Conspiracy Theories. Acts 23:12-13,16.

Here’s a bit of Texas law:

“A person commits criminal conspiracy if, with intent a felony be committed, (1) he agrees with one or more persons that they … engage in conduct that would constitute the offense; and (2) … one or more of them performs an overt act in pursuance of the agreement” Texas Penal Code §15.02.

A conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime–and at least one of them acted on it.

What is a “conspiracy theory”? Webster defines it as “a theory that explains an event as the result of a SECRET plot by powerful conspirators.”

A popular conspiracy theory says that the US government, failing in the space race with Russia, conspired with Hollywood directors and people at NASA to pretend that the US sent rockets to the moon. How many engineers, astronauts, film crews, and other people would have been in on such a secret? Five hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand?

Paul’s enemies conspired against him:

“The Jews formed a CONSPIRACY and bound themselves under a curse: neither to eat nor to drink until they had killed Paul. There were more than 40 who had formed this plot…. But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it” Acts 23:12-13,16.

The death of every conspiracy is the product of the NUMBER OF CONSPIRATORS multiplied by the TIME REQUIRED TO KEEP THE SECRET.

TWO FACTS APPLICABLE TO EVERY CONSPIRACY THEORY:

1. The more PEOPLE involved, the greater the risk the secret will get out, and
2. The more TIME required, the greater the risk the secret will get out. Two guys might keep a secret until the weekend. But can a thousand people take a secret to their graves? Human nature says no.

Perhaps the most successful conspiracy was the 23 Roman senators who killed Julius Caesar. Yet they only kept a secret a few days.

AS THE NUMBER OF CONSPIRATORS GOES UP, THE LIFE-SPAN OF THE SECRET GOES DOWN.

As for the forty who conspired to murder Paul, they were committed—they swore off food—yet they could not keep the secret for one day, 23:16.

Individuals may take secrets to their graves. But large groups will find it extremely difficult. Why is it so hard for groups of people to take secrets to their graves? Because every day things change. With each passing year, many circumstances change. The money, power, or influence your secret bought you may run out. The threat that was keeping you quiet may disappear. The tabloid magazine may offer you money for your story at a time when you need money more than you need to keep your secret. In addition to changed circumstances, there is guilt. Someone is going to discover that keeping the secret is ruining his life. There are few pleasures as great as laying down a heavy burden. Someone is going to cave.

Eventually, there will be as many changed circumstances as there are individuals in the conspiracy. When enough time has passed, many of them will find that their circumstances have changed. Their hearts have changed. And how many people does it take to blow the conspiracy? Only one.

It only takes one person with a change of heart to spill a secret held by many.

Thus, with enough people involved and the passage of enough time, secrets will come out. The truth will out, as Shakespeare put it.

When you hear of global conspiracy theories, remember: AS THE NUMBER OF CONSPIRATORS GOES UP, THE LIFE-SPAN OF THE SECRET GOES DOWN.

For example, human nature proves that the moon landing was not faked on some Hollywood movie set. Neither were the attacks of 9/11 orchestrated by the Bush Administration, the nation of Israel, and New York bankers, just to create an excuse to attack Israel’s enemies. Such “theories” would require thousands to carry overwhelming secrets to their graves. That would never happen.

God, give us WISDOM!

ΑΩ

Jesus said the end times would be characterized not only by “wars and rumors of wars,” by earthquakes and famines and the beginning of the birth pangs, but by DECEPTION. “Take heed that no one misleads you” Matthew 24:4. I have never seen such a chorus of misleading voices. Between anti-intellectualism, social media, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Fakes, incompetent Influencers, the predatory wellness movement, biased reporting masquerading as journalism, the ignorance of expertise, plagiarism and other factors decimating scholarship and the peer-review process, the rise of false religions, cults, and new age spirituality, I am more inclined to call ours the end times than ever before.