Forwarded e-mails and personal integrity

Over the last many years there has been a major collision in my soul between a life centered around scripture and the role that e-mail plays in staying connected with friends and family.

First part causing this collision is the instructions from scripture about loving our enemies – which has come to mean, in our present political and social culture, as anyone different than us … politically, socially, economically, culturally – along with that portion of the 10 Commandments which directs us not to bear false witness.

Secondly, are the ever growing number of “forwarded” e-mails beyond the jokes and the funny stories, as well as number of inspirational messages that are continually being shared. Maybe it is just me, but I think I know what eternal life is all about. Just place yourself into a forwarded e-mail and you will live forever … as a number of messages continue to pop-up in my in box bear testimony to that reality.

During a presidential campaign e-mails started to become mean spirited … passing on half-truths, out-n-out lies and complete myths … i.e. bearing false witness. But, the subject matter is not limited to those holding or running for political office as testified by an e-mail yesterday that accused the United Kingdom of banning the teaching of the Holocaust in its schools. A simple check with snopes.com (or any other internet site committed to discovering the truths behind urban legends) would have quickly given the sender enough information to prove that this particular e-mail was not accurate. The first clue should have been the subject line which read, “I hope that this isn’t true …” It would have taken the sender less time to discover the truth behind the message than it did for him to send it.

Some times the message is a good one such as a recent prayer for our nation. But along the way somebody felt that the prayer would have more appeal if it was attributed to Billy Graham or Paul Harvey or a few other noted individuals. With the internet we can add or delete any information we want without having to take credit for it. The bottom line is that this is simply wrong.

My approach is usually to check out the facts of any message and share what I have found with the sender. The other approach that I have taken is that if “those” kind of tainted e-mails continue I share my witness of not desiring to bear false witness against another and request that they honor my wishes and not forward any more e-mails of that kind. I want to stay in contact with my friends and family, but I have no desire to read the latest internet gossip.

As one relative, who continues to send me political urban legends even after I have made numerous requests for him not to send any more, stated that he is going to continue sending them – even when I told him that his e-mail address has been tagged so that his stuff goes directly to the delete files – until “I see the light of my errors in my political thinking.” (Check my May 1, 2010 blog titled: “Is Liberal a Vulgar Word?”)

We can begin to hind behind the ease with which e-mails can be created, sent and believed thus resulting in an overall fear creating a modern day witch hunt that will make Salem look like a walk in the park. Just look at the hysteria surrounding the issues raised by the so called “birthers” who do not believe that President Obama was born in the United States. This hysteria is being fueled by e-mails that simple have taken on a life of their own. We live in a free country and thus, everyone has the privilege to believe whatever they wish to believe, but at what point do we stand-up and say, “No more! Stop the madness which is creating the fear that some enemy is poised at our borders ready to destroy us tomorrow.”

We can chose to live in fear or we can chose to live in hope. The choice is ours. Either God is in charge or he isn’t. While I do not want to be naïve, on the other hand I do not wish to live in fear … because if I have to live in fear than what ever enemy might be out there has already won. How many surrenders have taken place in the heat of battle because the soldiers and those in charge were over taken by fear?

Maybe the time has arrived for us to request only personal information be sent via e-mail. No more forwarded message – regardless how cute, clever, inspiring, meaningful the e-mail might be. I joined facebook to stay connected with my family and friends, not to build a “family tree” or play “Farmville” or rate somebody or something or to express my opinion on a political issue via a “yes” or “no” …

What do you think? Do you pass on the majority of the e-mails that you receive? Do you take the time to investigate via snopes.com to see if the facts are correct? Do you even care, especially when the e-mail enforces or supports your political and/or cultural bias? What part does personal integrity play in this whole concept?

Quote for today: So live that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip. Will Rogers.