Let’s Ask Arty uses existing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to query LLMs about politics in these troubled times.
Query 1: Are religious fundamentalists drawn to authoritarian political leaders? If so, why?
Yes, religious fundamentalists often show a strong affinity for authoritarian political leaders – and there’s a fascinating psychological and sociological logic behind it.
Shared Traits and Psychological Alignment
Rigidity and Certainty: Fundamentalism is rooted in the belief in an inerrant set of religious teachings; religious rigidity and certainty mirror Authoritarianism’s emphasis on strict rules, obedience, and moral absolutism.
Low Openness to Experience: Both religious fundamentalists and authoritarian personalities tend to resist ambiguity, novelty, and complexity.
Cognitive Simplicity: Studies show that fundamentalists often prefer clear-cut answers and hierarchical structures, which align with authoritarian leaders who promise order and control.
Perceived Threats and Social Change
Fear of Cultural Shifts: Fundamentalists may feel threatened by secularism, liberal social movements, or pluralism, as they perceive these as challenges to their traditional values. Authoritarian leaders often position themselves as defenders of “traditional values,” making them appealing protectors.
Us vs. Them Mentality: Authoritarian rhetoric thrives on identifying enemies—whether immigrants, minorities, or dissenters. An us vs. them mentality resonates with fundamentalist groups that view the world in moral binaries.
Political Strategy and Mobilization
Christian Nationalism: In the U.S., for example, white evangelical Protestants and Christian nationalists score high on authoritarianism scales and are more likely to support leaders who promise to restore religious dominance in public life.
Religious Endorsements: Authoritarian leaders often co-opt religious symbols and institutions to legitimize their rule. This creates a feedback loop where religious fundamentalists feel seen and empowered
Query 2: So, do all religious people have an affinity for authoritarians?
No, not all religious people are drawn to Authoritarianism.
The link between Religiosity and Authoritarianism is strongest among those with rigid, dogmatic beliefs. More open, reflective forms of spirituality tend to correlate negatively with authoritarian attitudes.
Query 3: Is there a link between Religiosity, the MAGA movement, and Authoritarianism?
Yes, there’s a well-documented link between religiosity, the MAGA movement, and authoritarianism—though it’s nuanced and varies across race, gender, and religious traditions.
How Religiosity Connects to MAGA and Authoritarianism
White Christian Nationalism plays a central role. Surveys show that white evangelical Protestants and Christian nationalists are among the strongest supporters of authoritarian politics and the MAGA agenda.
Dominionist Ideologies like the Seven Mountains Mandate—which calls for Christians to control key societal institutions—are embraced by some MAGA-aligned religious leaders.
MAGA figures frequently use Religious Rhetoric and Symbolism to frame political battles as spiritual warfare, reinforcing authoritarian narratives of good vs. evil
Psychological Drivers
Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) is a key predictor of MAGA support, especially among white men and white women. RWA includes submission to authority, aggression toward outgroups, and adherence to traditional norms.
Social Dominance Orientation—a belief in group-based hierarchies—also correlates with MAGA support, even among some women and people of color.
Race and Gender Matter
White Women show surprisingly high levels of authoritarianism and MAGA support, challenging assumptions that women are uniformly progressive.
Women of Color, by contrast, consistently show the lowest levels of authoritarianism and MAGA support, even when controlling for religiosity.
Religion as a Political Tool
MAGA leaders often invoke religious identity to legitimize their authority and mobilize voters. Trump’s use of phrases like “our religion” signals a vision of America as a white Christian nation.
Some former members of religious sects have even compared MAGA’s structure and messaging to authoritarian religious movements they escaped.
My Input
Religious fundamentalism and nationalist-tinged religious views are fueling authoritarian politics within the MAGA movement, putting Americans on a dangerous path, unseen since our war of independence in 1776.
Many of us probably never imagined America, a country that fought a world war to end fascism in Europe, would be on the precipice of falling to it at home. But we are.
Religion is fueling America’s flirtation with fascism.
We’re in a high-conflict / high-stakes environment, where groups (like MAGA) with an undying commitment to religious, political, and cultural identity flourish. Through Group Cohesion, Mobilization Power, and Clear Identity, MAGA’s loyalty, zeal, and adherence to rigid beliefs serve as the engine to Trump’s authoritarian politics.
