:08:10.49\00:08:12.02
he approached me with a
file folder full of photocopies.
00:08:12.02\00:08:14.56
And he said, "I
want you to read this."
00:08:14.56\00:08:16.76
And as soon as I
take a short break,
00:08:16.76\00:08:18.76
I'll come back to tell
you what was in that folder.
00:08:18.76\00:08:21.26
- [Narrator] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:08:25.07\00:08:29.37
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:08:29.37\00:08:33.94
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:08:33.94\00:08:36.11
and come away,
scratching your head,
00:08:36.11\00:08:37.88
you are not alone.
00:08:37.88\00:08:39.18
Our Free focus
on prophesy guides,
00:08:39.18\00:08:41.58
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:08:41.58\00:08:44.39
and deepen your understanding
of God's plan for you
00:08:44.39\00:08:47.32
and our world.
00:08:47.32\00:08:48.52
Study online, or
request them by mail
00:08:48.52\00:08:50.86
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:08:50.86\00:08:53.80
- You know, I kind
of find it fascinating
00:08:54.96\00:08:56.46
how people with
really weird ideas
00:08:56.46\00:08:58.47
will beat around the bush
00:08:58.47\00:08:59.63
when they first
start talking to you,
00:08:59.63\00:09:00.94
because somehow
they sense, well,
00:09:00.94\00:09:03.07
you're going to reject them.
00:09:03.07\00:09:05.21
And that's the way
it was with this guy
00:09:05.21\00:09:07.11
who approached me with
his stack of photocopies.
00:09:07.11\00:09:10.11
He started talking
about a biblical commentary,
00:09:10.11\00:09:12.78
he'd read on the book of Ezekiel
00:09:12.78\00:09:14.58
and how something in that
commentary was bothering him.
00:09:14.58\00:09:18.32
And he never quite got to
the point until I'll admit,
00:09:18.32\00:09:20.72
I got a little bit impatient.
00:09:20.72\00:09:22.16
I said, "Sir, what
exactly are you getting at?"
00:09:22.16\00:09:25.99
And that's when he said this,
00:09:25.99\00:09:27.56
"Well, when I was in the
army, I worked in cartography,
00:09:27.56\00:09:30.77
which of course,
you know is map making.
00:09:30.77\00:09:32.63
And I spent a lot of time
just thinking about geography.
00:09:32.63\00:09:36.30
And well, I eventually noticed,
00:09:36.30\00:09:38.51
when I looked off the ship
that the water in the ocean
00:09:38.51\00:09:41.11
is completely flat
and it shouldn't be flat
00:09:41.11\00:09:44.65
if we're sitting on a globe."
00:09:44.65\00:09:46.75
This guy was
channeling Samuel Rowbotham,
00:09:46.75\00:09:48.78
and the Bedford experiment.
00:09:48.78\00:09:51.02
And I guess at that point,
00:09:51.02\00:09:52.32
I'd already run
into enough flat earths
00:09:52.32\00:09:54.36
that I really
did lose my patience
00:09:54.36\00:09:56.39
because there were a
lot of people waiting
00:09:56.39\00:09:58.59
to talk to me about real issues.
00:09:58.59\00:10:00.90
And so, sir, if you do
happen to be listening today,
00:10:00.90\00:10:03.50
let me apologize for
cutting you off quickly,
00:10:03.50\00:10:06.47
but please do
understand you are nowhere near
00:10:06.47\00:10:09.47
the first person
who has approached me
00:10:09.47\00:10:11.47
with the flat earth
and tried to convert me.
00:10:11.47\00:10:13.78
And that's what I told him.
00:10:14.71\00:10:16.21
This is flat
earth theory, I said,
00:10:16.21\00:10:17.81
and I'm sorry, I do not
have time to talk about this.
00:10:17.81\00:10:21.38
And so I took his
folder of photocopies
00:10:21.38\00:10:23.82
and I handed it
back, which of course
00:10:23.82\00:10:25.02
he wasn't happy
about it, upset him.
00:10:25.02\00:10:28.22
But frankly, I've
learned that continuing
00:10:28.22\00:10:29.92
that discussion is a huge
waste of everybody's time.
00:10:29.92\00:10:33.73
"Oh" he said, "You
know about the flat earth."
00:10:33.73\00:10:36.26
And he was skeptical
that I knew anything.
00:10:36.26\00:10:38.83
I said, "Yeah,
I've been through this
00:10:38.83\00:10:40.70
at least a
hundred times, at least."
