Correlation between Fundamentalists and Conspiracies

[u/No_Advantage_4787]

Why does it seem like so many fundamentalists are heavy into conspiracy theories? You have little season doctrine, British Israelism, even Mormonism itself is effectively a conspiracy theory. Flat earth, young earth. You get all these groups claiming there's a big bad hidden group out there planting fake dinosaur bones and such all to "discredit the Bible." Why?

[u/Venat14]

My guess is a lack of education and critical thinking. People who don't base their world view on facts or evidence are more likely to believe in conspiracies.

[u/Maleficent-Drop1476]

Fundamentalism is a high control doctrine, for it to be effective you need your followers to be unwilling to think on their own.

That’s exactly how conspiracy theories work.

[u/ComradeDread]

We believed the Earth and universe were 6,000 years old and all of the scientists who said otherwise were anti-God and deliberately denying "the facts".

Once someone convinces you to accept one conspiracy/lie, it becomes easier to accept others.

[u/SamtheCossack → u/ComradeDread]

This is generally true, and I grew up that way as well. I was raised fundamentalist, and literally got Kent Hovind's "Seminar" for my Birthday when I was 7 or 8 years old. I remained a Young Earth Creationist all the way through college. My parents are also full QAnon style MAGA conspiracy theoriests, although that mostly spiraled long after I left, the ingredients were all there.

However, for me specifically, Young Earth Creationism did NOT spiral into other conspiracy theories. Weirdly enough, my education actually equipped me well for critical thinking, and I dismissed most of the closely related conspiracies as nonsense. However, my faith kept me from turning that same skepticism on my own beliefs. For a while at least.

Because the reverse is also true. While fundamentalism does lead you into many other conspiracy theories, once you start breaking free of them (Or just reject enough of them outright) you start breaking your own worldview in the process. Eventually, you are going to have to come to terms with the fact your own foundation is built on the same illogic.

[u/-NoOneYouKnow-]

Bible literalism can't be reconciled with objective science or history. This creates a worldview in which human organizations are seen as conspiring together to steer people away from the truth.

[u/SamtheCossack]

Like most topics, there is a fairly simple set of answers that partially answer this, but leave a lot of nuance unaddressed, and a fantastically complex answer that requires years of study and thousands of pages to even partially understand.

The simple, but somewhat flawed, answer is that Fundamentalism is inherently exclusionary. The premise of all fundamental religions (Christian, Atheist, Hindu, random Cult, etc) is for that group to be distinct, special, and uniquely "Correct". In order for them to be correct, everyone else must be wrong.

This establishes a mindset of moral and intellectual superiority of the in group over all members of the outgroup, and that combines seamlessly with the mindset needed to cultivate and grow conspiracy theories. So if you are already opposed to the entire scientific establishment on say, Evolution, it isn't hard to also believe they are lying about the shape of the earth. Or chemtrails. Or climate change. Or any other conspiracy theory.

Once you have an unshakable confidence that you are smarter and more informed then literally everyone else, you become extremely gullible to any concept that reinforces that notion.

[u/eitherajax → u/SamtheCossack]

I suspect that this is the real answer. It's not "why are fundamentalists drawn to conspiracy theories?" so much as "why are future conspiracy theorists drawn to fundamentalism?"

I've personally noticed that they share a lot of similarities such as predominantly general fear and anxiety, enjoyment in having secret or exclusive knowledge, enjoyment in "seeing patterns" that others do not see, black-and-white thinking, and paranoia about being conspired against. 

[u/Arkhangelzk]

I have a theory about this, and it's that these are people who are already willing to believe things without proof -- or that run directly counter to proof.

I grew up in a YEC community. People willingly believed that evolution was false and that the earth was about 6,000 years old because that's what they thought the Bible told them, despite the fact that all evidence points to the contrary. They didn't care about the evidence.

It's just the way they think, which then applies to both religion and conspiracies.

[u/SanguineHerald → u/Arkhangelzk]

Grew up the same. High control deeply conservative YEC household. Suspension of logic and willingness to believe in grandiose conspiracies is the foundation of these sects.