To many in the MAGA movement, America’s constitutional democracy takes a back seat to religious and cultural identity. When MAGA members think the Constitution infringes ontheir perception of America’s religious or cultural identity, they’re okay with disregarding or tossing the Constitution altogether.
So, how do millions of Americans who don’t have the Group Cohesion, Mobilization Power, and Clear Identity of MAGA fight fascism and save democracy?
Because honestly, this fight is coming.
Fascism doesn’t go away on its own – it either takes root, or it’s rooted out.
Donald Trump manufactures and feeds the MAGA mob a constant diet of chaos, grievance, conspiracy theories, and lies. It’s the lifeblood of that movement.
Authoritarian forces are clamping down on democratic institutions and values in America. And because the confederacy of cowards in Congress refuses to serve as a check on executive power and because the judiciary continues to provide cover for Trump’s unchecked power, the last line of defense is citizen resistance, led by the pragmatic and morality-driven.
Pragmatic and morality-driven groups tend to be more adaptable and sustainable over time, as explained here by Arty:
Flexibility: Pragmatists can adapt their strategies to changing conditions, which is crucial in complex societies.
Cooperation: Morality-driven groups foster trust and reciprocity, which are essential for large-scale collaboration and innovation.
Reduced Internal Conflict: Moral norms help regulate behavior and reduce destructive competition within the group.
“While fanaticism is a high-risk, high-reward strategy that can dominate revolutionary movements like MAGA, it often burns out or fractures when the environment shifts. Whereas morality and pragmatism are slower-burning fuels that build civilizations, institutions, and long-term alliances.”
With the Epstein files we’re seeing a slight shift in the environment, causing some turmoil and fractures in the MAGA-sphere. But I don’t think we can rely on an Epstein-file-fueled MAGA collapse to save America.
Here is how American citizens can push back against fascism, with some help from Arty:
Build Parallel Structures of Power
Grassroots organizing: Form local networks that provide mutual aid, legal support, and community safety. These become lifelines when official institutions fail.
Alternative media: Create and support independent journalism to counter propaganda and amplify truth.
Solidarity economies: Support cooperatives and local businesses that resist authoritarian influence.
Shift the Narrative
Expose authoritarian tactics: Use storytelling, art, and social media to reveal abuses and rally public opinion.
Frame resistance as patriotic: Reclaim national symbols and values to show that defending democracy is not fringe—it’s foundational.
Strategic Nonviolent Resistance
According to civil resistance experts like Gene Sharp and Erica Chenoweth:
Disruption works: Strikes, boycotts, and mass noncooperation can paralyze authoritarian regimes.
3.5% rule: Movements that mobilize at least 3.5% of the population in sustained nonviolent protest have historically succeeded in toppling regimes.
Forge Broad Coalitions
Cross-ideological unity: Bring together liberals, conservatives, religious groups, labor unions, and marginalized communities around shared democratic values.
Intersectional movements: Link struggles—racial justice, climate action, LGBTQ+ rights—to build a united front.
Protect Vulnerable Communities
Rapid response teams: Organize legal observers, medics, and safe houses.
Digital security: Train activists in encryption and surveillance evasion.
Defend Electoral Integrity
Even if institutions are compromised:
Monitor elections: Document abuses and mobilize international attention.
Run insurgent candidates: Use local races to build power from the ground up.
Learn from Global Movements
South Korea: Citizens blocked martial law by physically surrounding Parliament.
Chile: Small affinity groups quietly resisted Pinochet’s dictatorship through coordinated strikes and art.
Let’s Ask Arty uses existing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to query LLMs about politics in these troubled times.
Query: Did the forefathers who drafted the US constitution warn about the dangers of state sanctioned religion? Can you provide a list of the warnings about religion in government?
The Founding Fathers were deeply concerned about the entanglement of religion and government, and they left behind a trail of warnings, principles, and legal safeguards to prevent state-sanctioned religion. Their views were shaped by centuries of religious conflict in Europe and the oppressive state churches many colonists had fled.
Constitutional Safeguards
First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This dual clause protects both freedom from government-imposed religion and freedom of personal religious practice.
Article VI: Prohibits religious tests for public office — a radical move at the time, ensuring that no one could be excluded from government based on faith.
