CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND FAKE NEWS WITHIN (CRITICAL) RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Abstract

Critical thinking is a set of genuine educational tools for discriminating the fake from the true, the hidden from the transparent and is, as such, at a crucial method for any relevant educational venture within the current in-crisis state of affairs. This paper analyses and presents methods of critical thinking about conspiracy theories involving the COVID-19 vaccination, and fake news on the migration crisis within religious education. The reason for this approach lies in the fact that the Church and religious education in Croatia are relevant social instances. Regarding various conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 vaccination, Vatican released a Note on morality of using some anti-COVID-19 vaccinesdeclaring it to be morally acceptable, if no alternative is available, receiving the vaccine developed from the cell lines derived from tissues obtained from abortion. But, in spite of these efforts, conspiracy theories and fake news prevail. It is, hence, necessary to include more critical thinking tools and methods in the educational system, as proposed by this paper for the purpose of (critical) religious education.