Christianity has been “hijacked” by Christian Nationalists, right-wing Conservatives and Dominionists, according to John Fugelsang, author of the 2025 book Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds. “The entire history of the organized religion has been authoritarian control,” he said on our interview for the Cults, Culture & Coercion podcast. However, he also noted a deep appreciation for the teaching of Christ through the Bible and as used by non-violent activists like Martin Luther King Jr., “There’s this incredible history of liberation thought and a true history of Christian activism that’s almost always in resistance to Christian authoritarianism.”
“This book is a guide to everything the haters got wrong, and how, even if you’re an atheist, if you’re debating a Christian fundamentalist, Jesus agrees with you whether he exists or not, on every topic that divides us, it gives you the right-wing arguments and why they’re full of crap.” I replied that I’d interviewed many biblical scholars over the years and that I felt John really knew his stuff when it came to countering Christian nationalist fascists. I encouraged listeners to read or listen to his book.
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Cults, Culture & Coercion with Dr. Steve Hassan