Annoying things

Something has been bugging me alot lately. Its the lack of thought that goes into peoples comments and speech these days. There is no common sense. I don't know if its the times we are living in, which I'm sure does play a big part, or if the fact that people can google everything, or just ask someone else to tell them the answer, is causing alot of it too. For instance, so many people ask questions in some of my facebook groups that the answer could have been quickly found just by a 5-10 second google search. But instead they ask in a group and then have to wait 10 minutes to an hour or more to get an answer. Sometimes it is nice to get other peoples opinions on things, but for factual things, a 5 second google search can get me most of the facts I need to make a decision many times.

Another thing that bugs me no end, is when in certain settings, people will say things like, "you didnt go to school for that, so you don't know what you're talking about." "What school did you go to to find the answer, google U.?"  What they fail to realize many times, is that Google is a search engine. Its a modern version of a card index in the library, which has actually been replaced by the computer anyway. Its like the index of the old hard copy encyclopedias. If you want to do some research, most people these days don't need to head to the library or pull out the encyclopedia. They can just use their smart phone, their tablet or ipad, computer or laptop and use any number of search engines and find the answer to almost anything they want to, as well as any false information that anyone in the world has put there. The same is for the library. Almost anyone can write a book or pamphlet and publish it. So, either way, the information has to be weeded through to find credible sources and factual information without alot of fiction among it.

Finally, the last thing that has really been annoying me lately, is the lack of checking whether things are true or not before they are repeated to others. This happens alot, especially on social media where all it takes is a click of a button to share someone elses post to hundreds more people. Now, this may not seem that bad, and it isn't always, but things like amber alerts of people who have already been found, or information passed out by fake news sites can cause problems. For example, an amber alert is an urgent message for people to keep an eye out for a missing child. Now, if the child has already been found and its noted on the alert, but not on the link of the post someone shares, than that post takes away from new amber alerts of children that havent been found yet. Information from fake news sites that don't report accurate infomartion, or are biased in a certain way, causes division unneccessarily and just causes people to fight among themselves or blame people for things they may not be at fault for, or even never were involved in. Half truths are not truths at all.

As Christians we are called to honesty, integrity, and truth. If we fail to check our facts, may pass on something that isn't true, even if it is unknowingly. But we should do all in our power to pass on only truth. It only takes a few seconds to check the comments, to google information about the things we share and to verify a few facts before we pass along ours or someone elses post. And use the brain God gave you to think before you blindly comment on something. Sometimes, all it takes is a few minutes of thought to see that the article someone shared is not completely true or that something someone said doesnt' make sense based on evidence.

And last of all, in regards to spiritual things, if it contradicts God's Word, forget about it. Its not worth your time. Except to help someone see whats true rather than what they may be sharing in error. Basically, share the truth, and not the error, don't meditate on falsehood, but rather contemplate and hold to what is true.

Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."