00:10:40.70\00:10:43.00
"Really?" He
said, "A hundred times."
00:10:43.00\00:10:46.01
I mean, he thought
I was exaggerating,
00:10:46.01\00:10:47.51
but I promise you it's
at least a hundred times.
00:10:47.51\00:10:51.38
And I've discovered firsthand
00:10:51.38\00:10:52.91
that no matter what I say
to prove the earth is round.
00:10:52.91\00:10:56.18
Most of these people have a
care fully considered response.
00:10:56.18\00:11:00.49
They'll show me that I'm wrong.
00:11:00.49\00:11:02.22
I mean, if you tell these people
00:11:02.22\00:11:04.36
that the Apollo missions
00:11:04.36\00:11:05.59
took pictures of
a spherical earth,
00:11:05.59\00:11:08.03
they'll tell you the
pictures are manipulated
00:11:08.03\00:11:10.77
or they only appear to be round
00:11:10.77\00:11:12.43
because the astronauts
were taking the pictures
00:11:12.43\00:11:14.74
through a circular porthole.
00:11:14.74\00:11:16.77
I mean, it doesn't matter,
00:11:16.77\00:11:18.31
what kind of proof
you offer these folks.
00:11:18.31\00:11:20.18
I promise you, you are
probably wasting your time.
00:11:20.18\00:11:24.28
And this guy with
that stack of photocopies
00:11:24.28\00:11:26.55
was really disappointed
when I gave them back
00:11:26.55\00:11:29.65
and said, "Sorry."
00:11:29.65\00:11:31.49
I just don't believe him.
00:11:31.49\00:11:33.66
"No," he said, "I'm the
one who feels sorry for you."
00:11:33.66\00:11:36.36
And he stomped off.
00:11:36.36\00:11:37.56
And that was the
end of the meeting.
00:11:37.56\00:11:39.63
And I'm sure that
given the current resurgence
00:11:39.63\00:11:42.80
of flat earth theories,
00:11:42.80\00:11:44.67
that some of you
probably have similar stories,
00:11:44.67\00:11:47.04
it's weird, this
stuff is going around again.
00:11:47.04\00:11:50.17
And again the real thing
I want to ask you is why?
00:11:50.17\00:11:53.71
how do people
latch onto this stuff
00:11:53.71\00:11:55.91
like a bulldog
and become so invested
00:11:55.91\00:11:58.51
that they feel
personally threatened
00:11:58.51\00:12:00.68
when you challenge it?
00:12:00.68\00:12:02.42
Why does
something so unimportant
00:12:02.42\00:12:04.65
seem so vital to these folks?
00:12:04.65\00:12:07.82
Why do otherwise
intelligent people
00:12:07.82\00:12:10.39
suddenly put on
reality blinders,
00:12:10.39\00:12:12.43
and tenaciously
cling to something
00:12:12.43\00:12:14.40
that doesn't
make a lick of sense?
00:12:14.40\00:12:17.97
Is there a fault in
the wiring of our brains
00:12:17.97\00:12:20.77
that makes us susceptible
to these kinds of things?
00:12:20.77\00:12:23.84
Is there a downside to
the parts of our brains
00:12:23.84\00:12:26.57
that help us recognize patterns?
00:12:26.57\00:12:29.38
I mean, think about
this pattern recognition
00:12:29.38\00:12:31.55
is a really
important feature in your mind
00:12:31.55\00:12:34.12
because it helps
you navigate the world
00:12:34.12\00:12:36.79
and accumulate the
resources you need.
00:12:36.79\00:12:39.59
And recognizing
patterns is also the reason
00:12:39.59\00:12:42.29
that we can engage in any
kind of empirical science,
00:12:42.29\00:12:46.03
but that very useful function
00:12:46.03\00:12:48.93
sometimes makes us see patterns
00:12:48.93\00:12:51.00
that aren't really there,
00:12:51.00\00:12:53.23
as an in the case of pareidolia
00:12:53.23\00:12:55.24
which makes us see faces
00:12:55.24\00:12:57.34
in places where there are none.
00:12:57.34\00:12:59.94
I mean, I don't know
if you've ever seen this,
00:12:59.94\00:13:01.54
but there's a famous
geographical feature in Canada
00:13:01.54\00:13:04.41
that you can
find on Google earth.
00:13:04.41\00:13:05.68
And it's called
the Badlands Guardian.
00:13:05.68\00:13:08.28
from outer space,
00:13:08.28\00:13:09.42
it looks exactly like the face
00:13:09.42\00:13:12.25
of a first nations native.
