A lot of folks are concerned about propaganda being spread regarding the war in Ukraine. Well, the definition of propaganda is, "ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause," (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed). It deals with agenda, not necessarily the truth of a matter—and not necessarily the agenda of the one forwarding the information: one can spread propaganda without intending to be a propagandizer. The fact is that social media has made it easy for well-meaning but ill-informed folks to forward stories about Ukraine that may or may not be entirely true, and photos or videos that may or may not be associated with this war at all—is it propaganda? Not all, but surely some of it would fit this definition.
I was reminded lately of an e-mail that was forwarded to me some years ago by another Christian; and although I know they meant it to encourage, the story it told was entirely false: someone had found Joshua's "lost day."
The report was said to be recently related by a Mr. Harold Hill, supposed president of the Curtis Engine Company in Baltimore, Maryland, and consultant for the NASA space program. While performing routine date calculations to determine potential satellite orbits, NASA's computer suddenly failed; the failure was found to be due to a day apparently missing. Not to worry; an employee that was a Christian provided the data needed to account for the error: 23 hours and 20 minutes (about a day) from Joshua chapter 10, plus another 40 minutes (10 degrees) from 2 Kings 20—all told, twenty-four hours, or a full day.
It turned out that the story was anything but recent: I got the e-mail in 1998, but it had been circulating before 1970—almost 30 years! Several publications have been named as its source, including many church's bulletins and several newspapers (in different states). After an article was published in the "Bible-Science Newsletter" in April of 1970, several readers wrote to Mr. Hill, in care of the Curtis Engine Company in Baltimore, Maryland; but the letters were returned stating that there was no such company in Baltimore. Another article was written in the July 1989 issue of the "Bible-Science Newsletter" referencing the previous article, stating that eventually some did receive a response: a form letter from Mr. Hill stating that he did not write the original article. Apparently one reader was able to personally contact Mr. Hill, and found that Hill disavowed the article as written, and could not remember where he received the information the article was based upon. The same "Bible-Science Newsletter" reports that the NASA office in question knew nothing of Mr. Hill, and were unable to corroborate the "missing day" story. The entire sordid saga is covered in an article still available in "Reason & Revelation," May, 1991.
Sadly, the premise upon which the tale was based (the computer "finding" a day to be missing) is not technically possible. Not only would we have to have accurate data concerning both the date and the hour of (preferably) several astronomical occurrences, both before and after Joshua's battle and Hezekiah's sign from the Lord; we would have to have a reliable way to correspond the calendar and clock of the peoples recording the event to our own—and we simply do not have this data available. Nor would NASA use it, even if it were available, to track potential satellite orbits.
Consider this, brethren: when a story today regarding Ukraine is revealed as false or hyperbole, it undermines the cause of the Ukrainian people. The same is true of any unreliable story we pass along—such as the "NASA discovers Joshua's lost day" account—regardless of how well-meaning we may be. Christians lose credibility in the eyes of the unbeliever, and God's name is subject to blasphemy, Rom 2:24.
Propaganda is often based in exaggeration or lies—but not always. If I understand the definition, the key is that what is said is "spread deliberately to further ones cause or to damage an opposing cause." If we are going to be accused of spreading propaganda, let it be for spreading the truth in the cause of Christ in our war against Satan. If we want to support God's word with extra-biblical information, use the vast amount of real evidence available: scientific, archeological, bibliographical, etc… But, remember, it is the gospel that is the power of God for salvation, Rom 1:16,17.
