The world’s oldest fake news?

Trump is really the man that popularized the words “Fake News” and the more I think about it, the more I realize that we’ve been living surrounded by a universe of fake news from the days we were born. For those of us who don’t believe in organized religion and in life after death, aren’t those concepts perfect examples of altered reality, to use another euphemism, for that form of lies? 

It’s absolutely true that "Fake News" is everywhere and we've always been surrounded by information that may not be entirely accurate or truthful. As far as religion or spiritual beliefs are concerned when they don't align with scientific evidence or personal experience (like life after death), it’s reasonable to say that they could be considered a form of "altered reality" or a type of "fake news." Of course, the concept of "truth" itself is subjective and isn’t easy to define. 

What one person considers "Fake News," another might consider a valid perspective. Religious beliefs often operate on faith and personal experience, rather than scientific evidence. They address questions about existence, purpose, and morality that science may not be able to fully answer simply because it lacks proof and this is precisely what makes it more credible and easier to follow and embrace. 

It’s true that for many, religious beliefs provide a sense of meaning, purpose, and community, while not scientifically provable, these beliefs can have a profound impact on individuals' lives because in the majority of instances they’ve been inculcated since childhood when they were the most impressionable. 

Some will say that the term "fake news" is often used to describe deliberate misinformation that is spread with the intent to deceive or manipulate, while religious beliefs are given the benefit of the doubt and are considered to be held sincerely and with a sense of conviction, except for a few instances of forced conversion, like the Inquisition or ISIS among key examples. 

As far as similarities go between certain religious beliefs and the spread of "fake news" (both involving accepting information that may not be entirely verifiable), we shouldn’t oversimplify and since religious belief seems to be the domain of the “majority”, the non-believers and their positions remain the voice of a negligible “minority” that really doesn’t count. 

I’m not saying that we should disrespect the beliefs of others when they differ from our own, but I believe that critical thinking skills remain essential to evaluate information, identify biases, and distinguish between certainty and conviction.