American believers have so wrapped their eschatology (theology of end times) in the Left Behind series, that they forget true Biblical eschatology. Q plays into these narratives to incite many Christians into believing his baseless lies. It appears that many Christians have spent more time reading Left Behind and less time actually reading the Bible, that they have a fear-based and WRONG end-times view. This leads to shouts of "It's the end! It's the end! Hide in the mountains! Grab your jugs of water! Get your generators ready! Come on, let's run away and hide!" Jesus in Matthew 24-25 tells us to have the exact opposite response. In 1 Thess. 5, we see he will come when people LEAST expect it! Yet, people who are willing to base their theology on a fictional novel are more apt to believe a random online persona who says they have "deep dark secrets" that will expose certain people!
(For some CMA end-times theology Read: Eschatology Found In Matthew 24 or Listen to Jesus is Coming)
Granted, #Q seems to be on the side of conservativism. Q rails against the democrats, Q demeans democrats, defames democrats, and calls the democrat elites owners of child-sex trafficking rings. As conservative Christians, we want to believe these things because it fits our narrative and it fits the picture many conservative Christians have already painted of liberal politicians. For many, when confronted with it being a lie say: "Well, these things are just not hard to believe". This sets the groundwork for people to believe anything that fits their internal narrative. Many conservative Christians want democrats to lose so badly that they get giddy with glee when they see memes, or posts pointing to the elite democrats doing anything illegal.
I personally don't care which political party is being attacked by Q, this is not about politics for me. I care that Q is a lying manipulator who is only being used by Satan to further divide the church. No matter who Q was lying about, I'd speak out, because Q is dangerous! Many may feel this is a political post, but I assure you it is NOT so. This is a post from the heart of a pastor seeing believers all across our nation believing a false gospel.
Q has caused more division with his lies within the church than many other issues or people in these last 3 years. When we share lies and un-fact checked information, our credibility is lost. When a Christian's credibility gets lost, we lose our voice to witness. If we have a true Biblical eschatology, we know that this is a BAD thing! Our goal is to hasten the coming of the Lord by spreading the Gospel. We are called to go into the world and make disciples of JESUS, not Q or anyone else!
Here is an excerpt from an article about pastors and their concern over Q that are similar to my own thoughts:
Jared Stacy said the spread of conspiracy theories in his church is particularly affecting young members. The college and young adult pastor of Spotswood Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Stacy said some older members are sharing Facebook content that links the coronavirus to Jeffrey Epstein and secret pedophile rings. He says his and other pastors’ job is to teach that conspiracy theories are not where Christians should find a basis for reality.
“My fear … is that Jesus would not be co-opted by conspiracy theories in a way that leads the next generation to throw Jesus out with the bathwater,” Stacy said, “that we’re not able to separate the narrative of taking back our country from Jesus’ kingdom narrative.”
Others are concerned the theories will become grounds for more mistrust. “Young people are exiting the church because they see their parents and mentors and pastors and Sunday school teachers spreading things that even at a young age they can see through,” said Jeb Barr, the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Elm Mott outside Waco, Texas. He said conspiracy theories are “extremely widespread and getting worse” among his online church networks.
“Why would we listen to my friend Joe … who’s telling me about Jesus who also thinks that Communists are taking over America and operating a pedophile ring out of a pizza restaurant? … Why would we be believed?”
But Barr and other pastors I spoke with are reticent to police church members’ social media conduct. Instead, they try to teach broader principles. “Christians are meant to be agents of hope, to be peacemakers; the Bible says we’re not to be quarrelsome,” said Barr. “We’re not to be the ones spreading fear and division and anger.” (FULL ARTICLE HERE)
One writer states of Q: "Qanon is a baseless conspiracy theory, which has spawned real-world violence". People have gotten hurt by following Q's "hints". This is the other danger of Q. A Bible Believing man almost shot and killed innocent people in a pizza shop because Q said there was a child sex-trafficking ring in the basement. This man had guns, and a determination to set the kids free. BUT, Q was wrong. That shop didn't even have a basement! (See links below)
Despite Q being wrong, he was still revered and believed.
Q continued after what's known as #pizzagate spreading rumors and "prophesying" about things that were about to happen. People who were going to be arrested "that night" for this, that or the other thing. When those arrests didn't happen Q said in effect: "I had to spread false information to keep the offenders on their toes". The same group who fell for Harold Campings' prophecies of the rapture are falling for Q over and over and over again. This is dangerous!