00:13:12.25\00:13:13.76
And the detail is
absolutely astonishing.
00:13:13.76\00:13:16.79
I mean the eyes, the
nose, the mouth, the hair,
00:13:16.79\00:13:20.00
it really does
look like somebody
00:13:20.00\00:13:21.83
sculpted this thing on purpose.
00:13:21.83\00:13:23.47
And it even seems to be wearing
00:13:23.47\00:13:26.23
a set of Apple earbuds.
00:13:26.23\00:13:27.64
I mean, go on Google
earth and look at it.
00:13:27.64\00:13:29.74
It's one of the most convincing
things I've ever seen,
00:13:29.74\00:13:33.88
but it's an optical illusion.
00:13:33.88\00:13:35.84
The parts of the landscape
that appear to be raised
00:13:35.84\00:13:38.75
are actually depressions
in the ground and vice versa.
00:13:38.75\00:13:41.85
The whole thing is
actually inside out.
00:13:41.85\00:13:44.75
And the reason it
looks like a human face
00:13:44.75\00:13:46.62
is because our
brains are very, very good
00:13:46.62\00:13:50.09
at creating patterns.
00:13:50.09\00:13:52.13
Same thing happened
with that famous face on Mars
00:13:52.13\00:13:55.10
when Viking 1, first
sent a picture back to us,
00:13:55.10\00:13:58.80
this feature looked
exactly like a human face,
00:13:58.80\00:14:02.04
but then decades later
00:14:02.04\00:14:03.30
when Viking 2, went
back with better resolution,
00:14:03.30\00:14:05.94
the face was gone.
00:14:05.94\00:14:07.01
It just disappeared.
00:14:07.01\00:14:08.81
It turns out it was
only there because our brains
00:14:08.81\00:14:12.41
are so cleverly
designed to recognize patterns.
00:14:12.41\00:14:16.65
And I suspect that's a
big part of what happens
00:14:16.65\00:14:19.55
with some of
these weird theories.
00:14:19.55\00:14:22.29
The brain is remarkably
good at taking unrelated facts
00:14:22.29\00:14:25.89
and connecting them to the point
00:14:25.89\00:14:27.73
where it looks like
something you recognize.
00:14:27.73\00:14:30.57
Then you add our
natural predisposition
00:14:30.57\00:14:33.34
to be aware of potential
threats in our environment.
00:14:33.34\00:14:36.14
And boom, you suddenly
have a global conspiracy theory.
00:14:36.14\00:14:40.88
Now, I've gotta admit for the
sake of complete transparency
00:14:40.88\00:14:44.11
that I really am a fan
of conspiracy theories.
00:14:44.11\00:14:46.68
Not because I
believe them, but because,
00:14:46.68\00:14:49.15
well, I find the
phenomenon so fascinating
00:14:49.15\00:14:51.22
from Area 51 to Sasquatch,
from JFK to the Illuminati.
00:14:51.22\00:14:56.22
I have a pretty
good grasp of the nature
00:14:57.43\00:14:58.63
and history of
conspiracy theory.
00:14:58.63\00:15:00.96
And I read these
things for entertainment
00:15:00.96\00:15:03.60
because, well, look,
there's little doubt.
00:15:03.60\00:15:05.83
They're very entertaining.
00:15:05.83\00:15:07.40
And for most of us,
that's what they are.
00:15:07.40\00:15:09.77
They're just entertainment.
00:15:09.77\00:15:11.97
But when people start
to take them seriously,
00:15:11.97\00:15:14.78
and unfortunately it seems
like more and more people are
00:15:14.78\00:15:17.98
that's when the
weird and wonderful
00:15:17.98\00:15:19.38
suddenly has an
impact on real life.
00:15:19.38\00:15:22.02
And it suddenly begins to shape
00:15:22.02\00:15:23.45
the decisions you
make and the life you lead.
00:15:23.45\00:15:27.19
And that's where
it becomes a problem.
00:15:27.19\00:15:28.89
It leads to horrible outcomes.
00:15:28.89\00:15:31.29
It ruins friendships.
00:15:31.29\00:15:33.29
It adds unneeded
tension to marriages.
00:15:33.29\00:15:36.00
It can lead to
bad financial choices
00:15:36.00\00:15:39.07
and it can even
endanger your health
00:15:39.07\00:15:41.24
depending on the
nature of the conspiracy.