Founders’ Warnings and Beliefs:
James Madison:
Warned that if Congress could define “general welfare,” it might “take the care of religion into their own hands” — appointing teachers, funding churches, and undermining limited government.
Championed the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom alongside Jefferson, opposing religious taxes and state interference.
Thomas Jefferson:
Coined the phrase “wall of separation between Church & State” in a letter to the Danbury Baptists, assuring them that government would not interfere in religious matters.
Authored the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, declaring that no person should suffer for religious opinions.
Benjamin Franklin:
Believed that corruption would lead people to demand despotism, including religious control, if they became “incapable of any other” form of government.
John Adams:
Declared: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” While he valued religion’s moral influence, he opposed state endorsement of any particular faith.
George Washington:
In his Farewell Address, warned against the “baneful effects of the spirit of party” and the consolidation of power — including religious authority — in one branch of government
Philosophical Foundations:
Many founders were influenced by Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, who argued that belief cannot be coerced and that religious liberty is a natural right.
They saw religious pluralism as essential to civic virtue and feared that state religion would lead to tyranny, division, and persecution.
My Input
Today’s MAGA Republican party lends vocal and legislative support for injecting Christianity into our government and embracing Christian nationalist rhetoric, which threatens to erode America’s secular rule of law and Jefferson’s “wall of separation between Church & State.”
There is a growing trend in the Trump administration (which is becoming increasingly authoritarian) to integrate Christianity with politics. Historically, Fascist governments have used religion to legitimize their rule, unify support, and suppress dissent.
With some help from Arty, here are some notable examples of how religion is infecting our politics:
Support for Declaring the U.S. a Christian Nation
According to a University of Maryland poll, 61% of Republicans support officially declaring the United States a Christian nation, even though a majority also acknowledged that doing so would violate the Constitution.
In the past, traditional conservative values celebrated religious liberty and pluralism, but with today’s MAGA-influenced Republican party, we’re seeing a shift towards a more exclusivist religious identity in politics.
Prominent Republican Figures Embracing Christian Nationalismand the idea of relying on the bible for public policy
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has openly called herself a “Christian nationalist” and stated that the GOP should embrace that identity.
Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado declared, “I’m tired of this separation of church and state junk,” and claimed, “the church is supposed to direct the government”.
Doug Mastriano, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Pennsylvania, dismissed the separation of church and state as a “myth.”
Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson stated publicly that his Christian faith informs everything he does, shaping his perspective and views on law, policy, and public service. In an interview on Fox News, Johnson said, “Someone asked me today in the media, ‘People are curious, what does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun?’ I said, ‘Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it — that’s my worldview”
Christian Nationalism in Policy and Education
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has promoted a Civics Literacy Excellence Initiative that reportedly teaches students that the Founders didn’t really believe in a strict separation of church and state.
In Louisiana, a new law mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, raising concerns about government endorsement of religious doctrine.
Oklahoma incorporates the Bible into public school lessons (so much for religious neutrality in education — at least in Oklahoma).
Religious Identity as Political Identity
A leaked recording of Justice Samuel Alito advocating a “return to godliness” has heightened concerns about religious conservatism influencing the Supreme Court’s decisions.
A slew of bills introduced by Republican lawmakers have prioritize religious values in areas like abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and school prayer — often citing biblical principles as justification.
The Republican base, infected by MAGA influencers and believers are increasingly made up of evangelical Christians, with many viewing their religious identity as inseparable from their political beliefs.
If we lived in a completely homogeneous society where everyone believed in the same version of Christianity (the version that preaches taking care of the impoverished and suffering, turning the other cheek, and loving your neighbor), then the danger to individual rights, free thinkers, and democracy might feel overblown.
But what we’re seeing with the growing numbers of MAGA-Christians in America is what we’ve seen with the more violent offshoots of Islam and the ultra-orthodox strains of Judaism — that Religious views can be interpreted differently by different groups and individuals, and when people with a literal or militant view of a religion come into power, be it in Israel, Iran, or the United States, they tend to push their specific interpretation of scripture to justify policies and laws that strip rights from the marginalized or anyone who doesn’t conform to their religious views. That is precisely what Madison warned us of when he said that if Congress could define “general welfare,” it might “take the care of religion into their own hands” — appointing teachers, funding churches, and undermining limited government.
