When Daniel* first became involved in his local church group three years ago, he was exposed to a wide-range of political opinions and ideas. The group, based in a university town in Indiana, was largely frequented by students and academics. But as time went on, he started coming across more and more people espousing radical ideologies.
“I’ve known conspiracy theorists and online alt-right types for years,” he says. It wasn’t uncommon for him to hear these notions in meetings or see them posted occasionally on Facebook. His church group had always been politically diverse, though, and members prone to such ideas didn’t air them very publicly. Controversy remained firmly outside of the group’s discussions.
Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month
Content from our partners
