TorFProphets is not yet another “news” site nor a “fact checking” site, but rather a way of warning for what are objectively false or true predictions – by recognizing these we can be more prepared to perceive similar truths or falsehoods in current news and politics.
As we have seen in recent years, false-prophets are not purely a problem within religion but also within political parties and public influencers. When one speaks some prediction in the name of their party base or political influence, that also could be considered a true or false-prophet. For the purpose of our investigations, a true or false prediction listed should have a combination of:
- Influence – someone who is a media influencer or political or religious figure, someone who is well known.
- Veritably false – “Things are going to get better in my term” is not something that can be proved or disproved. “Don’t worry about global warming, everything is going to be back to normal soon” is something verifiably false. “Nothing good will come from these vaccine mandates” is also something we can see is verifiably false, and can be verified by the numbers.
- Harms the populace – as in biblical times, a religious or political false-prophet influences people toward action or inaction that is harmful to human life, separates their connection to God or to each other in unity, or approves extremes within the system.
- Not falsified by changing world events – An example of which can be found in the book of Jonah. This book describes an ancient prophet that warned an opposing country of their imminent destruction if they did not turn away from their ways. Nineveh was not destroyed at that time, but Jonah is not widely regarded as a false prophet.
In similar manner, Fox News noted that predictions from back in 1990 incorrectly overstated global warming. In fact, the 1990 prediction could not have predicted political collaborations such as the Paris Agreement, nor would they have guessed that there would be a widespread move from coal to nuclear power, or natural gas, which is in general more efficient with less greenhouse gas emission. The approximately 1 degree celsius rise was at the low end due to various such factors. - Unbiased – unlike most cable “news” this shall show both sides in comparison where possible. For each far left politician there should be an article noting false or true predictions of the far right politicians, for example.
Historical perspective
The idea of false predictions is not exclusively a religious idea, nor a new one – the idea of “Fool me once, shame on you”, “fool me twice, shame on me” is a phrase that has been around for hundreds of years.
In fact, hundreds of years before that there was a similar biblical principle in Jeremiah 28:9, Deuteronomy 18:22 – “if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”
The intent in reporting on false predictions is not to villainize or demonize any organization or person and those who follow them, but to point out historical and objective facts to which their predictions do not stand. By looking back at the political, social and societal environment in which lies or false predictions grew, we can help to recognize whenever a similar thing may be happening today.