Is This a Hoax?

I recently wrote about Hattie May Wiatt, a little girl from the 1800s whose gift of 57 cents inspired the building of a large church, a hospital, and a university. Someone had emailed Hattie's story to me, and when I read it, I assumed it was a hoax. Amazingly to me--except for a few details apparently added to make the story sound flashier--Hattie's story is true.

Sadly, there are a lot of hoaxes on the Internet that were created to get Christians hot under the collar. An evangelical publication recently fell for one of them, printing a story that Pepsi had designed a soda can with most of the Pledge of Allegiance written on it, minus the words "under God." The publication printed a retraction.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time a hoax was printed by a reputable source. There was widespread concern a few years back that Harry Potter books had caused an increase in Satanism. Several publications wrote stories about it, then found out this rumor started from a parody piece in The Onion, a satirical newspaper.

The Evangelical Press Association sent me a list of tips for journalists on how to check the validity of a story. I think the following are great tips for any reader. Before you forward that shocking email about a scandal that could rock the church, try this:
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1) If the story sounds "too good to be true," it probably is. Be skeptical and required proof.

2) Check with popular urban legend Web sites to see if your story has already been investigated and proven false. Here are two good sites:

http://www.snopes.com/

http://www.truthorfiction.com/

If nothing is listed on those sites, next you can:

3) Do your own reporting and find independent verification of the story. In the case of the Pepsi story, a sample of the Pepsi can in question would have been a good piece of evidence. (Hint: a second copy of the same bogus email promoting the story doesn't count as independent verification.)

4) Make a solid effort to contact the supposedly guilty party. In this case, a member of Pepsi's army of PR folks would probably have been happy to set the record straight. Most big companies are happy to head off negative publicity before it's printed.
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This is something anyone can--and should--do before forwarding an email of concern. Most manufacturers and organizations have online comment forms where you can instantly send your questions and concerns. It's much better to wait a few days to get verification than to forward an email and get a ton of angry replies from your friends saying, "This is just an urban legend!" Or worse, you might freak someone out over a hoax.

Nearly a decade ago, a well-intentioned friend sent me an email warning that AIDS-infected blood was being injected into people at movie theaters while they viewed the film. For years, I felt stressed out every time I'd go to a cinema. I was thrilled to find Snopes.com says, "It just aint so."

In an age when news travels as fast as the click of the "Send" button, everyone is like a journalist. You may not have the reputation or audience of Barbara Walters, but you do have the deep trust of your family and friends.

I'm (Not) Always Right

"On the contrary, in the devil’s theology, the important thing is to be absolutely right and to prove that everybody else is absolutely wrong. This does not exactly make for peace and unity among men, because it means that everyone wants to be absolutely right himself or to attach himself to another who is absolutely right. And in order to prove their rightness they have to punish and eliminate those who are wrong, in turn, convinced that they are right … "

--From Thomas Merton's New Seeds of Contemplation

A friend sent me the above quote this week. It reminded me of an incident in high school, which I wrote about for Campus Life magazine some years ago. For your amusement, here's a bit of the story I wrote:
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In high school, I was always right. At least, that's how I saw myself. I was a good debater, and I loved to argue. I'd pick verbal fights with other students, with teachers and my parents. I even started a debate club at my high school just so I could participate in organized arguments. It never mattered what the topic was, or whether I was arguing for or against something. I just wanted to be right. I just wanted to win.

Mr. Tennant wanted to teach me a lesson. He taught government, which was my favorite class because we spent most of the time debating. Each week, he'd assign a debate topic to two students. Each week, I'd volunteer to debate. And every time I got to debate, I'd win.

One week, Mr. Tennant didn't ask for volunteers. "Holly and Tom, you're up. You'll debate on the right to free speech. Tom, you'll speak in favor of free speech. Holly, you're con."

As we began to debate, it quickly became clear that my arguments sounded way better than Tom's. Sounded. I knew I was twisting the truth and saying things that were just plain wrong. But what did it matter? My classmates were nodding their heads in agreement with me. I was going to win!

Then suddenly, Mr. Tennant stopped the debate. He proceeded to tell the class how wrong I was. I was furious. After class, I stomped up to Mr. Tennant's desk. "Why did you stop me? I should have won! I deserved to win!"

My teacher looked me in the eye and said something I'll never forget: "Yes, you did deserve to win, Holly. But I needed to show you there's a difference between convincing others you're right, and speaking the truth. You have a big voice. The question is: How are you going to use that voice?"

As I listened to his words, I felt a flood of mixed emotions. I still felt cheated of my victory. And it still seemed terribly unfair at that moment. But I knew my teacher was "speaking the truth."
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I've been thinking about Thomas Merton's quote and my experience in that high-school classroom debate. These days, I don't concern myself with being absolutely right. I've come to realize there's a lot I don't know, much I haven't personally experienced, and some things I'll never understand. That realization has a fear attached: What if I'm absolutely wrong?

