The Atlantic Daily: QAnon Is a New American Religion(theatlantic.com)
theatlantic.com
The Atlantic Daily: QAnon Is a New American Religion
https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2020/05/qanon-q-pro-trump-conspiracy/611722/
6 comments
I think in the full article, the religious overtones are pretty obvious. The coming apocalypse, the 'true-believers have nothing to fear', Q as a prophet, the biblical quotes, Q encouraging prayer.
Also quotes from adherents such as "I feel God led me to Q. I really feel like God pushed me in this direction." or "My dreams have suggested that God wants me to keep my attention focused on politics and current events".
New religions don't emerge fully-formed, they splinter from existing religions. QAnon appears to have a Christian basis.
You can argue whether or not that's overstating the religious connotations of QAnon, but IMO the article makes a pretty compelling case and certainly isn't drivel that shouldn't have made it past the Atlantics editors.
Also quotes from adherents such as "I feel God led me to Q. I really feel like God pushed me in this direction." or "My dreams have suggested that God wants me to keep my attention focused on politics and current events".
New religions don't emerge fully-formed, they splinter from existing religions. QAnon appears to have a Christian basis.
You can argue whether or not that's overstating the religious connotations of QAnon, but IMO the article makes a pretty compelling case and certainly isn't drivel that shouldn't have made it past the Atlantics editors.
It's a stupid headline, but I followed the link to the article and it was fascinating. I was aware of QAnon as a thing after the pizzagate incident, but wow.
> Among the people of QAnon, faith remains absolute. True believers describe a feeling of rebirth, an irreversible arousal to existential knowledge. They are certain that a Great Awakening is coming. They’ll wait as long as they must for deliverance.
This is the sort of silliness I meant,not just the title but the whole content. According to the author religion is anything that rejects "enlightenment values". Every conspiracy theory,flat earthers, anti-vaxxers are all in the same boat as 90%+ of the planet (or at least a majority depending on how you mea,sure regular participation in religious services) that subscribe to organized systems of belief that describe origins of the world and how to live life correctly.
To me (and I am biased), this sounds like a propaganda piece meant to spread hate against anyone that disagrees with the author about "enlightenment ideals". Qanon is as much a religion as fascism and communism were at their very early stages. It's a social (dis)order , it has nothing to do with religion.
This is the sort of silliness I meant,not just the title but the whole content. According to the author religion is anything that rejects "enlightenment values". Every conspiracy theory,flat earthers, anti-vaxxers are all in the same boat as 90%+ of the planet (or at least a majority depending on how you mea,sure regular participation in religious services) that subscribe to organized systems of belief that describe origins of the world and how to live life correctly.
To me (and I am biased), this sounds like a propaganda piece meant to spread hate against anyone that disagrees with the author about "enlightenment ideals". Qanon is as much a religion as fascism and communism were at their very early stages. It's a social (dis)order , it has nothing to do with religion.
Early Fascist tenents were very much a reaction to the godless enlightment and 19th century secularism.
It is religious if that’s your social baseline. I’ll predict that Qanoners lean evangelical.
It is religious if that’s your social baseline. I’ll predict that Qanoners lean evangelical.
> Obsession does not mean religion. I can't believe such drivel makes it past the Atlantic's editorial.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion #4
> a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
That definition certainly applies to QAnon, no?
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion #4
> a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
That definition certainly applies to QAnon, no?
No it does not.
First, you very well know that is not the definition any english speaker identifies as religion.
Second, you may think it's by faith but to them it's facts, so even by that definition it's wrong.
Is anti-vaxxing a religion? Is flat-earth conspiracy a religion? This is the sort of dishonesty disguised with well wordes intellectual phrasing I despise. No reasonable adult believes any of these things are a religion.
I have a fun one, is FOSS a religion if I have faith that it will lead to the best outcome for society and I hold that belief with ardor?
First, you very well know that is not the definition any english speaker identifies as religion.
Second, you may think it's by faith but to them it's facts, so even by that definition it's wrong.
Is anti-vaxxing a religion? Is flat-earth conspiracy a religion? This is the sort of dishonesty disguised with well wordes intellectual phrasing I despise. No reasonable adult believes any of these things are a religion.
I have a fun one, is FOSS a religion if I have faith that it will lead to the best outcome for society and I hold that belief with ardor?
> First, you very well know that is not the definition any english speaker identifies as religion.
It's certainly not the first one people may go to but it is by no means the only understanding English speakers have of religion. I'm a native English speaker and I will attest that I perfectly well understand that usage.
