Have you noticed how many Amish videos are circulating right now? Every time I get on Facebook, some old Amish woman is teaching me how to make herbal mouthwash. How to cure foot pain with a cabbage leaf. Or even how dumplings are God’s cure for everything. Now, I appreciate folksy remedies as much as the next city boy, but these videos are deceiving.
First of all, the old lady’s appearance matches the voice of a 35-year-old. Deception. Second, you can clearly see that AI made the video. The poor lady only has one finger. Deception. Third, and I am shouting at this point, THE AMISH DON’T MAKE VIDEOS. They don’t have phones or electricity. Much less video editing programs. Deception.
These videos are intended to catch our attention because of the perceived honesty of the Amish and their knowledge of old-world ways. But deception is never a way to teach, represent truth, or present opinions accurately. I want to say this is not common, but it is as old as the devil in Eden.
Because our society and culture are inundated with deception, it is even more imperative that we hold to what is true. Your life must be rooted in the Word of God. Now, obviously, in this blog, I am not attempting to convince those who deny that truth exists. I am speaking to those who acknowledge that truth is found in the God of the Bible.
I have spent 27 years in ministry and have learned a lot about human nature. Humanity enjoys deception, even deceiving oneself. The truth is lost in the endless news cycles and unverifiable stories. I once wrote a blog post saying that spreading false news is the same as gossip. You can likely find that here.
I frequently hear people say, “I don’t know what to believe anymore.” Here is a quick guide for you. Trust the Word of God. Trust those that God has placed in your life. Don’t spread the deception that is evident everywhere. I don’t share “words” from people I don’t personally know because I don’t know if the Fruit of the Spirit is evident in their lives.
If I see it on Facebook, my immediate posture is scepticism. Videos can be faked. The Amish can be made to love the wonders of the Facebook and internet. Politicians can be made to say anything someone wants. This is, of course, a very dangerous aspect of AI. Be wise. Look for inconsistency or blatantly false presentation. AI-generated pictures often misrepresent human hands and feet, with faces that are too perfectly proportioned and colored.
The enemy wants to deceive us. We cannot allow him to do so. When all fails, focus on the Word of God. Don’t be overwhelmed by the times. Paul tells us, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Phil 4:8
The next time you see an old Amish lady video, acknowledge what it is. Watch it for fun, but not as a means of finding the truth. Who knows, maybe you’ll get a great recipe for homemade cabbage or dumplings.
Through Time 