How Catholicism became a breeding ground for conspiracy theories
A perfect storm of institutional crises, the polarization of perceived winners and losers and an influx of evangelicals has made Catholicism fertile ground for conspiracy theories. Adamo Tadolini s statue of St. Paul stands in front of St. Peter s Basilica at the Vatican. Photo by AngMoKio/Creative Commons
March 5, 2021
VATICAN CITY (RNS) If it’s true that all roads lead to Rome, it’s also true that in one way or another, all conspiracy theories lead to the Vatican.
Be it the illuminati, aliens or even a time machine buried in its hidden archives, the Vatican has been a favored subject for conspirators thanks to its penchant for secrecy and a talent for smoke and mirrors.
Arm yourself against conspiracy theories
There are basic ways to distinguish the plausible from the far-fetched.
By Scot Lehigh Globe Columnist,Updated January 28, 2021, 4:21 p.m.
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A protester touting conspiracy theories yells over a bullhorn in front of the Ohio State House in Columbus, Jan. 17, during a nationwide protest called by antigovernment and far-right groups supporting Donald Trump and his false claim of electoral fraud in the Nov. 3 presidential election.STEPHEN ZENNER/AFP via Getty Images
Conspiracy theories might once have seemed like odd but innocuous beliefs entertained by harmless eccentrics. No longer. We have now seen how they can spark deadly violence. The Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol came because a mob of angry Trump supporters labored under the groundless conspiratorialist delusion that the presidential election had been stolen from their favored candidate.
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