How QAnon Conspiracy Is Spreading In Christian Communities Across The U.S.

[summer_in_TX]

Heard on All Things Considered August 21, 20203:47 PM ET

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with journalist Katelyn Beaty about the spread of the QAnon conspiracy theory in Christian communities in the United States.

https://www.npr.org/2020/08/21/904798097/how-qanon-conspiracy-is-spreading-in-christian-communities-across-the-u-s (7 minute listen)

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This was a chilling listen. Katelyn Beaty wrote an article on the QAnon conspiracy spreading in evangelical churches for Religious News and was interviewed today on NPR.

The QAnon conspiracy is apparently spreading rapidly in evangelical churches thanks to religious language and imagery. It's good vs. evil is being married to themes of Christians vs. Satan, causing followers to "other" those who disagree. Pastors trying to cope were interviewed too.

How do you counter that kind of conspiracy in a way that will be received? Some focus on emphasizing teachings that we are supposed to love our enemies, and similar ones.

I've started taking note of how FOX News and Rush etc. "others" us. It seems to me to make it more likely that violence could be directed our way, especially if linked to a religious belief that they are good fighting evil pedophiles out to destroy their "savior." I hope not, but recognize it is in the realm of possibility.

[Pachamama]

1. Strangely it's also spreading into rhetoric in Europe too

The internet and social media plays a role in the dissemination but it’s being integrated into talking points and theories of far right groups there as well.

Crazy.

[cilla4progress]

2. My theory is humans know in their DNA

that with the climate crisis our days are numbered.

Sorry.

[msongs]

3. just a variation on the same old thing for 2000 years nt

[walkingman]

4. Evangelicals are an easy target.

[PirateRo]

5. This happens with the poison of religion

When you teach people to accept nonsense, they learn to accept nonsense. I keep remembering Cartman saying he really only needs to read one book and not all those other books, meaning his actual schoolbooks.

I will always thank the Sagan’s, Dawkins’s, Roddenberry’s and Stan Lee’s of the world for helping educate me around these worries.

[lees1975]

6. A lot of it is related to premillenial dispensational eschatology

A lot of Evangelicals buy into a futurist interpretation of the Bible's eschatology, or end times scenarios. Yhey tie the apocalyptic language of the book of Revelation to Jesus' words about the "last days" and to the prophesies of Daniel to come up with end-times predictions Conspiracy theories and the language they use plays right into that and it also makes it possible for some to claim that since the "dispensation" is changing, the concept of loving your neighbor turns into your neighbor is going to hell because he didn't believe right. And there are those who see all this conspiracy theory stuff as being prophetic. So they are ready to help it become self-fulfilling if they have to.