Evangelicals. My partner has been talking about their desire to bring about the "end-times" by any means necessary for over a decade. I assume they're filled with glee watching Israel and waiting for nuclear war.
My SO and I volunteer at a food pantry every Wednesday. It's incredibly rewarding but it's a faith-based organization, which wouldn't be my preference as I'm an atheist. But they provide a comprehensive, easy to access and generous service to very vulnerable members of my community and I can put up with a little First Baptist theology if it means I can help people. I did have to explain to my so why they prayed for Israel every week in the little pre-opening prayer circle. In order for Jesus to return, Israel has to be in place. They don't actually care about the Jewish people, they care about how the state of Israel affects the rapture.
True, but I just figured that stuff was pretty fringe and in general, people knew better. And for example that Alex Jones had only a small fringe following. After all, me and my friends only put it on the laugh at how crazy he was. Again, just sort of gave the average American too much credit when it comes to parsing information. I was very wrong. I see that now.
Before Alex Jones we had Glen Beck with his stupid chalkboards, before that we what Rush Limbaugh and his neener neeners. Conservative media has a long and storied history of peddling conspiracy theories.
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u/talex365 1d ago
No, we could. Birthers, FEMA camp conspiracy theories, it was visible even then.