Is Snopes Rewritting History?

Their conclusion that the story is false is belied by their own report of their investigation.

Based on what they wrote, their status would have to be "Unknown" instead of "False".

 

Not really. Sometimes absence of evidence is evidence of absence. Among the reasons listed were no first-hand accounts, no second-hand accounts and no third-hand accounts - only a fourth-hand one. No mention of such a miracle by the Catholic News Service in a story on the area a month later. No such reports from Christian aid workers. No reports that the Christians were asked to hold services outside town. That the Moslem population was predominately moderate and the government was hostile to the radical group there. The lack of comtemporary reports that the Christians of the area were not allowed to worship. The number of similiar, mostly unsupported stories on the internet does not lend credibility.

I guess in Snopes view, no supporting facts when facts should be available equals false.

 

The snopes issue aside, I'm often concerned when well-meaning Christians will take rumored stories and circulate them as fact. I seem to recall scripture forbidding us from engaging in rumor and gossip. It doesn't say that rumor and gossip are okay if they are witnessing or evangelism tools.