13 March 99

 Dear Friends,

 I have received the following message by e-mail chain letter, preceded by the addresses of hundreds of previous recipients:

 Hello, my name is David “Darren” Bucklew. I live in Pittsburgh, PA where I attend Bethel Park High School and participate in many sports. I have severe ostriopliosis of the liver. (My liver is extremely inflamed). Modern Science has yet to find a cure. Valley Children’s Hospital has agreed to donate 7 cents to the National Disease Society for every name on this letter. Please send it around as much as you can.

 Thank you, Darren

 PS: For those of you who don’t take 5 minutes to do this, what goes around comes around. You can help sick people, and it costs you nothing.

 Comment:

 Although the message is prefaced by the e-mail addresses of many previous forwards, Darren Bucklew’s own e-mail address is not among them. We are thus unable to extend our condolences. I am not acquainted with Darren but am sorry to hear that his liver is extremely inflamed.

 However, there is a problem concerning Valley Children’s Hospital which, at least in Pittsburgh, does not exist. The message fails to explain how Valley Children’s Hospital could pay 7 cents to the National Disease Society, which also does not exist. Furthermore, we are not told how Valley Children’s Hospital could possibly be made aware of the number of times this message has been forwarded.

 Of special interest is Darren’s condition, “ostriopliosis.” He informs us that “Modern Science has yet to find a cure.” The situation is even more serious than that: modern science has yet to discover such a disease.

 A call to Bethel Park High School informs us that Darren Bucklew is in fact a student there. However, that’s where the truth ends. My respondent reports that Darren’s message has been circulating the Internet since July of 1998. To help counteract this falsehood, the school has placed a disclaimer at the bottom of their web page.

 Darren’s plea ends with these words: “You can help sick people, and it costs you nothing.”

 Who would not wish to help sick people? Especially if it costs you nothing. Thus the appeal of this hoax.

 But it concerns me that so many kind and well-meaning people are willing to believe without asking for evidence. Generous people can be easily deceived. Which leads us from medicine to religion.

 May I quote from the Bible [1 Kings 13:18]: “The old prophet answered, ‘I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: “Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.”’ (But he was lying to him.)”

 Although Darren lied, he claimed no divine authority for his information. But prophets too, can lie, even when they claim to declare the word of the Lord, transmitted by an angel.

Jesus predicted that we can anticipate more such deceptions:

 Matthew 24:11 “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.”

 Matthew 24:5 “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”

 Paul warned us of “false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” [1 Corinthians 11:13, 14]

 Again, Jesus warned, “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” [Matthew 24:24]

 Yes, even “the elect” can be challenged by subtle deceptions. But most deceptions are not so subtle. Let us first develop our discrimination on the easy ones, not afraid to be demanding of evidence.

 If your doctor labels your condition “ostriopliosis,” please quickly find another doctor. If your religious instructors fail to ground every point solidly on the evidence of God’s Word, please quickly find other instructors.

 Better still, study the Bible for yourself. God has gone to a lot of trouble to provide adequate evidence about Himself. How tragic to be deceived because we failed to do our homework.

--R. Wresch, M.D., March 1999.