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READER LETTER | The devil is ruling the world

Sowetan · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 182 words · By Reader Letter
Spiritual Warfare Political Distrust Global Suffering
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What to know about Spiritual Warfare

Why is there so much evil in the world − wars, terrorism, poverty, and children kidnapped, abused, and killed?

Claims checked 7
Techniques found 5
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why is there so much evil in the world − wars, terrorism, poverty, and children kidnapped, abused, and killed?

Why it matters

Why is peace so elusive after so many years of our human development?

Common ground

Why is it that man can go to the moon and even make plans to send astronauts to Mars and explore the depths of the seas and the intricacies of life but cannot get along with his neighbour?

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/letters/2026-08-17-reader-letter-the-devil-is-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 5 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 90% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Fear 80% confidence
Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Causal Oversimplification 90% confidence
Assuming a single cause for a complex issue.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing causal oversimplification helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Anger 70% confidence
Provoking outrage to bypass rational evaluation of an argument.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to anger helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 2
info Single Source 2
verified Verified By Reference 2
verified Verified 1
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Claim 1: “make plans to send astronauts to Mars”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Al Jazeera, Phys, The Conversation) explicitly state that NASA has plans to send astronauts to Mars as part of its long-term goals following the Artemis moon missions.
compare_arrows
cross reference SUPPORTS — The mission is a major step in NASA’s plan to return humans to the moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/1/nasas-artemis-ii-lif…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — The mission, which launched on Wednesday, is a major step in the US space agency NASA’s plan to return humans to the moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/1/nasas-artemis-ii-lif…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — NASA’s plans to return astronauts to the Moon through the Artemis program and ultimately send humans to Mars
https://theconversation.com/upcoming-telescopes-could-shed-l…
+ 1 more evidence source
info
Claim 2: “the devil is waging his war of deception against us, using politicians.”
SINGLE SOURCE
This is a spiritual interpretation and an opinion. There is no empirical evidence to verify or disprove the claim that a spiritual entity is using politicians for a 'war of deception'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — War forces human beings to interact with others in a way that we weren’t made for. War takes us outside of God’s plan and into Satan’s domain of death. War is hell because it runs counter to the way o…
https://www.rivalnations.org/war-is-satanic/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — He is no cartoon figure with horns, a pitchfork, and a red jumpsuit; he is the ruler of this wicked world, the influencer behind much of what is wrong, including religion (John 14:30). Lastly, whether…
https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/letters/2026-08-17-reader-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Latin roots for “deceived” or “deception” are de- (from) + capere (to take or carry away). The Greek word in the New Testament that is translated as “deceived” is πλανάομαι (planaomai) and means m…
https://blog.adw.org/2014/09/do-not-be-deceived-a-meditation…
verified
Claim 3: “People are struggling with enslaving addictions: drugs, smoking and vaping, uncontrolled anger, pornography and other sexual addictions.”
VERIFIED
Evidence from Wikipedia and the NHS confirms the addictive nature of nicotine (smoking/vaping). While 'anger' and 'pornography' addictions are not explicitly detailed in the provided snippets, the general claim regarding drug and nicotine addiction is strongly supported by authoritative health sources.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A new study reveals vaping is more dangerous than smoking and raises the risk of three deadly diseases; dementia, heart disease and organ failure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpHwMiA1oyM
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nicotine is a stimulant and alkaloid found primarily in plants of the nightshade family, notably in tobacco; it is also synthesized. Nicotine is used recreationally for its stimulant and anxiolytic ef…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Does vaping help people quit smoking? Yes, nicotine vapes are one of the most effective stop-smoking products. Evidence shows that nicotine vapes are actually more effective than nicotine replacement …
https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ready-to-quit-…
verified
Claim 4: “explore the depths of the seas and the intricacies of life”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and other educational web sources confirm the existence of deep-sea exploration and the study of biological adaptations in the ocean's depths.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The deep sea is broadly defined as the ocean depth where light begins to fade, at an approximate depth of 200 m (660 ft) or the point of transition from continental shelves to continental slopes.[1][2…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_sea
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — An interactive page that lets you scroll down the ocean. Visit the great depths of the Mariana Trench and discover all the sea creatures hidden beneath.
https://neal.fun/deep-sea/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Explore the deep sea’s zones, extreme pressure, darkness, bioluminescent animals, food webs, hydrothermal vents and remarkable adaptations.
https://www.marinebio.org/oceans/deep-sea/
check_circle
Claim 5: “man can go to the moon”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent news sources (The Guardian, NBC News, Al Jazeera, EuroNews, Phys) confirm that humans have traveled to the moon, specifically citing the Apollo missions and the Artemis program.
compare_arrows
cross reference SUPPORTS — the first humans to travel to the moon and return safely to Earth since 1972
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/11/artemis-ii-n…
compare_arrows
cross reference SUPPORTS — Artemis II brought humans the farthest they have ever gone around the Moon
https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/04/14/shooting-for-the-mo…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Schmitt, 90, left his bootprints on the lunar surface in 1972, as part of Apollo 17 — the final mission in the program, which was the last time humans traveled to the moon.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/nasa-artemis-ii-advice…
+ 2 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 6: “he is the ruler of this wicked world, the influencer behind much of what is wrong, including religion (John 14:30).”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The claim specifically references John 14:30. The provided evidence from biblical commentaries and topical bibles confirms that this specific verse is used to describe the devil as the 'ruler of this world'.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — John Patrick Ternus (; born May 1975) is an American engineer and business executive who has been the chief executive officer (CEO) of Apple since September 1, 2026. He is also a member of the company…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ternus
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — John the Baptist (c. 6 BC – c. AD 30) was a religious preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — John the Apostle (Ancient Greek: Ἰωάννης; Latin: Ioannes; c. 6 AD – c. 100 AD), also known as Saint John the Beloved and, in Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Saint John the Theologian, was one of the Tw…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Apostle
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 7: “there is a real spiritual personage leading the course of this world, the devil.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is a theological/spiritual assertion. The evidence provided shows that this is a matter of religious debate and belief, which cannot be empirically proven or disproven through factual evidence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — devil-entity-vs-metaphor-5zyqbrui. The question of whether the devil is a distinct entity separate from humankind or an intrinsic part of human nature has been debated for millennia across diverse cul…
https://ithy.com/article/devil-entity-vs-metaphor-5zyqbrui
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Is There Really a Devil? From the publisher of The Good News magazine.Where can we find reliable, accurate information on the spirit world? Only one source can give us the answers, revealing to us inf…
https://www.talkjesus.com/threads/is-there-really-a-devil.20…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Thus, the spiritual entity known as DEATH, the spiritual entity known as HELL, as well as the devil, the Antichrist, and the false prophet—all of whom are also mentioned in the Book of Revelation—and …
https://saltanenko.com/en/2025/05/08/5-facts-about-hell/
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.