One man killed another man believing he was part of the "deep state" that Q prophesies against. (See links below)
Joe Carter, a conservative Christian writer for the Gospel Coalition says: "Although it’s still on the fringe, Christians should be aware of the threat this political cult poses to the global church". He labels Qanon as a cult and a threat to the church. Cults are dangerous. Cults are sometimes frightening. Cults confuse the gospel. Here, we have a rising cult. (Read: CMA statements on cults) Some church leaders are calling it a new hybridized religion. Q is also labeled by the FBI as a domestic terrorism threat. An FBI "Intelligence Bulletin" memo from the Phoenix Field Office dated May 30, 2019 identified QAnon-driven extremists as a domestic terrorism threat, the first time a fringe conspiracy theory had been labeled as such. (FULL ARTICLE HERE)
Some believers hold so strongly to Q, that they have allowed a bastardized gospel to take hold of their lives and come out of their mouths and off their fingertips. With these believers running amok inside the church, you have a recipe for a dangerous division that will only be exploited by Satan (and has been!). Paul warned against false prophets...Q and his social media warriors are false prophets infiltrating the church. I cannot say this strongly enough. Some churches are even rising up as Qanon Churches! (See article: Qanon Religious Movement). Some of my readers have denied this fact, but Christians are seeking to interpret the Bible through a Q lens! Wake up!
Jesus said: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?" (Matthew 7:15-16 ESV). The fruit of Q and their disciples is division, fear, hatred, and lies. That pretty much sums it up. I've not seen one Q meme, or Q post repeated that was uplifting, encouraging, or lovingly challenging. Instead, I've seen them to be full of hate, derision, and purposefully dividing one side from the other.
I believe anyone with an audience (social media or otherwise) who shares this bastardized gospel is an unknowing wolf, and a purposeful wolf if they are aware of the lies and do it anyway with the purpose of causing division. There is a special judgment for teachers (Judged twice as much), and anyone sharing a bastardized gospel has taken on the mantel of the teacher. When we follow Q; We stop promoting Jesus and the true Gospel. We stop telling people about Jesus and instead tell them the newest, bogus theory running around. We don't lead people to Jesus, we lead them to a false prophet.
In doing this...we actually SLOW DOWN Christ's return rather than HASTEN it!
Hopefully, after reading this, you will be concerned with this movement and encouraged to be more cautious in what you believe and share with others via social media or in regular conversation. We're called to spread the Gospel, not a false gospel of a cult leader.
I love how conservative writer Huckabee ends his article on Q:
"There are no easy answers about what can be done about QAnon. The lack of a shared epistemology means that debates are often doomed to frustration, as what one side considers a trusted news source may be considered a propaganda machine by the other. But the fact that Christians seem extra open to conspiracies does reveal that something is deeply broken in how people of faith are spreading their worldview. When Christianity is set up as a cultural battle instead of an opportunity to serve, others are seen not as people in need of love but enemies who need to be feared and mistrusted".
I underlined that last line because that is the crux of the matter. Love is what should be our driving force. If this is not how we are operating, we are flying in the face of Jesus' call to love one another. He said: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” (John 13:35 ESV)
Below I have placed several articles (Christian and Secular) for you to read to get a fuller grasp on Q, Qanon, and the dangers they bring forward to both the nation and the church.
Christian Standpoints (all quoted above):
https://relevantmagazine.com/god/church/why-are-so-many-christians-falling-for-qanon/
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-faqs-what-christians-should-know-about-qanon/
https://religionnews.com/2020/08/17/qanon-the-alternative-religion-thats-coming-to-your-church/
Allegheny Center Alliance Church- Pastor Rock on Conspiracy Theories
Secular Standpoints:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/qanon-nothing-can-stop-what-is-coming/610567/
These sites will educate you. The most important article to be informed is the Atlantic Article. It spells out everything Q has done that is dangerous and lie-based. I believe that reading these articles will help you spot Q's posts and my hope is that one by one we will stop sending reposting, retweeting, and re-sending these lies. Jesus in John 8 has much to say about the importance of TRUTH. If we are fighting as conservative believers for absolute truth, which we should be, we cannot spout lies anymore! Jesus says this of those who spread false gospels:
"You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44 ESV).
Let's get back to JESUS and call out lies where lies exist. We MUST stop rattling off conspiracy theories. If it sounds outrageous, just fact check it. If it's a meme, or an article or whatever. Do YOUR due diligence to spread truth! Let's break the power of division that the Enemy has been sowing and get back to the UNITY of the Gospel! It's all about Jesus friends!
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