57 Comments
Jan 25, 2021Liked by David Farrier

I found this article hugely insightful - how QAnon cements people's loyalty through the same psychological tactics used by game makers https://medium.com/curiouserinstitute/a-game-designers-analysis-of-qanon-580972548be5

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Jan 25, 2021Liked by David Farrier

David! I also identify as a recovering evangelical and didn't realize you had a similar departure from faith. I hadn't really connected the two experiences before reading this, so thank you for encouraging empathy. It was a terrifying time in life where I didn't feel like my feet were on solid ground, and I'm sure this is how a lot of people are feeling right now during Biden's first week. Thanks for the perspective.

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Jan 26, 2021Liked by David Farrier

Scrolled onto a what i thought was a pretty mundane decor instagram page the other day, had a photo of the oval office with no people In it, particularly not biden. Just empty oval office. but it seemed to really tick some people off.

People saying its a set in hollywood made for biden as trump is in the actual oval office. Read another page somewhere on fb and people were saying they don't recognise the oval office as something actually American now.

It made me realise the really patriotic Americans are turning from their beloved icons in the last month.

I wonder if they'll eventually turn from their flag at a comment.

I had assumed that extreme American patriotism would be their rock and foundation to help american followers through q stuff but I'm really questioning that.

Its kind of weird growing up in Australia i saw the stereotypical American patriot stuff everyday on TV as 'real americans' as they called themselves, never thought it would be the 'most patriotic of patriotic' people be the ones turning their backs on it after decades of displaying disgust of people that questioned country, government, military, president, icons. Weird time!

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Jan 25, 2021Liked by David Farrier

Thank you for sharing such a personal story about leaving religion. I too walked this journey a few years ago and the amount of “friends and friendships” I lost, the amount of stress and anguish it causes some family members, then and now, sometimes I wondered if it would be just easier to go along to get along. But I feel like life is so short and so precious to do anything than live with full honesty, unending love, kindness and grace. It’s not always easy, but I try to remember my mind wasn’t changed by someone ridiculing and yelling at me. I just try to live by example so that when someone finds out I’m not religious, there is a dissonance in their mind that you can be good and moral without religion.

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Jan 25, 2021Liked by David Farrier

Supposedly the new date for Trump to become President is March 4th because The US is really a corporation because....reasons. I wonder what kind of toll the mental gymnastics required to maintain a worldview (or religion) like Q takes on a person. It was easy for me to discard Catholicism because I don't believe in holding onto beliefs that don't serve me, the only child in me won't allow it. Also, being an only child, it was clear that my parents used birth control and I can't believe in any religion that would rather people fuck themselves into poverty than take a tiny pill and practice personal responsibility, especially when the folks doing the anti-birth control dictating are not supposed to have any sex at all.

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Jan 25, 2021Liked by David Farrier

Thank you for sharing something so personal! The feelings you experienced and what you went through sound terrifying and like they could have gotten very dark at times and I’m glad you’ve came out on the other side and can share your experience! Was there any specific therapy or ways you dealt with stopping the ‘filing it away’ and embraced your new reality and feelings over it if you don’t mind me asking? I’m dealing with some stuff right now that I’ve spent years filing away and is now becoming a reality (not religion!) and the waiting lists for therapy are so long so any tips would be great!

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Jan 25, 2021Liked by David Farrier

I've been Athiest from birth (like everyone), had no religious influences at all, no one in my immediate family are or have ever been religious; I think this is why I find it hard to understand or figure out how people get in to the Qanon stuff..

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Jan 25, 2021Liked by David Farrier

Yep. I completely get why these people don't get out. I heard a former radicalized person speak about this a few weeks ago and she said that the most important thing you can do is figure out how to replace the need OUTSIDE the group that is currently being met through the group (community/stability/whatever). They won't leave without a solid reliable replacement, which is understandable. It's just like being in an abusive relationship. You have these fleeting moments of realization that this might not be normal or healthy, but you can't leave because how could you survive on your own?

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Jan 25, 2021Liked by David Farrier

Thanks David. This is really powerful and you were brave to go through that process initially and also to share it now. It resonates a lot. When things didn't make sense anymore was a terrifying time. Empathy is so key along with hope in people and their capacity to see good and evolve. Beautiful way to conclude the madness ❤

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Jan 28, 2021Liked by David Farrier

This is painful to hear because religion ongoingly is interpreted in ways that oppress and deny the rights of women, minorities and LGBTQI+ communities. Should Qanon continue in this vein, and there's no reason to believe media platforms are going to start being responsible any time soon, then it could be an emerging religion.

The video of Qanon followers misery is hard to watch not only because despair is a tough view, but because they are crying solely for themselves. They were not sad about children in cages, or the misogynist and racist republican policies that absolutely caused harm in the real world. That there is such a capacity for emotion, and that it is not spent on those not cis, strait and white shows how dehumanised everyone else has become in their world. This is a structural, complex and pervasive problem it's going to be hard to solve.

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A massive journey you went on for that time, and a necessary one - and thank the lawd (sic) you did. I had a similar journey but a far less admirable one - I simply wanted to piss of my various relatives so refused to entertain either Catholicism or JW'ism. I instead went the way of spiritualism and tarot and all that stuff that makes them lose their shit. Starting psychology studies at Uni is what cured me - the whole scientific method. And therein lies the problem. This nutjob bunch claim to have "proof" - being random vids on YouTube made by other nutjobs. No proof or scientific method in sight. And they leap upon it all like rabid dogs. Anything they can find to rationalise and support their mindset is treated like the gospel - and at least the gospel claimed to be written by God himself, so it has a weird kind of compelling sales pitch. This bunch do no such thing. I feel sorry for them - coz there does not appear to be any wait out of their delusion other than sheer exhaustion or a moment of sanity perhaps......

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Jan 26, 2021Liked by David Farrier

Thanks for the vulnerability and a deep dive into where you’ve come from.

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Jan 25, 2021Liked by David Farrier

Wow fascinating! Ive thought along these lines for a while now and youve crystallized the idea for me . Its very brave and humble of you to share this. Thanks David.

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Jan 25, 2021Liked by David Farrier

Incredible and important! Thanks for sharing. I hope many read this

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Jan 25, 2021Liked by David Farrier

Also this piece in the NY Times that shows the definite Venn diagram overlap between Christian supremacy and QAnon: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/opinion/josh-hawley-religion-democracy.html?searchResultPosition=1

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Feb 21, 2021Liked by David Farrier

So I love everything Webworm (do the fans have a name? Worm-ers? Wormheads? Just “worms”?), but I’ve been especially thinking about this one! Thank you so much for writing it. I wonder if the QAnon people will be experiencing the residual impulses of their belief system even after they intellectually know they shouldn’t — if one thing will feel true to them, when they factually know a different thing to be true. I think a lot of people in this thread have grappled with that re: Christianity (gotta raise my hand, too), but it might harder to distill with QAnon because it doesn’t seem like they have a 10 commandments or religious text outside of Q’s posts (idk, I don’t know much about it!! Hoping to learn more as you talk to more adherents and former QAnon people). In other words: it seems like we know the usual sources of guilt and shame for former Christians (sexuality first and foremost), so it makes it easier to help them and provide support — what will former QAnon people feel guilt and shame about?

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