It's a pretty big fear, especially when people tell me they expect me to be right. As a journalist, I've long been expected to know a lot about current events and to fully check the accuracy of my sources, data, and quotes. As a Christian who writes about the church, there are expectations that I should write honestly and critically, as well as with a gentleness that reflects God's love. I think my fears about writing are a microcosm of what every Christian experiences in living a Christ-centered life: How can I explain my faith to my friends without appearing superior or hypocritical? What if I misquote the Bible or get the context of a verse wrong? Does God want me to speak out, or does he want me to keep my trap shut?

And, as we've all experienced, when we share our thoughts, opinions and critiques about anything, there will always be plenty of people who don't agree. That fear has stopped me from sharing my faith a few times. I feel that fear creeping up almost every time I write on this blog.

Wonderfully enough, my friend also sent me this quote from Thomas Merton:

"If a writer is so cautious that he never writes anything that cannot be criticized, he will never write anything that can be read. If you want to help other people you have got to make up your mind to write things that some men will condemn. ... If you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy. If you write for men--you may make some money and you may give someone a little joy and you may make a noise in the world, for a little while. If you write only for yourself you can read what you yourself have written and after ten minutes you will be so disgusted you will wish that you were dead."

Together, these two quotes provide me with a couple simple truths: 1) God can use my voice, but only if 2) I can keep focused on him--not on myself or other people.

Please pray for me this week as I'm reflecting on Paul's words to Timothy:

"So I ask you to make full use of the gift that God gave you when I placed my hands on you. Use it well. God's Spirit doesn't make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:6-7, CEV).

To ponder:
1) Do you struggle with wanting to be absolutely right? Is it difficult to listen to other people's thoughts and opinions? Do you sometimes stop friends and family members before you've heard them out?

2) Do you often fear you're absolutely wrong? Do you sometimes tell people you agree with them just to avoid conflict? Are you afraid to share your beliefs due to this fear?

Bless Me

Ugh, I've been sick with a cold this week. In my illness haze, seems I inadvertently posted something I was still working on. So, for those who recently read a partially written post on H-n-T and wondered, "Where's the rest?" I wanted to offer this assurance: It's a-coming. As soon as my nose and head are clear.

While I'm writing, I'd like to remind you all that you can subscribe to H-n-T for FREE! New posts are automatically sent to the email address of your choice. Just type your email address into the subscribe form at the right, and you're set. You'll get no spam from me--only the H-n-T posts. And you can easily unsubscribe at any time.

Breaking Up the Christian Party

Holly's latest blog entry on Today's Christian Woman magazine's website is now up:

Breaking Up the Christian Party
There's no single opinion that defines all Christians

Check it out, then visit H-n-T again for more thoughts on the New Sanctuary Movement. (Coming soon!)

The REAL Story of 57 Cents

I recently read a spam email, one of those tear-jerkers that sounds way too compelling to be true. As I read, I assumed it was a cooked-up tale. It was too sweet, with too many tender details, colorful language, and references to specific buildings and locations. I deleted it and was about to continue on with my day. But something stopped me. I'd been moved by the story. So I felt compelled to prove it was just Internet fiction: I didn't want to feel good based on something false.

Within minutes, I discovered the spam was based on a true story. Hattie May Wiatt, pictured right, was a young Philadelphia girl in the late 1800s. She'd gone to Sunday school one week and was dismayed to be turned away at the door, as the church was too crowded. (It was so crowded, parishioners had to request tickets weeks in advance for the Sunday sermon.) Hattie waited outside the Sunday school building, hoping she'd be able to get in later. The pastor happened to spot her waiting outside. He took her inside and told Hattie the church would soon buy a building big enough to hold everyone who wanted to come. Then she'd never be turned away again. The pastor knew the church already had a large mortgage and couldn't possibly afford a larger building at that time. But it seemed like a good dream to share with the child.

Soon after, Hattie took ill. She died in 1886, leaving behind 57 cents she'd saved to contribute to her church's "building fund." The pastor was so moved, he had her offering changed into pennies, and asked church members to buy them. Members did buy the pennies, turning Hattie's 57 cents into about $250. Additionally, 54 of those pennies were returned to the church. There's much more to the story, but essentially, the gift of 57 cents from a child turned into a large church, a hospital, and a university. (Read Hattie's story in a sermon given by Temple University founder Russell H. Conwell, the pastor who carried her into the overcrowded Sunday school.)

I felt so sad: I'd almost missed out on being inspired by Hattie May Wiatt. All because someone thought Hattie's story would be more interesting, more forwardable, if a few spicy details were added. The little girl's story never needed any embellishment.

