News analysis from a prophetic Christian worldview
 
Discerning truth in perilous times of manipulation
NOTEWhen writing about God and Jesus, The Daily Jot means YHVH as God and Yeshua Ha Mashiach as Jesus--the actual original names and the true nature and character of them.
  
Thursday, January 17, 2018
There is so much information available to us everyday that it is increasingly difficult to discern the truth. The big high tech firms are manipulating the news that you see and what you learn from your search results. Politicians, like always, twist the facts to their benefit. Propaganda is probably at an all time high. So how do you discern the truth? How do you make decisions in your life based on good information? What guides you? These are questions that are becoming increasingly important because deception is free and enticing while truth is expensive and fleeting. Fact of the matter is that we are living in an information age where free speech is so abused that lies affect who we are and what we do. 
 
Breitbart News turned up an internal communication at Google admitting that there are huge teams in the organization working to censure information they deem is not appropriate for the public. Breitbart reports: " The comments came to light in a leaked internal discussion thread, started by a Google employee who noticed that the company had recently changed search results for "abortion" on its YouTube video platform, a change which caused pro-life videos to largely disappear from the top ten results. In addition to the "manual approach," [Daniel] Aaronson (Google's "trust and safety" team) explained that Google also trained automated "classifiers" - algorithms or "scalable solutions" that corrects "problems" in search results.
 
This was just one example. The communication, according to Breitbart, also showed interventions on"search results related to progressive activist David Hogg and Democrat politician Maxine Waters." A Google spokeswoman, however, insisted to Breitbart that "Google has never manipulated or modified the search results or content in any of its products to promote a particular political ideology." Google's CEO Sundar Pichai emphatically testified to Congress that there was no manipulation by Google, but the internal communication "took issue with Pichai's remarks, stating that it "seems like we are pretty eager to cater our search results to the social and political agenda of left-wing journalists."
 
People are influenced by what they read, hear and see. Decisions are made. Beliefs are developed. Powers are using the information superhighway to manipulate politics, shape values, and control decisions. The scale of this manipulation is historic because never before have people been so connected with so few companies controlling the information. So how do you discern the truth? As Christ said in John 16:13," But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come."  Know your values and weigh everything against them. If it doesn't align, it is likely not true.  That inner voice of the Holy Spirit guides us if we so allow it. In society the scales of truth are compromised, but in the Holy Spirit truth is pure.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson

  

Caring for those even the Church ignores: 
The Disabled in Ghana

By Pastor William Agbeti

[ NOTE: In addition to our ongoing clean water, feeding, and clothing efforts when you support The Daily Jot, you are helping wipe tears off the faces of suffering mothers and fathers seeking rehabilitation of their disabled children]
UN figures put persons living with disabilities in the world at 20% of the global population. 80% of this number can be found in developing countries. In Ghana alone, there are some 3 million persons living with various forms of disabilities. 
Our Ghana ministry serves where others will not.This two-day residential program for children with disabilities provide food, clothing and recreation



Their plight is demoralizing. Many in the Ghanaian society consider them taboos. Scores of local churches have not opened their doors to them. Several families neglect their disabled children, to fend for themselves. Sadly, some communities go to the extreme to put a newly born disabled child into a mortar and use a pestle to pound it to death, with the belief that their souls will not return to the communities again. In the main, the disabled are ostracized from the society. Only a handful of homes, families and communities treat them with a modicum of respect and acceptance. Read the rest of the story by clicking here

The Daily Jot is totally reader supported. My wife, Chris, and I do not take a salary or receive any remuneration for this work. Your gifts go directly to assisting us in maintaining this column, the website, outreach, and the Lord's work we do in Ghana, West Africa. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day,

Bill Wilson
The Daily Jot