Meet Mr. Gullibility

IMPORTANT!!!!! READ THIS!!!!!!!

I know this guy whose neighbor, a young man, had a few stiff drinks at a party, and the next morning he awoke in a hotel bathtub full of ice and he was sore all over. When he got out of the tub he saw a note on the mirror saying that HIS KIDNEYS HAD BEEN STOLEN by Bill Gates, and he could only get them back by dialing 9-0-# and forwarding 5000 emails to a dying girl at Disney World.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE!!!

My uncle’s friend heard this story from his neighbor who got it from a guy who used to work for the American Cancer Society in a major city. Well the poor guy immediately tried to call 911 from a pay phone to report his missing kidneys, but upon reaching into the coin-return slot, he got jabbed with an HIV-infected needle around which was wrapped a note that said, “JOIN THE CREW”.

He was so distraught at this point that he went into the nearest theater and bought a ticket. It was then that he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder blade. The people behind him got up laughing and tossed a wadded-up paper ball at him as they ran out. When he uncrumpled the paper, it said “WIN A HOLIDAY”.

THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!

I have a friend who works next door to the police department of a major city and he heard it from his elderly aunt. The poor man, having no kidneys and infected with a dread disease, stumbled into a nearby Neiman-Marcus cafe and ordered a plate of cookies. He asked for the recipe and was told that it would cost “two fifty.” When he received his bill, there was a charge for 250 dollars! Furious, he fired up his laptop and tried to send an email to his lawyer. Unfortunately, he first downloaded a message titled “IT TAKES GUTS TO SAY JESUS” and it wiped out everything on his hard drive.

So anyway the poor guy tried to drive himself to the hospital, but on the way he noticed another car driving along without its lights on. To be helpful, he flashed his lights at him and was promptly shot as part of a gang initiation in a major city. He died before he was able to make it into the hospital.

THIS IS NOT A CHAIN LETTER!!!

Please forward this urgent message to every one you can, and spread the news that the Make-A-Wish foundation will donate a pair of Nike sneakers to everyone at Disney World, but only if you send it to 1000 people. Don’t be a thoughtless jerk — it only takes a minute of your time to spread this message, and it could be true!

I wonder what it is that makes us so gullible when it comes to e-mail messages. Chances are you have been the recipient of some of the hoaxes mentioned above. I wonder what it is that makes us so gullible when it comes to e-mail messages. Intelligent people in every other aspect of life will often fall victim to mindlessly believing anything and everything that comes through their e-mail account. And then, they will pass it along to all their friends without taking five minutes to verify its validity (incidentally, the best site I have found to check these things out is http://www.snopes2.com)

Gullibility, regarding Internet messages, isn’t nearly as serious, though, as gullibility in religious matters.

Many people are guilty of doing the same thing in regard to religious teaching.

They will believe whatever a friend or a preacher says (after all, he spent years in a bible school or seminary or colleges studying the Bible) without bothering to take the time to check and verify the truthfulness of what is being taught for themselves.

"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth..." 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NIV)

"If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth...." 1 Timothy 6:3-5 (NIV)

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." 2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV)

When it comes to the salvation of our souls, we dare not trust anyone merely on the basis of their word (not even me). We cannot say, "I like what that preacher just shared with us." We ought to say, "Is that what God likes to hear or see?" God’s Word must be used as our sole standard of judging truth and error.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1

Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Matthew 16:23

Who has the "mind of the Lord" or who has the "gullibility of the world?"