00:15:41.24\00:15:44.57
And one of the
most tragic outcomes
00:15:44.57\00:15:46.57
I've witnessed
personally is the way that
00:15:46.57\00:15:49.04
conspiratorial
thinking can actually
00:15:49.04\00:15:52.08
compromise the teachings
of the Christian faith.
00:15:52.08\00:15:55.18
Maybe some of you remember
00:15:56.38\00:15:57.42
the satanic panic of the 1980s
00:15:57.42\00:15:59.62
when suddenly it
seemed like, well,
00:15:59.62\00:16:01.29
there was a demon
hiding behind every bush
00:16:01.29\00:16:03.53
and there was this growing fear
00:16:03.53\00:16:05.59
that satanic
coves were multiplying
00:16:05.59\00:16:07.93
like rabbits out there
00:16:07.93\00:16:09.50
and doing
unspeakable things in an effort
00:16:09.50\00:16:12.07
to tear down the Christian faith
00:16:12.07\00:16:13.94
and maybe even
Western civilization,
00:16:13.94\00:16:16.94
there were popular speakers,
00:16:16.94\00:16:18.21
visiting Christian churches,
00:16:18.21\00:16:19.74
telling wild
stories of having been
00:16:19.74\00:16:22.38
a high priest of
Satan or a devil worshiper
00:16:22.38\00:16:25.48
who escaped and
lived to tell about it.
00:16:25.48\00:16:27.52
It was very popular.
00:16:27.52\00:16:29.38
Now, look, there's no doubt.
00:16:29.38\00:16:31.49
There are some very
strange cults out there.
00:16:31.49\00:16:34.39
And I really do believe
that some of them are dangerous.
00:16:34.39\00:16:37.39
It's true.
00:16:37.39\00:16:38.73
But the stories
that were circulating
00:16:38.73\00:16:40.40
in the '80s
really took the cake.
00:16:40.40\00:16:42.66
I mean, take, for
example, the story of John Todd,
00:16:42.66\00:16:46.80
he became a popular
speaker in a lot of churches
00:16:46.80\00:16:49.54
because he claimed that
he was raised in a family
00:16:49.54\00:16:53.21
that practiced witchcraft.
00:16:53.21\00:16:55.18
And by that he didn't
mean old world paganism,
00:16:55.18\00:16:57.98
like the druids in England,
00:16:57.98\00:17:00.65
he met actual devil worship.
00:17:00.65\00:17:02.98
He claimed to be a green
beret who served in Vietnam.
00:17:02.98\00:17:06.15
And he claimed that he had
been initiated into something,
00:17:06.15\00:17:08.66
he called The Council of 13,
00:17:08.66\00:17:11.39
this high
ranking body of satanist
00:17:11.39\00:17:13.90
who were busy
taking over the world.
00:17:13.90\00:17:16.50
And from that point,
he began to tie just about
00:17:16.50\00:17:19.37
absolutely everything together.
00:17:19.37\00:17:20.97
The Rothschilds, the
Kennedys, the oil companies,
00:17:20.97\00:17:24.74
the Illuminati, the
entertainment industry, the
00:17:24.74\00:17:28.68
government,
everything, you name it.
00:17:28.68\00:17:30.68
All of it he said, was
being secretly controlled
00:17:30.68\00:17:33.55
by a highly organized and
secretive group of Satanists.
00:17:33.55\00:17:37.82
Elton John claimed was using
00:17:37.82\00:17:39.52
some kind of witch
language to write his songs.
00:17:39.52\00:17:43.36
Ayn Rand had been told
by the Rothschild he said,
00:17:43.36\00:17:46.53
to write her books
00:17:46.53\00:17:48.06
and the Illuminati told
her to spread her ideas.
00:17:48.06\00:17:52.47
And John Todd really was
just the tip of the iceberg
00:17:52.47\00:17:55.50
back in the 1980s,
00:17:55.50\00:17:57.24
there were
others like Mike Warnke,
00:17:57.24\00:17:59.14
who said he had been a witch
00:17:59.14\00:18:01.18
who was put in
charge of a territory
00:18:01.18\00:18:03.35
to spread the message of
sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
00:18:03.35\00:18:07.12
Copies of copies
of copies of VHS tapes
00:18:07.12\00:18:10.09
were making the
rounds in people's homes.
