An atheist writer and critical race theory critic who made his name submitting fake articles for publication in progressive academic journals and later attacking “liberal” evangelicals has a new target: conservative Christian nationalists.
James Lindsay, who describes himself as a “professional troublemaker,” rewrote parts of “The Communist Manifesto,” adding some critiques of “the liberal establishment,” and then sent it off to the American Reformer, an online magazine that seeks to “promote a vigorous Christian approach to the cultural challenges of our day.”
The essay, published with a fake byline of “Marcus Carlson,” was publicado in mid-November, and begins with a lead that mimics the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
“A rising spirit is haunting America: the spirit of a true Christian Right,” the essay begins, reminiscent of the opening lines of “The Communist Manifesto”: “A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of communism.”
The idea, Lindsay explained, was to embarrass what he described as “Woke Right” conservatives by getting them to publish the works of actual communists.
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“They published Karl Marx’s definitive Communist work, dressed up to resemble their own pompous, self-pitying drivel, when it was submitted from a completely unknown author with no internet footprint whatsoever bearing the name ‘Marcus Carlson,’” Lindsay wrote in revealing his hoax, an announcement that coincided with the magazine’s “Giving Tuesday” campaign.
The founder of American Reformer seemed to take the hoax in stride.
“Well, you have to hand it to James Lindsey — he ‘got us,’” Josh Abbotoy, co-founder of American Reformer, wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, referring to Lindsay’s hoax.
The publication’s editors, who did not respond to a request for comment, added Lindsay’s byline to the story but did not retract it. However, in an editor’s note, they wrote that they’d be beefing up their editorial screening — and noted Lindsay’s lack of faith.
“The following article was written by James Lindsay, who, as an avowed atheist, is not eligible for publication in American Reformer,” the editors wrote.
The Karl Marx hoax is the latest twist in the story of Lindsay, a former massage therapist with a Ph.D. in mathematics who reinvented himself as an internet gadfly and self-proclaimed enemy of “woke” Americans — and an occasional ally of conservative Christians.
Lindsay first came to fame in 2018, when he and a pair of co-authors submitted a series of papers to what they called “grievance studies” academic journals, including one paper about “fat bodybuilding” and another about sex at dog parks. Some of the journals published the papers — which included fake research and, in one instance, a similar strategy of updated passages of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” with buzzy academic phrases — launching Lindsay into a career in mocking so-called woke liberals and critical race theory.
He later Unido with some conservative Southern Baptists who claimed their denomination had become too liberal, especially making videos about the “woke invasion” with Michael O’Fallon, an activist who also organized cruises for Calvinist Christian nationalists.
In 2023, conservative activist Charlie Kirk interviewed Lindsay at a Turning Point USA event for pastors, claiming he’d traveled the country with the atheist activist, trying to convince Christians to fight liberals.
Lindsay, who did not respond to a request for an interview, has now turned against what he calls “The Woke Right,” which he described on his podcast as conservatives using “woke methods” to promote conservative values.
The term “woke” was popularized during the protests that followed the death of George Floyd, as a way of saying that people were aware of systemic racism. That led to a conservative backlash, including from some evangelical groups who objected to any mention of social justice in religious circles.
By 2022, some conservatives had begun to turn the phrase on their own, accusing others in their ranks of being divisive extremists who seek out conflict.
“If the first words out of their mouth, for instance, are ‘establishment’ and ‘globalists,’ you can rest assured they are not very thoughtful and they are probably about to lie to you,” U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican from Texas, dijo al Texas Tribune in 2022. “I’m just sick of it because it’s manufactured division.”
Neil Shenvi, a popular blogger and critic of critical race theory, etiquetado Christian nationalists such as Stephen Wolfe, author of “The Case for Christian Nationalism,” as part of the “woke right” for promoting the idea that conservative Christians — especially white Christians — are being oppressed by liberals.
Lindsay has taken up the fight, putting him at odds with the American Reformer and groups like it. Stephen Wolfe has also been among his targets, as has former Trump administration staffer turned Southern Baptist critic William Wolfe, Gab founder Andrew Torba, Candice Owen, Tucker Carlson and Joel Webbon, a Texas pastor known for his antisemitic takes, claims of “anti-white discrimination” and his hopes to ban women from voting.
The American Reformer hoax set off a social media feud between Lindsay’s allies and the supporters of those he criticized — with Lindsay’s correo on X about the matter receiving 1.9 million views and 666 comments as of Thursday morning (Dec. 5).
