Hoaxes
and Urban Legends
Is
that email you just received true or false?
During the recent terrorist attacks, many emails were received that were
obviously false, even though they may have seemed to be genuine. There are
several websites that investigate the truth of rumours and report on their
accuracy (or otherwise).
It is wise to check the truth of that email you received BEFORE forwarding it
on!
Some useful sites include
TruthOrFiction
TruthOrFiction.com
is a web site where Internet users can quickly and easily get information about
eRumours, warnings, offers, requests for help, and humorous or inspirational
stories that are circulated by email.
The site is run by Rich Buhler, a broadcaster,
speaker, author, producer and ordained minister who has researched and written
about rumours and urban legends for more than 30 years. He founded
TruthOrFiction.com in 1998 to provide Internet users with a quick and easy way
to check out the accuracy of forwarded emails.
Urban
Myths within the Christian Community
False rumours that are repeated bring discredit to our
faith. This is even more
pronounced when they relate to Christian matters.
Focus on the
Family has reported on some key false rumours:
Petition 2493 relates to a
supposed petition being run by Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the founder of the atheist
movement in the USA, to outlaw religious broadcasting.
This is FALSE - the
latest email rumour has Dr James Dobson calling for Christians to
circulate the message and take action. For a start, she was murdered in
1995!
Read the true story of this
rumour - and various others circulating in the Christian
community.... click here.
This
site recommends Truth or Fiction (noted above!) which has reports on
the following rumours... Procter and
Gamble (satanism), Janet Reno (cults); Liz Claiborne (occult) etc.
Snopes
This secular site also has information
about rumours and on a wide range of topics.
Background
Information
Read the
article "How Urban Legends Work"
The HowStuffWorks site provides an article describing urban legends, their history, how
they are spread, and how people spread them using the Internet.
Author: Jenny Stokes | Modified: 12 December 2006 |
