In an article in Evangelical Times entitled ‘Urban Myths (or should we call them lies?)’ Stephen Rees has no trouble in identifying a number of beliefs that are widely assumed to be true, and yet for which there is little or no supporting evidence:

• ‘Dogs can only see in black and white.’
• ‘It would be possible to see the Great Wall of China from the moon with the naked eye.’
• ‘Only two people in the world are allowed to know the formula for Coca-Cola.’
• ‘In the Middle Ages, a man was permitted by law to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb – hence the expression ‘rule of thumb”.’

We all have a tendency to believe things because we want to believe them, not because there is much reason to suppose tha they are true.  Christians are by no means exempt from such gullibility.  They will believe, and pass on, stories whose truthfulness simply cannot be tested: something happened to ‘someone, somewhere’ – an extraordinary miracle, an army of protecting angels, a communion service where water turned into wine.

Some of the most celebrated ‘urban myths’ perpetuated by Christians include the notions that:

• NASA scientists discovered Joshua’s ‘long day’.
• Charles Darwin was converted on his death bed and renounced evolution.
• There is a gate in the wall of Jerusalem that is so narrow that a camel could barely get through it.  It was called ‘the eye of a needle’.
• Men have one less rib than women.

Stephen Rees goes on to say that what often passes for ‘faith’ today is mere wishful thinking.  Real faith is not belief despite evidence, but rather belief that follows the evidence wherever it leads.  The belief that there will be a future day of judgement is supported by the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31).  And that resurrection is itself attested by numerous eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:5-8).

Peter insists that his faith and teaching are based squarely on what he had seen with his own eyes (2 Pet 1:16-18).  The Jews of Berea rightly would not believe just on someone else’s sayso.  Rather, the ‘searched the Scriptures’ for themselves in order to very the things they had been told (Acts 17:11).

Truth matters.  To pass on a miracle-story without due consideration of its truthfulness is misleading and unhelpful.  Worse, it misrepresents God and brings the gospel into disrepute.  To repeat a scurrilous story about a Christian teacher or leader without being sure of its accuracy.  To be willing to tarnish the reputations of Christian scholars simply because they are not card-carrying evangelicals like us (Stephen Rees cites the distinguished New Testament scholars Westcott and Hort as having suffered in this regard) is a clear breach of the 9th Commandment.

Stephen Rees concludes with a reference to Psalm 24:3-4 –

‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully…’