> Second, you may think it's by faith but to them it's facts
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith
"something that is believed especially with strong conviction" - kinda duplicating the "ardor" but absolutely nothing to do with whether things are facts or otherwise.
> is FOSS a religion if I have faith that it will lead to the best outcome for society and I hold that belief with ardor?
By MW's definition? Yes, it can be.
It's certainly not the first one people may go to but it is by no means the only understanding English speakers have of religion. I'm a native English speaker and I will attest that I perfectly well understand that usage.
> Second, you may think it's by faith but to them it's facts
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith
"something that is believed especially with strong conviction" - kinda duplicating the "ardor" but absolutely nothing to do with whether things are facts or otherwise.
> is FOSS a religion if I have faith that it will lead to the best outcome for society and I hold that belief with ardor?
By MW's definition? Yes, it can be.
> It's certainly not the first one people may go to but it is by no means the only understanding English speakers have of religion. I'm a native English speaker and I will attest that I perfectly well understand that usage.
Can you concede that is not the definition the article is using? If you read the article, they portray Qanon as an organized religion,not as an ardent belief someone holds. The meaning portrayed by the author is blatantly dishonest and incorrect.
> something that is believed especially with strong conviction" - kinda duplicating the "ardor" but absolutely nothing to do with whether things are facts or otherwise.
No, the "ardor and faith" is the definition, since we are hairsplitting and ignoring the obvious meaning the author is using. Qanon people don't consider their belief a matter of passionate ardent faith. Just like flat earthers. Can you read their minds that you disagree with them about the nature of their own beliefs?
> By MW's definition? Yes, it can be.
Unfortunately, unless that definition is specified we must infer the definitioneant by the author from the context of the article. MW's definition you picked out is irrelevant unless you can show the context is using that definiton.
Can you concede that is not the definition the article is using? If you read the article, they portray Qanon as an organized religion,not as an ardent belief someone holds. The meaning portrayed by the author is blatantly dishonest and incorrect.
> something that is believed especially with strong conviction" - kinda duplicating the "ardor" but absolutely nothing to do with whether things are facts or otherwise.
No, the "ardor and faith" is the definition, since we are hairsplitting and ignoring the obvious meaning the author is using. Qanon people don't consider their belief a matter of passionate ardent faith. Just like flat earthers. Can you read their minds that you disagree with them about the nature of their own beliefs?
> By MW's definition? Yes, it can be.
Unfortunately, unless that definition is specified we must infer the definitioneant by the author from the context of the article. MW's definition you picked out is irrelevant unless you can show the context is using that definiton.
This submission is a newsletter briefing. The feature article ("The Prophecies of Q") is here:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/qanon-n...
The comparison to religion is better explained in sections VI and VII.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/qanon-n...
The comparison to religion is better explained in sections VI and VII.
Brings to mind a scene from Fight Club -- "His name is Robert Paulson"
They got it wrong. The Cult of Kek is the religion, and Qanon is its prophet.
I believe "cult" is the word they were looking for
Cults have leaders.
Qanon is the leader of the Qcult which is based out of Qkun.
Religions have both leaders and tax exemption. I wouldn't be surprised if in some time they'd become one by similar means to the ones employed by Scientology some time ago. Being pro-Trump might add some attached benefits too.
Non-profits have a tax exemption, religios orgs don't specifically have an exemption. Qanon related orgs can be exempt if they are not for profit.
Boomers sure were exposed to a whole hell of a lot of lead from leaded gasoline.
More interestingly, it seems as if it is actually follows the plot of a novel, called “Q” written in 1999 by an Italian surrealist collecting under the pseudonym “Luther Bisset”.
More interestingly, it seems as if it is actually follows the plot of a novel, called “Q” written in 1999 by an Italian surrealist collecting under the pseudonym “Luther Bisset”.
The QAnon stuff probably skews young rather than old, given it spread via reddit, twitter, and 4chan.
* Luther Blissett, from the footballer of the same name.
I mean come on, you can't be sillier that Qanon when trying to do discredit them. I hate partisan propaganda so much,it thrives on intellectual dishonesty.
Qanon is a social movement,ideology,cultural phenomna and other things. Much like the teaparty movement a few years ago (one can say it evolved from it).
Of course I personally think it is something people who hated Obama rallied around. A social movement to promote modern xenophobia and racism and implement fascist rule in america and the west. Perhaps a Russian thing. (Reminds od this bad guy speech from "The sum of all fears" : https://youtube.com/watch?v=Wzp2rpe06j8)