Been thinking about why my fellow Christians often but not always seem fascinated with conspiracy theories? Then it struck me perhaps simplistically that people pay money to be scared. Money for amusement rides, like roller coasters, money for bad news in papers, money to be told they might go to hell in Church, but never does money ever get paid it seems to me to go on the reassurance ride. Yet the prince of peace that excels all thought that perfects perfect love that throws fear outside seems to be the exact antithesis of this mode of thinking.
So if people pay money for this, perhaps due to the addictive effects of adrenaline, how much will free fear be pursued? Is this why, despite Jesus eating meals with tax collectors and sinners, is there often the fear of the other and different exonerated and encouraged in many Christian hearts despite its corrosive effects on society. Is this why Christianity and other faiths are more often than not the last to agree with social progress, as with the abolition of slavery, or women’s rights and now gay equality? Should they not in theory be at the forefront of social change that is a light to the world, rather than the world being its light with religion lagging miles behind?
If there be any argument of course over the question for instance of woman’s and equality with men being a benefit to society for example, one only has to take Christ’s advice to judge a tree by its fruits to see the benefits over what went before. What are the fruits of female equality with men? Less death associated with child birth, more wealth in a nation, technological progress, and many subcategories of these. Other benefits would include more understanding and respect for the concept of justice in society, self-respect, virtue synthesis and of course more peace on a general level. It seems to be that the benefits outweigh any negatives as it would with other aspects of the equality fight in society.
So what is with these conspiracy theories that to my mind so fascinate many fear based Christians? Is it a reaction against peace? After all no one pays money to go feed the ducks in the peaceful sunshine near the lake, yet the new slasher death film makes millions. I remember a line in the film the Matrix, where agent Smith said that the first Matrix that had been created for human habitation was made to be a paradise, where no one suffered and everyone would be happy, but that it failed due to the human’s primitive brain that kept trying to wake them up from its peacefulness. Could it be that the main enemy of Jesus` gospel message are such Christians who spread paranoia, fear, alienation and thus hate?
Any thought from anyone?