Ok, bear with me... Mankind is developing a new type of religion: conspiracy-theorism.

[DetlefK]

1. At the heart of religion is the philosophy of "animism": Things are this way, because SOMEONE made the SUBJECTIVE DECISION for things to be this way.

2. Religion gives a set of morals and knowledge. It aides you in making difficult decisions and it gives you the assurance of knowing the world and your place in the world.

3. Having the correct religion automatically makes you better than other people, on an immaterial, moral, esoteric, supernatural level.




The material successes of science since the 18th century have lead to people slowly but surely turning away from religion: The number of self-proclaimed religious people is shrinking.

BUT... On an emotional level, people still desire and need the comforts religion provides.
(As an agnostic scientist, I can say that it is possible to find emotional and moral comfort and cosmic beauty in the naturalist world-view, but it takes some time and you need to get really deep into it.)

So, while people reject the notion of religion, not only publicly but to the point of lying to themselves and denying their true selves, deep down on a subconscious level they still desire the spoils of religion.




And THIS is the reason why these non-religious people have created their own new religion: conspiracy-theories.

1. Why are things the way they are? Because some unaccountable cabal of people made it that way. (Unaccountable and untouchable, outside of the realm of law and elections, essentially a "supernatural" power.)

2. Conspiracy-theories provide you with the knowledge how the world ACTUALLY works.

3. Knowing this conspiracy-theory automatically makes you a GENIUS. Defending this conspiracy-theory and seeking to spread it automatically makes you a HERO, because it makes you stand in opposition to the Big Evil.






My point is: While traditional, organized religion is slowly dying over the centuries, a disorganized new type of religion has recently emerged:
The belief in conspiracy-theories.

[rampartc]

1. the antidote to conspiracy theory is science

transparency helps a lot but logic and evidence are necessary.

[Biophilic]

2. What an interesting theory.

I need to think on it but it answers some questions about how quickly and how hard these conspiracies have taken hold. Hmmm…. Thanks for the thoughts

[Voltaire2]

3. That is not animism.

""animism": Things are this way, because SOMEONE made the SUBJECTIVE DECISION for things to be this way" - nope. Animism is the pre-theistic belief system that holds that all things contain 'spirit'. There is no divine entity 'making things this way' in animist beliefs.

Also conspiracy theories have plagued society for a long time. For example, for centuries Jews were periodically responsible for all sorts of horrible shit and as a consequence had to be killed in sufficient numbers to atone for their malfeasance. See also the late mediaeval and early modern witch hunts.

Also, the current CT people are frequently religious christians, at least in this country. This is not some shit that the irreligious invented.

[brewens]

6. Yeah. Most of the QLanders I know are Christians, or at least claim to be. They are conditioned

to accept things without proof. Then they will also point to about anything as proof.

[Thomas Hurt]

4. Fascist have to hate an enemy to hate monger and scapegoat, and in turn...

to create a race hero cult to fight that enemy and right their perceived wrongs.

You aren't special unless everyone is out to get you.

[Effete Snob]

5. Conspiracy theories are a "new" religion, you say?

[Karadeniz]

7. Interesting!!! Conspiracy theories will definitely attract some people interested in knowing the

Truth, but some people will also leave current religion in a search for truth not tainted by dogma.

[walkingman]

8. Your relating conspiracy-theories to non-religious people is

strange. I see just the opposite. Most people that believe in "sky gods" will believe more than likely believe anything. If fact, I would think that religious people likely are the creators of conspiracy theories.

[usonian]

9. I don't think it's a religion. More a psychological reaction.

Religions are more complex. Spare you the detail to avoid controversy ...


So here's a good article and I'll just quote a bit.
Read it. It's simple and to the point.
I'd like to quote more but rules don't allow it and Wikipedia is way too complex.


Why Do People Believe in Conspiracy Theories?
The need to find order in a confusing world.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-apes/201801/why-do-people-believe-in-conspiracy-theories

The researchers found that reasons for believing in conspiracy theories can be grouped into three categories:

• The desire for understanding and certainty
• The desire for control and security
• The desire to maintain a positive self-image

This seems to explain a lot of it:


IMO: The turn away from religion, in our times, has a lot to do with (how to say this politely?) the hypocrisy of some so-called religious groups and leaders who preach one thing and seek the opposite for themselves, be it secular power or other sleaze.

Many of us (being neither scholars nor theologians) became aware of this phenomenon courtesy of "Elmer Gantry" --- the novel by Sinclair Lewis in 1927 and the movie in 1960.

[Major Nikon]

10. The people I see buying into the silliest conspiracy theories are also deeply religious

Once you have been indoctrinated into believing in talking snakes and donkeys, grasping the idea people are being secretly replaced by shapeshifting lizard people isn't that much of a stretch.

[shrike3]

13. I've seen both religious and non-religious buy into them.

The science fiction nerds of my acquaintance, for example, believe in all sorts of conspiracy theories about flying saucers, etc.

[Major Nikon]

15. There's been a few DUers over the years that went down the crop circle and chemtrails rabbit holes

And there was certainly no shortage of the 9/11 "truthers" here on DU for a time and some of the anti-vax fringe nuts never left. I don't think any of them were terribly religious. So yes, it does happen. However when it comes to the truly batshit crazy stuff like lizard people, child blood sacrifice rituals, anti-Christ, end times, etc, that comes almost exclusively from highly religious loons.

[shrike3]

16. Depends on the details, I guess.

End times, anti-Christ stuff, certainly. Those folks definitely tend to be religious. Although not always THAT religious. Amazingly, these can be folks with religious backgrounds who sort of believe, but may not even go to church, but when they are frightened fall back on what they were taught and may have not even thought about in years.

Lizard people, blood sacrifices -- you'd be surprised. Wellness types, New Agers. Some fell hard into Q. Science fiction types go for the lizard theory. Youtube seems to be a source of conspiracy theories. One guy I talked with believes aliens (in flying saucers) are shutting down nuke plants around the world because a nuclear exchange would rupture the space time continuum and screw up the whole universe. He pointed to plant shutdowns that are allegedly inexplicable. Why aliens are shutting them down only temporarily he couldn't explain.

LOTS of crazy out there.

[slightlv]

11. I can see your point...

am pressed for time, but I really like the subject and would like to explore it more with you if you want to DM, or maybe even explore more here. Religious or not, I'd agree it's definitely a cult!

[shrike3]

14. You may be on to something.

I heard, and saw, some of the strangest things during the height of the pandemic. People who'd on one hand say that religion is the scourge of the earth and should be abolished would on the other hand say that Covid was a hoax and/or it was a weapon created by either the U.S. government or China to control us. Among other theories.

Also, where I live churches were hosting vaccination clinics, and little old ladies who go to the church every week got double boosted. Go figure.

The conspiracy types I described above are almost entirely white men (and a few white women, usually girlfriends or wives of that type) who feel beleaguered in general: everyone is out to get them. They hate trans people, they hate woke people. The list goes on.

Your explanation is as good as any, I suppose.