00:18:10.09\00:18:11.99
Maybe you remember some of these
00:18:11.99\00:18:13.86
and these tapes somehow proved
00:18:13.86\00:18:16.39
that somehow
vast satanic networks
00:18:16.39\00:18:19.03
were abducting children
00:18:19.03\00:18:20.30
controlling the
minds of the youth
00:18:20.30\00:18:22.16
and slowly
demolishing Christian churches
00:18:22.16\00:18:24.63
by displaying al cult symbols
00:18:24.63\00:18:26.94
and placing hexes
on church properties.
00:18:26.94\00:18:30.67
Kids, you might
remember started playing
00:18:30.67\00:18:32.21
their records backwards,
00:18:32.21\00:18:33.48
looking for
hidden satanic messages.
00:18:33.48\00:18:35.81
They only seemed to be there,
00:18:35.81\00:18:37.58
if someone told you exactly
what you were listening for.
00:18:37.58\00:18:41.02
I remember the amazing buzz
00:18:41.02\00:18:43.69
that went through
one town I lived in
00:18:43.69\00:18:45.32
when somebody said,
"Hey, a satanic coven went to
00:18:45.32\00:18:48.72
a vacant church property
in the middle of the night,
00:18:48.72\00:18:50.93
last night to curse it,
00:18:50.93\00:18:52.56
we found a circle on the ground
00:18:52.56\00:18:54.20
and now the church
can never be built."
00:18:54.20\00:18:57.33
Rumors circulated in
my city that on Halloween,
00:18:57.33\00:19:00.27
the hospitals had
to post extra guards
00:19:00.27\00:19:02.47
in the maternity ward to
prevent satanic abductions.
00:19:02.47\00:19:06.81
Now, again, I'm not
saying there's no such thing
00:19:06.81\00:19:10.38
as a satanic
covenant or destructive cult,
00:19:10.38\00:19:12.48
because believe me,
00:19:12.48\00:19:14.15
those things
really are out there.
00:19:14.15\00:19:16.99
But the idea that
they're all connected
00:19:16.99\00:19:18.79
in one grand conspiracy run
00:19:18.79\00:19:20.59
by the world's
Jews or the Illuminati,
00:19:20.59\00:19:23.63
that's the work of
overactive imaginations.
00:19:23.63\00:19:26.53
And I'll be
right back after this.
00:19:26.53\00:19:29.10
- [Narrator] Here at
The Voice of Prophecy,
00:19:32.10\00:19:33.57
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:19:33.57\00:19:36.07
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like our audio adventure series,
00:19:37.24\00:19:38.97
Discovery Mountain,
00:19:38.97\00:19:40.71
Discovery Mountain
is a Bible based program
00:19:40.71\00:19:43.21
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00:19:43.21\00:19:45.51
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With 24 seasonal
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and fresh content every week.
00:19:53.62\00:19:55.79
There's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:19:55.79\00:19:58.99
- The real
problem with the likes of
00:20:02.30\00:20:04.23
John Todd and
Mike Warnky, is that
00:20:04.23\00:20:06.07
pretty much none of
what they said was true.
00:20:06.07\00:20:09.20
Mr. Todd ended up in
jail convicted of rape,
00:20:10.34\00:20:12.81
and after he was released,
00:20:12.81\00:20:14.31
he landed in a psych ward.
00:20:14.31\00:20:16.01
Mike Warnke who also did
standup comedy for some reason,
00:20:16.01\00:20:20.12
was exposed by
Christian journalist
00:20:20.12\00:20:22.22
who showed that he'd been
making up the whole story.
00:20:22.22\00:20:25.75
And at the end of the day,
00:20:25.75\00:20:27.06
Christians and
Christianity ended up
00:20:27.06\00:20:28.99
with yet another black eye.
00:20:28.99\00:20:31.33
We looked utterly foolish
00:20:31.33\00:20:32.76
because we were out
there selling these ideas.
00:20:32.76\00:20:36.20
And the actual
message of Christianity
00:20:36.20\00:20:38.37
had kind of faded
into the background.
00:20:38.37\00:20:41.67
It reminds me a
little bit of a story
00:20:41.67\00:20:43.74
that you find over
in the book of Acts,
00:20:43.74\00:20:45.34
which interestingly enough
also has ties to the old cult.
00:20:45.34\00:20:49.88
You find it in Acts 16,
00:20:49.88\00:20:51.55
where Paul is
visiting the city of Philippi,
00:20:51.55\00:20:54.32
an Asia Minor.
00:20:54.32\00:20:55.32
And he's plagued by this girl
00:20:55.32\00:20:57.19
who follows him around
announcing his presence.
00:20:57.19\00:21:00.29
Here's what it says.
