The Internet brings many advantages to society and those who use it. For example, you wouldn’t be reading this article without a connection to the World Wide Web. However, there are problems associated with this tool — the widespread distribution of pornography being one of them. 

While very different from pornography, another issue that becomes apparent online is the spread of misinformation from false news sites. As Christians and as leaders, we have a responsibility for what we say — and for what we endorse by sharing online. We must not bear false witness against our neighbors.

A recent article from NPR highlights a few ways to check the validity of an article.

• Pay attention to the domain and URL
• Read the “About Us” section
• Look at the quotes in a story
• Look at who said the quotes
• Check the comments

Fact check information before you share it online, and more importantly, fact check information before you share it from the pulpit. For more on this topic, read “The Fact-Checked Sermon.”