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Good morning. Fact, fiction or conspiracy theories? As you go about your day today, you are going to be bombarded by images and information at fibre-optic speed. How are you going to decide what to believe? A feature on the �鶹�� news website this weekend, highlighted how images such as makeup artist videos and clips from computer games are being misrepresented to back up conspiracy theories. The video gave information on how to check for validity and it emphasised three key points that I thought were very helpful which included source checking, getting context and verification against other reliable sources. If any one of these checks fail it weakens the validity. It seems that there is always someone waiting around the corner to misconstrue facts to meet their own agenda and whenever there is a crisis people are more vulnerable to being misled because they want information as a route to solace, fast. Unfortunately, religion is vulnerable to this. Sacred texts or scriptures often have many versions circulating at any given time. One of the core texts for Hindus on spirituality and developing a relationship with God is the Bhagavad Gita. When I started my spiritual journey in the 1990's there were 81 translations and commentaries of the Bhagavad Gita available. Commentators ranged from academics to philosophers and then those who translated the Bhagavad Gita as an act of love and devotion to God. There were also plenty of versions written by people who seemed more than happy to use their interpretation of Vedic philosophy to exploit others. How did I decide which one to read and who to trust since the views of the author would certainly influence my understanding. I took guidance from the Bhakti Saint Narottam Das Thakur who recommends a similar vetting system to the one I watched this weekend. He says sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya ‘See through the eyes of saints, scripture and guru’ and he also says that all three must be aligned for greatest validity. In his explanation, scripture equates to source, guru gives context and saints are the verification. Since my purpose was neither academic or solely philosophical, but was to deepen my relationship with God, I chose a commentary and translation by an author whose purpose was the same. I find when my faith is being tested by difficult situations, it is a good time to see whether I am investing in applying this to my life or if I’m allowing my faith and decisions to be clouded because I am looking for shortcuts to peace. When I wobble, making sure that what I’m reading is from a qualified source which has been verified and is applied in the most appropriate context, generally brings me back on track in my human and spiritual life. Religion can be an extremely emotive and powerful force. Those of us on a spiritual path need to be constantly vigilant to make sure it isn't abused.