00:21:00.29\00:21:01.32
Now it happened
as we went to prayer
00:21:02.52\00:21:04.03
that a certain
slave girl possessed
00:21:04.03\00:21:05.79
with a of divination met us,
00:21:05.79\00:21:08.00
who brought her
masters much profit
00:21:08.00\00:21:10.37
by fortune telling, this
girl followed Paul and us
00:21:10.37\00:21:14.07
and cried out saying,
00:21:14.07\00:21:15.47
"These men are the
servants of the most high God
00:21:15.47\00:21:18.77
who proclaimed to us
the way of salvation."
00:21:18.77\00:21:21.91
And this she did for many days.
00:21:21.91\00:21:24.78
Now you would
think Paul might be happy
00:21:25.98\00:21:28.48
for some free
advertising because, you know,
00:21:28.48\00:21:30.55
there's no such
thing as bad publicity,
00:21:30.55\00:21:33.25
but not so in this case,
00:21:33.25\00:21:34.89
it continues again in verse 18.
00:21:34.89\00:21:36.56
and it says,
00:21:36.56\00:21:37.49
but Paul greatly annoyed turned
00:21:37.49\00:21:40.30
and said to the spirit,
00:21:40.30\00:21:41.53
"I command you in
the name of Jesus Christ
00:21:41.53\00:21:43.20
to come out of her."
00:21:43.20\00:21:44.57
And he came out of
her that very hour.
00:21:44.57\00:21:48.07
So here we have a
genuine Oke practitioner,
00:21:48.07\00:21:51.01
the real deal.
00:21:51.01\00:21:52.47
And she's telling
everybody to listen to Paul.
00:21:52.47\00:21:54.78
This is a servant
to the most high God,
00:21:54.78\00:21:56.68
and if you listen to
him, you will find salvation.
00:21:56.68\00:22:00.05
Of course, that was true.
00:22:00.05\00:22:01.52
If you listened
to Paul, you would,
00:22:01.52\00:22:03.55
but Paul shot her down
00:22:03.55\00:22:05.19
because this was a
case of bad optics.
00:22:05.19\00:22:08.26
She was the
last person he wanted
00:22:08.26\00:22:10.63
endorsing his message.
00:22:10.63\00:22:12.59
She was actively
discrediting him,
00:22:12.59\00:22:15.13
making him guilty by
association with her.
00:22:15.13\00:22:18.63
And in some ways
that's what happens
00:22:19.77\00:22:21.67
when Christians go off message
00:22:21.67\00:22:23.04
with their conspiracy theories,
00:22:23.04\00:22:24.97
they read a few popular books,
00:22:24.97\00:22:26.44
or they lay awake at night,
00:22:26.44\00:22:27.68
listening to Art
Bell and George Nory.
00:22:27.68\00:22:30.31
And they start to
preach what they're hearing
00:22:30.31\00:22:32.75
as if it's true.
00:22:32.75\00:22:34.38
And as if it
ties into the Bible,
00:22:34.38\00:22:36.82
suddenly there are
hidden enemies everywhere.
00:22:36.82\00:22:39.15
And we become
obsessed with exposing
00:22:39.15\00:22:41.06
the so-called secret enemies
00:22:41.06\00:22:42.96
who are pulling
the world's strings.
00:22:42.96\00:22:45.29
And sometimes,
sometimes occasionally
00:22:45.29\00:22:48.96
wouldn't you know it,
they proved to be right.
00:22:48.96\00:22:50.80
Sometimes there are
government scandals,
00:22:50.80\00:22:53.57
sometimes there are coverups,
00:22:53.57\00:22:55.44
sometimes there are plots
to overthrow the government.
00:22:55.44\00:22:59.17
Now the real
thing is seldom is juicy
00:22:59.17\00:23:02.14
as the elaborate
stories people weave,
00:23:02.14\00:23:04.31
or the complex charts,
00:23:04.31\00:23:05.81
they create to link all the
powerful people in the world,
00:23:05.81\00:23:08.38
but sometimes
conspiracies do happen.
00:23:08.38\00:23:11.59
I mean, of course
they do just look at
00:23:11.59\00:23:13.15
what happened to
folks in Tuskegee.
00:23:13.15\00:23:15.39
But the question Christians
00:23:16.39\00:23:18.03
need to ask
themselves is pretty easy.
00:23:18.03\00:23:20.70
Is this theory the
message of the gospel?
00:23:21.80\00:23:25.63
or maybe we should
just ask the question.
