As churches prove ‘fertile ground’ for conspiracy theories, some pastors are taking a stand

During the whirlwind of 2020, Sydney reverend and radio host Bill Crews has noticed a surge in an old foe within his flock — conspiracy theories.

Christian groups have long been susceptible to conspiracy theories, he says, but the rise of the internet, and more recently COVID-19, has exacerbated the issue.

“Churches can become petri dishes of this stuff, particularly if you’ve got really charismatic people who don’t have any ethics,” says Reverend Crews.

This increased acceptance of conspiracy theories within church groups is part of a broader social trend, religious leaders say, as people turn to outlandish ideas to make sense of the times.

But some pastors are taking active measures to fight the potential spread of conspiracy theories within their congregations.

The rise of ‘the church of QAnon’

Kaz Ross, a researcher at the University of Tasmania, has been monitoring the spread of conspiracy theories online, and says evangelical Christians have been particularly drawn to QAnon.

This theory purports that a figure called Q leaves cryptic clues on internet forums about a “war” being waged between child-abusing global elites and figures within the Trump administration.

According to Dr Ross, the suggestion that people should put their faith in a saviour preparing to rescue the world from evil has similarities to some strands of evangelical thought.

“It’s a very parallel structure,” she says.

“[There are] a group of people that are in on a secret plan, which is very good, and the secret plan will save you in troubling times.

Marc-Andre Argentino, a researcher from Canada’s Concordia University, has also been studying the connection between religion and conspiracy theories — focusing on the growth of QAnon in North American evangelical groups.

Not only do these churches broadcast QAnon conspiracy theories to huge online audiences, he says, they’re also reimagining Christian belief from the Bible to marry the two ideologies.

In fact, he argues, conspiratorial ideas have become so fundamental to the way these groups operate that they can be described as “the QAnon church”.

Fringe voices, big impact

While these groups are largely an American phenomenon, similar thinking has taken hold in some fringe Christian communities.

It’s something that Pastor Rob Buckingham, the founder of Bayside Church in Melbourne, has noticed both on social media, and in conversations with friends.

“Conspiracy theories are definitely more prevalent in recent times and are one of the symptoms of pandemics,” he says.

He says that Christians are more susceptible to some conspiracy theories because “a futurist understanding of Bible prophecy has become very popular”.

“They believe the devil is trying to take over the world.

“Seeing the world through such a lens causes them to be susceptible to anything that would indicate these things are imminent.”

Christian groups around the world have also been targets for Russian disinformation campaigns, experts say, which may be exacerbating the impact and reach of conspiratorial ideas emanating from online pulpits.

James Der Derian, the director of the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney, says “snake oil has been around a long time”, especially in time of insecurity and uncertainty — and foreign states have been known to capitalise on this.

While there is no evidence that Russia has targeted Australian Christian groups, Dr Der Derian says that because social media is intrinsically borderless, the impact of misinformation destined for US audiences can be far reaching.

“This information is not a precision munition, but because of the very nature of social media, it can spread quite rapidly to other communities,” he says.

Trusting the government

On Facebook, religious pages apparently based in Australia can attract thousands of followers.

Alongside wisdom from saints and other holy imagery, one page shared claims that the coronavirus vaccine would encourage the Antichrist to take one’s soul.

Meanwhile, some religious leaders are drawing support from anti-vaccination groups by using social media to speak out against lockdowns.

Anne Kruger, the director of the Asia-Pacific bureau at First Draft, a non-profit organisation that studies misinformation, says religious leaders with conspiracy agendas do use social media to amplify their views.

Justine Toh, a senior research fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity, points out that most Australian Christians are not conspiracy theorists.

She points to data from the National Church Life Survey, which surveys millions of Australian Christians, that indicates people who are more active in their faith and go to church regularly tend to be trusting of government.

“Whereas sometimes Australians might be a little bit critical of the government, people who go to church tend to be more conservative and trusting in the government and the system,” she says.

Saving the faith

As the host of a popular Sunday night talkback program on Sydney radio station 2GB, Crews has a unique insight into the thoughts and outlook of Australian Christians.

He says there’s been a shift this year to more conspiratorial thinking — perhaps because they’ve been distanced from positive influences in their lives.

“People feel isolated and have no way of sharing their innermost feelings,” he says.

Pastor Buckingham says Christian leaders should be reaching out to those who might be susceptible and trying to help them navigate misinformation.

“Ask questions, stay in touch with people, so they don’t isolate themselves, and try and talk about other things to bring them out of their tunnel vision,” he says.

His regular blog posts, which attract thousands of readers from with Christian communities, have been part of his response.

He’s also using the Bible to actively decry ideas like QAnon. For example, he points to Ephesians 4:25: “So, stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbours the truth.”

For Crews, it’s important that churches give people the same sense of belonging they are finding in the murky forums of the internet.

“The church has a responsibility to squash itself down, so it ceases being obsessed with power and control and money and gets back to being with the people.”

“It’s all about people communicating with each other.”

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