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<blockquote data-quote="AlexB23" data-source="post: 77643732" data-attributes="member: 450900"><p>Yikes on trikes man. I am surprised that 15% of our country falls for these conspiracy theories. In a hypothetical state of 10 million people (well, <a href="https://data.census.gov/profile/Michigan?g=040XX00US26" target="_blank">Michigan has 10M, as of the 2020 census</a>), that means 1.5 million people in MI would fall for these conspiracy theories. Also, [USER=628]@Michie[/USER] , I recommend that we both back out of this thread before conspiracy nuts begin attacking our posts.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Here is a summary of the article below, for those who do not have 20 minutes of time:</p><p></p><p>Doug Gee's article discusses the concept of "conspiracy theory" and its prominent presence in the national conversation over the past four years, specifically under former President Donald Trump's administration. According to Gee, Trump amplified and legitimized conspiracy theories, exposing a significant number of Americans who are susceptible to such beliefs, especially within the conservative Christian church. Gee cites a poll indicating that 15% of Americans and 25% of conservative evangelicals believe in the main tenets of QAnon, a right-wing conspiracy theory. Furthermore, 15% of Americans believe that "true American patriots may have to resort to violence" to protect the nation.</p><p></p><p>Gee highlights the historical connection between humans and the desire for "secret knowledge," drawing examples from various religions and belief systems, including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and atheism. Within Christianity, Gee examines the emergence of Gnosticism in the second century AD and traces potential signs of it in earlier writings of St. Paul and St. John. While acknowledging the importance of mysteries in the New Testament, Gee emphasizes that they must be interpreted in the appropriate context.</p><p></p><p>He proceeds to analyze factors that might increase the likelihood of falling prey to conspiracy theories within Christianity, such as the fascination with symbols and codes in the Book of Revelation, the impact of Hal Lindsey's bestselling book, and the proliferation of speculative end-times scenarios. Additionally, Gee addresses the issue of spiritual warfare and the construction of elaborate narratives involving angels and demons.</p><p></p><p>External threats to Christianity, such as alleged discoveries of lost gospels and alternative interpretations of the Bible, further fuel suspicion and mistrust towards secular sources, making followers more inclined to accept dubious information if presented by trusted figures within their communities. Anti-science sentiments among Christians, mainly rooted in disagreement surrounding evolution and the age of the Earth, intensify resistance to engaging with intellectual pursuits and hinder acceptance of empirical evidence related to topics like climate change.</p><p></p><p>Consequently, Christians increasingly gravitate towards isolated groups with shared beliefs, nurturing environments where conspiracy theories flourish. Gee identifies this trend as a contemporary version of "gnostic" heresy and calls for intervention from within the church to help free people from deception. Addressing younger readers, Gee concludes by providing a recommended reading list focused on reconciling science and religion, hoping to encourage deeper exploration of these themes.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="AlexB23, post: 77643732, member: 450900"] Yikes on trikes man. I am surprised that 15% of our country falls for these conspiracy theories. In a hypothetical state of 10 million people (well, [URL='https://data.census.gov/profile/Michigan?g=040XX00US26']Michigan has 10M, as of the 2020 census[/URL]), that means 1.5 million people in MI would fall for these conspiracy theories. Also, [USER=628]@Michie[/USER] , I recommend that we both back out of this thread before conspiracy nuts begin attacking our posts. Here is a summary of the article below, for those who do not have 20 minutes of time: Doug Gee's article discusses the concept of "conspiracy theory" and its prominent presence in the national conversation over the past four years, specifically under former President Donald Trump's administration. According to Gee, Trump amplified and legitimized conspiracy theories, exposing a significant number of Americans who are susceptible to such beliefs, especially within the conservative Christian church. Gee cites a poll indicating that 15% of Americans and 25% of conservative evangelicals believe in the main tenets of QAnon, a right-wing conspiracy theory. Furthermore, 15% of Americans believe that "true American patriots may have to resort to violence" to protect the nation. Gee highlights the historical connection between humans and the desire for "secret knowledge," drawing examples from various religions and belief systems, including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and atheism. Within Christianity, Gee examines the emergence of Gnosticism in the second century AD and traces potential signs of it in earlier writings of St. Paul and St. John. While acknowledging the importance of mysteries in the New Testament, Gee emphasizes that they must be interpreted in the appropriate context. He proceeds to analyze factors that might increase the likelihood of falling prey to conspiracy theories within Christianity, such as the fascination with symbols and codes in the Book of Revelation, the impact of Hal Lindsey's bestselling book, and the proliferation of speculative end-times scenarios. Additionally, Gee addresses the issue of spiritual warfare and the construction of elaborate narratives involving angels and demons. External threats to Christianity, such as alleged discoveries of lost gospels and alternative interpretations of the Bible, further fuel suspicion and mistrust towards secular sources, making followers more inclined to accept dubious information if presented by trusted figures within their communities. Anti-science sentiments among Christians, mainly rooted in disagreement surrounding evolution and the age of the Earth, intensify resistance to engaging with intellectual pursuits and hinder acceptance of empirical evidence related to topics like climate change. Consequently, Christians increasingly gravitate towards isolated groups with shared beliefs, nurturing environments where conspiracy theories flourish. Gee identifies this trend as a contemporary version of "gnostic" heresy and calls for intervention from within the church to help free people from deception. Addressing younger readers, Gee concludes by providing a recommended reading list focused on reconciling science and religion, hoping to encourage deeper exploration of these themes. [/QUOTE]
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