While the American Reformer’s editors were fooled by the hoax, some of its readers were not. Within days of the article’s publication, readers noticed something was off and suspected plagiarism. “So, as an old commercial would go, is the above article real or is it memorex?” wrote a reader in the comments.
Bob Smietana es reportero nacional de Religion News Service.
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It just goes to show that most christians who call everything they disagree with “communism” have no idea what communism actually is.
It’s like when Chris Rufo decided to go after CRT, turning the term into a catch all for anything the right doesn’t like.
“We have successfully frozen their brand—”critical race theory”—into the public conversation and are steadily driving up negative perceptions. We will eventually turn it toxic, as we put all of the various cultural insanities under that brand category.” https://x.com/realchrisrufo/status/1371540368714428416?lang=en
Critical Race Theory should not exist within the church at all. There is no credible debate otherwise. And as an aside, as long as you are a practicing Democrat that is a proponent of abortion, you have absolutely no credibility when speaking on issues within the church. You have no moral framework to base any of your views on when you reject the clear instructions of the Bible.
Huh? CRT essentially says institutions reinforce racism. That’s it. Do our institutions – government, business, church – not have problems with racism?
“You have no moral framework to base any of your views on when you reject the clear instructions of the Bible”
David, I pray you are walking in absolute PERFECT obedience of all scriptures to say something like this.
And Jen, your affiliation with the church is based on your personal relationship with Christ, not political party. The blood of Christ is not neutralized or negated by how you vote, and you are quite welcome in the church and to speak on matters of the church.
Guau.
Marin Heiskell:
Please read carefully. David Cremer’s statement called out jen for her abortion stance, not her political party:
His words: “…as long as you are a practicing Democrat that is a proponent of abortion…”
Which STILL does not negate her salvation or her voice in the church. That is based on her relationship with Christ as Lord and Savior alone.
My comment stands.
Marín,
The irony is that my moral framework is BUILT on what the Bible “clearly” says! Love God, love your neighbor, love your enemy, be transformed, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner, take the plank out of your own eye first, challenge injustice, blessed are the peacemakers, and the rest of the sermon on the mount.
I’ve just let go of a lot of the extra stuff that had been attached to that scaffolding by the american evangelical church, and it’s taken quite a while to get to even this point- that stuff is ingrained deep.
I’ve never heard anyone called a practicing Democrat or for that matter, a practicing Republican. Politics really has become a new religion.
Jane, I’m not so much a “practicing” democrat so much as I “vote” democrat- which seems to be one the biggest sins you can commit around here. It often raises a bigger fuss than most of the church scandal stuff. No worries though, I know where I stand with Christ, and mere men can’t kick me out of the kingdom :).
And really, my loyalty isn’t to any candidate or party- my loyalty is to Christ, and I vote based on who gets closer to His ideals of loving neighbors and enemies well, feeding the poor, clothing the naked, visiting the prisoner, and challenging injustice. I actually think the democratic party falls woefully short on most of those, but they’re trying- and the GOP seems to be against those things. I would vote further left if there was a viable candidate (and sometimes, locally, there is!)
Hi David. Why do you believe that Critical Race Theory should not exist within the church at all?
And to top it off, Communist Manifesto wasn’t even Karl Marx’s greatest work, just the best-known. According to an Economics textbook from my Jr College days, Marx’s actual strength was as a systems analyst and his greatest work Das Kapital – a thorough critique and systems analysis of Capitalism from a mid-Victorian knowledge base.
But Marx later redefined himself as an Apocalyptic Prophet with Communist Manifesto, and the rest is history.
Jen – you raise a great point. It has LONG been concerning to me how groups will take one word or concept and weaponize it to the point that they twist and/or lose track of its meaning.
I’ve seen the mere presence of a Black character lead or LGBTQIA couple in a film labeled as “woke”. (That’s not what that means).
I’ve seen ANY mention of Black history labeled as “CRT.” (Reading the autobiography of a young Black girl – Ruby Bridges – who integrated a school is NOT CRT).
Likewise, I’ve seen words used as “thought stoppers” to shut down any disagreeable conversation. Responding to someone who is concerned about racism with “race baiter!” or someone who supports a progressive cause with “Communist!” or “baby killer!” is intellectually lazy – and often exposes a lack of understanding of the actual words being hurled.
Words have meaning. Let’s get back to caring about that so we can have productive conversation.
