GOLDFISH IN A BOWL

Have we seen a “GOLDFISH IN A BOWL?” It looks beautiful to us from the outside. The goldfish itself seems to be enjoying it very much. Food is given to it, from time to time. Fresh water is filled in the bowl at regular intervals. The bowl itself if washed clean at the scheduled time. There are no dangers lurking anywhere in the bowl. There is no fear of being attacked by any predatory fish. What more can a “fish” ask for? It is a perfect world, isn’t it? Everything is great! Everyone is happy! Is this not what a perfect “world” looks like? This is how many people in this world want to live – like a “GOLDFISH IN A BOWL.” Sadly, most of such friends are Christians. We are either blissfully ignorant and unaware; or have buried our heads in the sand, because the truth out there is uncomfortable and messy; or we believe that the “GOLD FISH IN THE BOWL” syndrome is the reality, and it is the indisputable truth.

We have become so accustomed to being spoon fed the facts and figures that, we stopped using our capacity to critically and dispassionately analyse anything and everything that is dished out to us. We have willingly made ourselves so pliable that, we are unable to discern what are the real facts, and what are the lies and the propaganda. We are falling to the propaganda with our eyes tightly shut, thinking we are bright and brilliant, and that no one can deceive us. Or, we believe the source of such propaganda so blindly and so fully that, we don’t see the need to critically analyse and verify the facts from the fiction. We have not realised that we have already fallen hook, line and sinker to the propaganda. How could we even possibly think on such a line, when we have volitionally and happily switched off our ability to carefully and critically observe, analyse and then conclude? 

We don’t ask questions anymore. We don’t want to examine what is being told to us critically. We have become worse than “tiny tots” in using our God given intellectual capacity. “For the past decade, we’ve been living in what many scholars and cultural observers call the “post-truth” age. The Oxford Dictionary – which named “post-truth” its word of the year in 2016 – defines this term as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” says Joe Carter in his article “How Christians Can Fight the War on Lies” – this article is worth reading.

People sold wars to the world as the good and the right thing to do. Religion, Bible and God were employed to do their bidding. We have swallowed it – the whole log, unquestioningly. Sadly we are still swallowing the same old stories. It feels painfully sad to say – that makes me an idiot – and certainly not an intelligent being, that we are capable of. We are given the ability to think, by God, and we don’t seem to put that ability to any good use, like the servant who received one talent, who buried it in the ground.
– “While skepticism toward truth claims is nothing new, the past two decades have been distinguished by several factors that amplify the post-truth phenomenon. Social media’s rise has created echo chambers where misinformation can spread rapidly and unchecked. The decline in the influence of traditional information gatekeepers—such as established media outlets, universities, and religious institutions—has led to a fragmentation of shared narratives. And the increasing polarization of society has made many people more likely to accept information that confirms their existing beliefs, regardless of its factual basis.” – Joe Carter

God help us from being deceived. If we don’t learn our lessons, then we will be deceived again, and again, and again. “If someone fools you for the first time, it is their mistake. If someone fools you for the second time, it is your mistake” is the old English proverb. Allow me to add – If someone fools us the next time, and the next time – it simply means, we are utterly incapable to learn the lesson, nor discern that, we are being fooled – may be because we are one.

May the LORD help us and open our eyes, ears and minds to see the truth, to catch the lies and to discern the propaganda from facts.
– “21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:21
– “1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” – 1 John 4:1
– “8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8-9 

Even so, the LORD help us.