I've heard some folks say they don't have a testimony. Seems they feel their own faith stories aren't interesting or compelling or emotive enough. And I think to myself, If only we all knew how God is using us! If only we could see the big picture--would we tell our stories more? Would I talk about the times I was feeling sad or alone, then felt a breeze brush my cheek and knew God cared about me? Would I share how a stranger's smile encouraged me, or how a kind word from a friend pulled me out of a funk?

As a writer, I've often been tempted to embellish a story, or to leave something out to make it read easier. And then I remember: There is a purpose for the specifics of each life story. God is in the details. I wonder if my sister Angela knows the music CD she gave me when she was only 12 convinced me I needed to give Christianity another chance. Or if my friend Penny knows her positive attitude was a major reason for my decision to become a Christian. Such little actions made all the difference in my life. From Russell H. Conwell's sermon about Hattie:

"Though you may think your life is humble, unknown, hidden, yet God sees all, and your life has probably just as great an influence for the uplift of mankind and the progress of His kingdom as has been the life of those who are seemingly great, seemingly famous in this world. There is no difference before God. The humblest of His Christian servants is doing just as much for His kingdom, when waiting, or doing faithfully their little duty."

To ponder:
1) What are the important stories of your life? What tiny moment made a huge impact on you?

2) Do you ever feel like your testimonies don't measure up? What are you comparing your stories with? What are your reasons for comparing?

3) Make an effort this week to tell others how their actions positively affected you.

Christian Doctors Tell of Miraculous Healings

“The Holy Spirit told me to ‘turn around and pray for that man.’ ... I prayed, ‘Lord, Father; how am I going to pray for this man? He’s dead. What can I do?’ All of a sudden, these words came out of my mouth, ‘Father, God, I cry out for the soul of this man if he does not know You as his Lord and Savior, please raise him from the dead right now in Jesus name. A couple minutes later, we were looking at the monitor and all of a sudden a heart beat showed up."

--Dr. Chauncey W. Crandall IV, a heart specialist who spoke at the Fourth Annual World Christian Doctors Network (WCDN) Conference in Miami, Florida, last Friday. At the conference, Christian physicians reported cases where they believe divine healing occurred, presenting medical evidence such as patient history and test results in front of their colleagues.

Full story:
Famed heart doctor tells the dramatic story of how a patient of his was ‘raised from the dead’ after prayer

To ponder:
1) Do you believe divine healing occurs today?

2) The WCDN website notes that in spite of extensive medical evidence, there will always be people who doubt divine healing has occurred. Why is it difficult for people to believe in divine healing?

3) When someone is healed through conventional means (medicine/medical care, surgery, change of lifestyle), do you think God's role is downplayed?

4) Why do we differentiate between "conventional" healing and "divine" healing?

Hell Hath No Fury: Boy Rejected By School Over Surname

"It's Hell. That's our name, it's our heritage."

--Alex Hell, who alleges his five-year-old son, Max, was denied admission to a Catholic school in Australia because of their surname. School officials now say Max is welcome to attend, but the Hell family says this change of heart was due to media attention, and they will decline the school's invitation.

Full story:

School 'rejects boy called Hell'

If Cleanliness is Next to Godliness, I'm in Big Trouble

My late grandmother probably wouldn't be proud of me. She was the kind of woman who vacuumed and dusted daily. She would get on her hands and knees and use a scrub brush to get her floors sparkling clean.

I'm the kind of gal who vacuums and dusts only when company's coming. I use a Black & Decker battery-powered scrubber to clean my shower, but only after a healthy dousing of Scrubbing Bubbles.

I'd like my home to be spotless. I just don't want to exert the energy required to clean it. I spend big bucks on the latest cleaning sprays that are supposed to instantly, effortlessly dissolve gunk and goo. But most of the time, I find I'm just out another $6, and I still have to scour 'til my fingers go numb.

My mom can get things really clean, but her secret--elbow grease--doesn't do me much good. So I've been reading a lot of home magazines and websites lately. I recently got a hot tip online, and miraculously, it really works. Natch, I had to share it.

Cleaning Stovetop Burner Grates
Most folks I know clean the burner grates on their stove with powder cleanser, a scrubbing pad or brush, and a lot of effort. I, um, don't clean mine. Until now. If you clean your oven regularly, you can put the burner grates inside the oven and spray with oven cleaner. But if you're like me--meaning you clean your oven, um, never--try this:

1) Place one burner grate in a plastic zip-lock bag.

2) Spray oven cleaner into bag, saturating grate. (You also could use ammonia instead of oven cleaner.)

3) Close bag; place bag in oven (so as not to get your kitchen all fumy) and let it sit overnight.

4) The next day, remove grate from bag. Scrub off gunk with a pad or brush (it should come off very easily) and rinse in warm water.

Yay--easy! My stove top is pretty again, with minimal effort. Just don't look inside my oven.