A Model of Conspiracy Hooey

This morning I found in my email a link to a startling talk given by Pastor Lindsey Williams. The talk concerned the "agenda" (as he appeals) of the oil industry in America. He claims that the oil companies, in league with big banks and big business, intend to monopolize world finance and power. They will cause economic disruption by manipulating prices in order to make people desperate and then accept, nay beg for, a New World Order. Through all of his stories and stats, Williams returns to one refrain: "These people know exactly what they’re doing…. Everything in the world happens by a designed plan, none of it happens by chance…. They know exactly what’s going to happen." He repeats this, every time he speaks, at least a half-dozen times: "a designed plan."

The email came from a friend and supporter of AV. He emails me quite a bit of stuff on conspiracy, which I appreciate and take great interest in. Much of what he sends is good stuff and needs a greater audience. But on the issue of conspiracy theory, we need to make a wise distinction between that which merits further investigation, and that which some talented but misguided (whether through self-delusion or purposeful deceit) communicator has dreamed up with little or no evidence. After listening to Williams on the Oil conspiracy, I am convinced that even if he turns out right (and on a few things, I suspect he will), we have no Christian obligation to listen to him, because he provides no evidence besides his lone word. We’ve got other things that merit legitimate concern.

Williams was a young pastor in Florida who left to become a missionary in Alaska in the 1970s. He pioneered the task of "Chaplain to the Alaska Pipeline," and with his success, gained the admiration of the company. He was given executive privilege and an advisory role at board meetings with corporate and governmental officers. He tells all of this in a video link provided in the email. The title of his talk is "What to Expect in the Next 12 Months," meaning the year beginning somewhere around last July or August (as best I can date it).

As his authority, Williams has nothing but himself: "I happen to know the elite, the people who are doing it." Biblical law, however, requires two witnesses in a court of law. Yet Williams can only spread fear via hearsay. He talks about discussions he’s had with his old "Elite" buddies who tip him off. This sounds like a great story, but again, we must rely on him for it, too. We have nothing to hold onto but what he says, and even those few sources we cannot verify. But the oil price is being manipulated, the currency, too! America, he recently claims, is headed for economic collapse! (As if everyone hadn’t figured that out by Fall 2008.) No, it’s not merely going to collapse, it is being collapsed on purpose: "all by a designed plan." So he says. Those who put their trust in such a lone voice are disobeying God’s word: to accept an unverified testimony is a much to bear false witness as to give it yourself.

What also bothers me about his refrain (in addition to his flimsy hearsay) is his total trust in the design of "the Elite," while totally ignoring the Providence of God in world affairs. Not that he’s ignorant of God’s providence in general, in fact, in one place he appeals to it: "Only by the providence of God did I happen to know the Elite … the people who are doing it." Now this sentence is what convinced me that this man is either deluded or deceitful, and that I needed to write this article. He expects us to trust God’s providence in order to give authority to his story: God led him to these men in order to get the info to give us! But then he pretends that what these men have allegedly designed is all but pre-determined fate! What happened to the providence of God here? Truth is, God could totally reverse the course of history tomorrow, and all the grand designs of these elites could be turned to dust, or transformed to God’s glory. Oil could be the next asbestos, or the next gold.

Williams is a good speaker, and a good preacher. I say this sincerely, but not to build him up; rather, to alert you, because most people don’t know what makes a good preacher: he must also be a good salesman. Williams is a good salesman: like most conspiracy theorists, he is selling you confidence in what he says, by means of what he says. He has no other evidence. He is a good shouter, good with emotion, and he speaks sternly and confidently. He has to: it’s the stock tool of the conspiracy theory trade.

So also is the primary tool: fear. Fear draws audiences, spreads news, motivates the weak, and sells books. In another talk, Williams begins by instilling paranoia: "I trust you are aware that we’re being controlled in every area of our lives, even the toothbrush that you will use tonight to brush your teeth." Now, that’s good writing; but it is substantiated by nothing except the tone of his voice. Those who fall prey to this thinking eventually see conspiracy everywhere: "We’re surrounded. We’re controlled," implies, "All hope is lost." This is why the very stunted view of God’s providence accompanies it. A bold confidence in God’s word and power would ignore the "enemy" and see, like Elisha, the circle of fiery chariots and horses that encircles God’s elect (2 Kings 6:13-23). As the man of God said: Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

I have one comment about the alleged "agenda" he says the oil companies have. They intend to keep up dependent on foreign oil, he argues, apparently in order to keep the price controllable. A flood of American oil, after all, would dilute the market with supply and collapse the price. One thing Big Oil doesn’t want is cheap oil. So they maintain a balance: keep the price low enough to weaken oil-exporting countries (Middle East and Russia), but high enough to maintain profits.

OK. Let’s accept this as true hypothetically. What Williams misses is the greatest possible strategic reason for not tapping our vast oil reserves here-at least not yet. In order to remain the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth, wouldn’t it make sense to reserve the oil under our home soil as long as possible? Wouldn’t we want, as long as we could get away with it, to deplete other nations’ resources, while leaving ours untouched as much as possible? Sounds like a long-term vision for future dominance to me. So even if Williams is right, I’m not sure I’d be opposed to it.

Williams claims he has inside knowledge about untapped oil fields in Alaska. He claims that the oil field below the Northern Alaska Coast alone contains enough oil to supply the U. S. for 200 years. But, like most genuine conspiracy theorists, he refuses to supply even the slightest verifiable source for this knowledge. "I know the elites. They told me." And we are supposed to take his word for it. Well, this kind of claim fails the Biblical standard for evidence, and we are not to fall prey to its fear-mongering. Unless he can provide another witness, I’ll blow him off like leaves under a black helicopter.

Does my repudiation of this one theorist mean that I think conspiracies don’t exist? Of course not. They’re all around. After all, would we even respect our big oil companies if they did not plan toward the future? And do not their plans require something on a global scale? Of course they have a "designed plan." The point to remember is that, no matter how "elite" the sources and the planners are, no matter how high up, there remains One Higher and even more elite. If God has every hair of our heads numbered, you can bet He can keep track of every seat in Congress. If He knows every sparrow that falls, you bet He know every Vulture that circles Wall Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. God is in control. He shall bring to pass whatsoever He desires. Only His "designed plan" will prevail.

As that continues, it remains our job to neither bear false witness, nor accept one without adequate corroboration.

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