00:23:25.63\00:23:27.54
So what?
00:23:27.54\00:23:28.94
What difference
does this story make?
00:23:28.94\00:23:30.87
Is there a chance
when you find yourself
00:23:30.87\00:23:33.31
drinking at the
fountain of global conspiracy
00:23:33.31\00:23:35.38
that you're
actually causing harm
00:23:35.38\00:23:37.15
to the cause of Christ?
00:23:37.15\00:23:39.85
Let me go back to the
flat earth thing for a moment.
00:23:39.85\00:23:41.72
And I know this is one
of my favorite subjects.
00:23:41.72\00:23:44.15
More often than not,
these people will talk about
00:23:44.15\00:23:46.72
a global conspiracy where NASA
00:23:46.72\00:23:48.42
is working overtime
to keep you in the dark.
00:23:48.42\00:23:50.53
But as you probe it,
00:23:50.53\00:23:51.46
it begins to look a lot
00:23:51.46\00:23:52.69
like all the other
conspiracy theories.
00:23:52.69\00:23:54.76
And occasionally
when somebody assaults me
00:23:54.76\00:23:56.93
with their firmly held
belief that the earth is flat,
00:23:56.93\00:23:59.30
I just ask 'em one question.
00:23:59.30\00:24:00.90
What does it matter?
00:24:00.90\00:24:02.57
Are you planning to go to space?
00:24:02.57\00:24:04.07
Are you landing to
launch a satellite?
00:24:04.07\00:24:06.01
What does it matter?
00:24:06.01\00:24:07.18
And that's the
important question.
00:24:07.18\00:24:09.34
I mean, it's easy to see why
00:24:10.28\00:24:11.51
the existence of
God would matter.
00:24:11.51\00:24:12.98
If there is a Supreme being
00:24:12.98\00:24:14.58
and he has moral standards,
00:24:14.58\00:24:16.28
that would be good to know.
00:24:16.28\00:24:17.99
If you and I
were created by God,
00:24:17.99\00:24:19.99
that matters, but
the shape of the earth,
00:24:19.99\00:24:22.79
it doesn't matter.
00:24:22.79\00:24:23.93
It doesn't affect my life today.
00:24:23.93\00:24:25.83
For 99.9% of people,
00:24:25.83\00:24:28.23
it doesn't make a
lick of difference.
00:24:28.23\00:24:30.10
And by wasting your
time on foolishness,
00:24:30.10\00:24:32.80
you may well be playing
the role of the servant girl,
00:24:32.80\00:24:35.57
casting shade on
real Christianity.
00:24:35.57\00:24:39.07
Most of the conspiracy theories
00:24:39.07\00:24:40.71
that circulate in churches,
00:24:40.71\00:24:42.01
remind me of
the advice Paul gave
00:24:42.01\00:24:44.21
to a budding young
preacher named Timothy.
00:24:44.21\00:24:46.82
And he says this in,
1 Timothy 1, he says,
00:24:46.82\00:24:50.05
as I urged you, when
I went into Macedonia
00:24:50.05\00:24:52.99
remain an Ephesus
that you may charge some
00:24:52.99\00:24:55.99
that they teach
no other doctrine
00:24:55.99\00:24:58.19
nor give heed to fables
and endless genealogies,
00:24:58.19\00:25:00.90
which cause disputes
rather than godly edification,
00:25:00.90\00:25:04.10
which is in faith.
00:25:04.10\00:25:05.77
A apparently the
spinning of fables
00:25:05.77\00:25:07.44
was already a
problem in the early church.
00:25:07.44\00:25:10.27
People were engaged in
pointless stories and disputes
00:25:10.27\00:25:13.21
and in the process,
00:25:13.21\00:25:14.74
they were experiencing
the tragedy of mission drift,
00:25:14.74\00:25:17.75
where they were
no longer focused
00:25:17.75\00:25:19.28
on the real message of Christ.
00:25:19.28\00:25:21.45
I guess on the one hand,
00:25:21.45\00:25:22.95
it makes me feel better
about what happens today,
00:25:22.95\00:25:24.89
because it's been
going on for long time.
00:25:24.89\00:25:27.82
But on the other hand,
00:25:27.82\00:25:29.32
I've gotta believe that the
apostle was frustrated, okay?
00:25:29.32\00:25:32.99
Time for one last break,
00:25:32.99\00:25:34.36
and then we'll wrap this up.