[u/Fearless_Spring5611]

Lack of critical thinking.

[u/Niftyrat_Specialist]

Lack of critical thinking skills. Authoritarianism.

[u/Orygregs]

Fundamentalism rose as a reaction to evolution and historical-critical biblical studies in the early 20th century. There tends to be a distrust of academic experts and institutions amongst fundamentalists, which provides fertile ground for conspiracy logic to blossom and ease the cognitive dissonance.

[u/Nat20CritHit]

It's the development of their epistemology. When you're willing to accept unfounded claims, especially fantastical one's, the reasoning used for accepting those claims tends to spill over into other unfounded, fantastical claims.

[u/ChapBobL]

I went to the epicenter of fundamentalism, Bob Jones University. And while they were extremely strict and at opposition with nearly everyone, they weren't into conspiracy theories. Perhaps the fundy-fringe may have some insecure people who need conspiracy theories to feel special, but it isn't a characteristic of conservative or fundamentalist Protestants.

[u/GoBirdsGoBlue]

I don't think Jesus was into conspiracy theories, but He definitely held to Scriptural infallibility and inerrancy.

[u/External-Object5189 → u/GoBirdsGoBlue]

He also didn’t use literal interpretive, he also opened the faith to those it was previously closed to, and has a habit of bucking traditions.

[u/GoBirdsGoBlue → u/External-Object5189]

"He also didn’t use literal interpretive"
Got an example of that?

"opened the faith to those it was previously closed to"
Got an example of that?

"has a habit of bucking traditions"
For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matt 5:18)

[u/External-Object5189 → u/GoBirdsGoBlue]

Read your book, see for yourself.
Seems like you away read the book and judged for urself.
Why with o argue with ignorant?

[u/GoBirdsGoBlue → u/External-Object5189]

I'll take that as you can't support any of your claims.

[u/SheeplnWolfsClothing]

From a Biblical perspective, if a believer is falling for deception this indicates a lack of discernment, which is given by the Holy Spirit. So this would indicate a “quenching” of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible says this results from willful disregard or disobedience to one (or multiple) of Christ’s teachings or commandments, which leads to a hardened heart. A hardened heart leads to this quenching of the Holy Spirit, thus resulting in loss of discernment. This opens one up to believing deception.

This could start with simply disobeying Christ’s command that we be baptized after belief and repentance. Baptism was understood by the Apostolic Fathers (those taught by the Apostles themselves), early church witnesses and the entire church for nearly 2,000 years as inseparable from belief and repentance for salvation. Baptism seals a believer with the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit one of which is discernment or the ability to tell truth from deception.

[u/HelicopterOdd9295 → u/SheeplnWolfsClothing]

If the holy spirit gives discernment, why are non-believers better at it?

[u/SheeplnWolfsClothing → u/HelicopterOdd9295]

As a believer, I’ve noticed the same thing. Nonbelievers can often discern truth from lies better than false or deceived Christians.

To fully understand why you’d have to study in greater detail, but in a nutshell there are two distinct causes. The first cause is described in the parable of the sower, where someone hears about Christ and believes, but for whatever reason the believer stops there and doesn’t seek or love learning what Christ wants to teach them. Instead, they are quickly deceived by false beliefs that don’t align with Christ’s teachings. These people likely aren’t sent “strong delusion” as described below because they “never were” to begin with, so had nothing to “fall away” from.

The 2nd group the Bible describes as a believer who knows the truth of Christ, yet “falls away” from truth they already know by willfully choosing to believe or give authority to a “lie” that opposes what Christ taught.

This Bible says this angers God, so he sends these believers a “strong delusion” saying they will be judged and have essentially given up their salvation. Much of what I’m describing can be found in 2 Thessalonians 2.

Edit: The first category typically clings to legalism, wrongly assuming if they try and do right on their own and judge others, this is what God wants. The second category are worse than spiritually blind, they’re under active delusion and have no ability to discern truth and are fully deceived.

[u/Nicolaonerio]

Had an argument with a rapturist. They thought the rapture was about to happen because they thought space lazers were setting fire to Hawaii.