This is the typical insidious approach of “fight your enemy on the outside and undermine them from the inside”. The purpose is to make people jaded and nihilistic so there’s no resistance left in them. Ignorantly naive (or utopian globalist) can (and will) revive the stereotyping mantra that the conservative resistors “see a communist under every bed” but it doesn’t stop the obvious consequences of the truth that have been unfolding. It’s a tactic used to gag those who actually researched the openly proclaimed plans of the Atheistic Belief System’s dystopian plans,
I seriously doubt you know what communism actually is either.
Wow, so he proved that an online publication that no one reads has lax editorial standards. What an accomplishment.
ALL eight billion people on the earth today have been created by One Eternal Creator and have His Breath in them: Alahim, Who is Father YHWH, Son Yahshua haMashiach and Ruach haQ’Dosh: ECHAD. For this purpose, mankind was created by Alahim: To have a people for Him Self. He will continue until this has been accomplished, for He always finishes what He begins as Aleph and Tau. We are being restored back to Father’s House, where He is Head, Authority: Ezekiel 43:12; He has placed Eternity in all of our hearts, as Solomon wisely penned in the book of Ecclesiastes. Until one finds this Creator and rests solely in Him Alone and in His Word: His precepts, works, statutes, judgements, commandments, ways, laws, testimonies, ordinances and Covenant of His Son’s shed blood on Calvary’s tree, the soul has no rest. THIS REST is Whom this created-by-YHWH man James Lindsay is seeking. May he resist mocking any person on the earth who is also seeking and declaring our Rest, Yahshua haMashaich, and may he find Him, soon, for He is not far off! Michael Card sings it, best in his epic and unforgettable 19991 release: “We Will Find Him.”
The term “Woke” originated in American Black Vernacular (at one point called “Ebonics”).
It originally meant “someone who understands”.
To say someone was “Woke” meant “He understands where I’m coming from”.
Now there is little or no difference between “More Woke Than Thou” and “Holier Than Thou”.
Exact same dynamic.
It strikes me as somewhat odd that anyone would need to use subterfuge to expose the weaknesses of Marxism and its ascendance in the Church. Why not expose it for what it is in an honest, straightforward essay?
That said, I have to hand it to James Lindsay: As stated by Josh Abbotoy, James “got us.” He accomplished several things by doing so. First, he exposed how lax editorial standards have become, particularly in Christian circles. Allegations of plagiarism have arisen in various “Christian” publications in recent years, and some leaders have even refused to apologize for lifting others’ ideas and words. (Christine Caine comes to mind). Second, he elucidated the strange love relationship between some leaders who profess Christ and Karl Marx’s philosophy. Unfortunately, these leaders appear to have left Biblical morality behind in their quest to become “woke” like the world. Finally, James revealed the hypocrisy of those who claim Christ yet decry Christian behavior and attitudes. It is not possible to love Jesus while loving Karl Marx: Their views are diametrically opposed to each other on many levels. Here is just one example of what Karl believed to be true:
“Marx’s views on religion are sometimes classified as Post-Theism, a philosophical position that views worshipping deities as a temporary stage in humanity’s spiritual development.” (AI Online)
There is no “Spiritual Development” without Christ. Sorry, Karl. How wrong you were! You lost out on a supernatural relationship with the God of the Universe.
Well said! Only those who are naively ignorant of history and the well publicized Atheistic Belief System’s doctrines of a man-made “heaven on earth” will be hectored into silence. Insidious tactic of fighting externally while infiltrating to create disarray inside any group of resistance makes for distrust, nihilism and jadedness. That’s why Satan is called the “father of lies” (John 8) and his “children” love to do the evil things he does. 2 John 1:7 warns, “I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist.” I don’t agree with the Postmillennial belief that any fallen human with a sin nature trying to create a perfect “Christian Kingdom on earth because they will only be usurped into the Atheistic Belief System’s deceptions, just like all the other attempts to accomplish that man-made folly in history.
Dr. Norbeck: I would have quoted Marx himself, rather than quote AI Online.
When I discuss Eastern Orthodoxy with other sorts of believers (or non-believers), I ask them to read what we Orthodox have to say about ourselves, rather than quote non-Orthodox with rather incomplete knowledge of Church History who often think we are the same as Roman Catholics and consequently deserving of their disdain.
What a lightweight assessment of James Lindsay. Like or dislike him I am in both camps, FD). He is an intellect worth reading. I think he is well out of Bob’s league, so Bob missed the point entirely. Read Lindsay, you won’t regret it.