00:25:34.36\00:25:35.86
- [Narrator] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:25:37.60\00:25:40.00
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:25:40.00\00:25:43.37
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:25:43.37\00:25:45.84
It's our guide to
a more filling life.
00:25:45.84\00:25:48.94
Here at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:25:48.94\00:25:50.48
we've created the
Discover Bible Guides
00:25:50.48\00:25:52.61
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:25:52.61\00:25:54.22
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use
00:25:54.22\00:25:56.69
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions.
00:25:56.69\00:25:59.72
And they're absolutely free.
00:25:59.72\00:26:01.76
So jump online
now, or give us a call
00:26:01.76\00:26:04.09
and start your
journey of discovery.
00:26:04.09\00:26:06.56
- Back in the earliest
days of the Christian Church,
00:26:09.23\00:26:11.77
there were believers
00:26:11.77\00:26:12.93
who started to
blend the teachings
00:26:12.93\00:26:14.70
of the pagan mystery schools
00:26:14.70\00:26:16.60
with the teachings of Jesus.
00:26:16.60\00:26:18.91
Today we call 'em the gnastics
00:26:18.91\00:26:20.71
a word based on the Greek
word for knowledge, gnosis.
00:26:20.71\00:26:24.05
And the basic idea was this,
00:26:24.05\00:26:25.98
it's a special group,
00:26:25.98\00:26:27.18
the enlightened ones
who had secret knowledge
00:26:27.18\00:26:29.05
that nobody else had.
00:26:29.05\00:26:31.05
And of course
that was very appealing
00:26:31.05\00:26:32.59
because who doesn't wanna be
00:26:32.59\00:26:34.32
part of the intellectual elite?
00:26:34.32\00:26:36.79
The problem was
their system of belief,
00:26:36.79\00:26:38.93
completely distorted
the teachings of the gospel.
00:26:38.93\00:26:42.53
And unfortunately the
same thing still happens today.
00:26:42.53\00:26:45.43
I think sometimes people
just want to feel important.
00:26:45.43\00:26:49.47
They want to feel special.
00:26:49.47\00:26:51.04
And when they get the
idea that they're the only ones
00:26:51.04\00:26:53.94
who understand the
real nature of the world,
00:26:53.94\00:26:57.08
that they're the only ones
00:26:57.08\00:26:58.75
who can really
see what's going on.
00:26:58.75\00:27:01.42
Well, that can be a
little bit intoxicated,
00:27:01.42\00:27:04.62
but the problem is this.
00:27:04.62\00:27:06.59
It's not the
message of this book,
00:27:06.59\00:27:09.46
conspiracy theorists
like to preach things
00:27:09.46\00:27:11.26
nobody could possibly know.
00:27:11.26\00:27:12.93
You could just never prove them.
00:27:12.93\00:27:15.16
They have a
message about what people
00:27:15.16\00:27:16.87
supposedly do out
there, somewhere in secret.
00:27:16.87\00:27:20.00
And there's never any evidence,
00:27:20.00\00:27:21.67
never any real proof,
00:27:21.67\00:27:23.47
just whispers in the dark
00:27:23.47\00:27:25.07
and anybody who dares to
disagree with these folks
00:27:25.07\00:27:27.98
gets written off as a shield
00:27:27.98\00:27:29.38
for the shadow government
00:27:29.38\00:27:30.75
or some other
secret organization.
00:27:30.75\00:27:34.48
It's a pointless discussion
00:27:34.48\00:27:36.85
and it has
nothing, nothing to do
00:27:36.85\00:27:40.09
with what it means to
live an authentic human life.
00:27:40.09\00:27:42.82
Listen, let me just
say this as I wrap up.
00:27:44.16\00:27:46.63
The message of the
Bible is profound enough,
00:27:46.63\00:27:48.40
it doesn't need our help
00:27:48.40\00:27:50.67
and maybe it's
time to pick it up,
00:27:50.67\00:27:52.47
especially if you
claim to be a believer
00:27:52.47\00:27:54.50
and read it and see
what it actually says.
00:27:54.50\00:27:58.47
God doesn't
need us to add to it.
00:27:58.47\00:28:00.81
This book gives
you everything you need
00:28:00.81\00:28:02.94
for an authentic life.
00:28:02.94\00:28:04.45
Thank you for joining me.
00:28:04.45\00:28:05.31
I'm Shawn Boonstra.
00:28:05.31\00:28:06.45
This has been authentic.
00:28:06.45\00:28:09.05
[upbeat music]
00:28:09.05\00:28:11.62