President Donald Trump has been given credit for coining the term “fake news.”  At his first press conference as President-elect he pointed at CNN’s Senior White House Correspondent for CNN, Jim Acosta and said, “You are fake news!”

Is news fake? Sometimes.  There is no question that fake news has been used for political, and economic gain for centuries.  Currently with the rise of social media, fake news has moved into the fast lane.

Although the internet is an advantageous tool, and even though social media can be an enjoyable pastime, the user needs to continually be aware of the dangers involved.   Fake news is influential.  It has been reported that 62% of Americans use the social networks as a source of news and 44% primarily use Facebook.  People tend to believe what they read without taking the time to see if the source is viable.  And, this is becoming increasingly difficult because even the so called fact-checking organizations are suspect due to their political bias.

This is true in the religious world as well.   There is a lot of “fake news.”  While we are sharing the good news with the world others are sharing “another gospel.”  Unfortunately many believe everything they hear and read.  It is essential that Christians know the Truth in the midst of error.  It is just as essential that Christians be able to articulate the Truth to those who are confused by error.

Lesson Objective:  In this lesson we will explore the problem of “fake news” viz. “the other gospel.”  By the end of the lesson the student should have an understanding of the difference between the Truth and the false and know how to discern error when it is heard or read.