There is a deepening divide between MAGA-aligned Evangelical Christian leaders and traditional non-political Christian leaders, which is altering the politics in our country and reshaping the landscape of religious institutions and churches from sea to shining sea. With some help from Arty, here’s a breakdown of how their views differ—and how those differences are playing out.
Key Differences in Christian Worldview
Subject
MAGA Evangelical Leaders
Traditional Non-Political Christian Leaders
Role of Christianity in Government
Advocate for Christian nationalism; believe America was founded as a Christian nation and should reflect biblical values in law and policy
Support religious pluralism and separation of church and state; see faith as personal and communal, not political
Jesus’ Teachings
Emphasize moral absolutes, spiritual warfare, and cultural dominance (e.g., anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ+ policies)
Focus on compassion, justice, and inclusion—especially for marginalized groups like immigrants, the poor, and LGBTQ+ individuals3
Political Engagement
Highly partisan, often aligning with Republican candidates and causes; some leaders openly support Donald Trump as a divinely chosen figure
Avoid partisan politics; prioritize community service, peacemaking, and dialogue across divides3
View of Opponents
Frame political and cultural opponents as enemies of God or threats to religious freedom2
Encourage empathy, bridge-building, and respectful disagreement—even with those outside the faith8
How This Division Is Manifesting
In Politics
Christian Nationalism Surge: MAGA leaders promote policies that elevate Christianity in public life, such as flying Christian flags on government property or restricting LGBTQ+ and racial justice symbols.
Partisan Loyalty: Many MAGA Evangelicals view Trump as a “warrior king” defending their values, even if his personal behavior contradicts traditional Christian ethics2.
Pushback from Traditional Christians: Leaders like Russell Moore and Jim Wallis have criticized this politicization, warning it distorts the gospel and undermines democracy10.
In Churches
Congregational Splits: Churches are fracturing over political allegiances. Some congregations have lost members due to COVID policies, racial justice sermons, or perceived political bias10.
Rise of “Refugee Christians”: Many believers are leaving MAGA-aligned churches in search of communities that prioritize spiritual growth over political ideology.
New Movements: Groups like Red Letter Christians and Evangelicals for Social Action are reclaiming Jesus’ teachings on justice and peace, distancing themselves from partisan culture wars.
The Bigger Picture
This Christian divide in America is not solely theological—it’s cultural, generational, and deeply emotional. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to the grievances from MAGA Evangelicals, bemoaning about being under siege in America’s changing landscape. At the same time, traditional Christians look to adhere to a faith that transcends politics. The tension is reshaping denominations, remaking evangelicalism, and challenging what it means to follow Jesus in the 21st century.
Weirdly, with all the goings on in the Evangelical church related to the state of politics in America, Trump himself is not religious (even when he embarrassingly pretends to be). Unlike the Supreme Leader in Iran and the Hasidic Rebbes in Israel, Trump is a different type of Mullah, one motivated by money and a quest for power and attention, rather than deeply held religious beliefs.
Donald Trump (let’s call him the Moola Mullah) would make abortion mandatory if he thought it would win him an election or put some extra coin in his pocket. That said, Trump (like other Fascist leaders) is taking full advantage of the divide in the Evangelical church, siding with extremists in that movement to legitimize his rule, unify support, and suppress dissent.
We’re seeing the cultural amalgamation (especially in the Bible Belt region of the US) of a specific brand of “MAGA-infected” Republicanism with MAGA-infected Christianity, which seems to be the dominant version of Evangelical faith (or at least the loudest), and that should scare the shit out of true Christians, non-Christians, and non-believers alike.
But when it comes to Trump policies flying in the face of Christian values, those loud, hardline Evangelicals stuff their Bibles in their belts and become as quiet as church mice.
In the face of family separations, mass deportations, and reduced refugee admissions that are terrorizing immigrant communities in America, ALL Evangelicals should be protesting loudly based on these bible passages:
Leviticus 19:34“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” → This verse calls for equal treatment and love toward immigrants, reminding the Israelites of their own history as outsiders.
Deuteronomy 10:18–19“He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” → A direct command to care for and love immigrants, grounded in empathy and divine justice.
Matthew 25:35“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” → Jesus equates welcoming strangers with serving Him, making hospitality a spiritual imperative.
Exodus 22:21“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” → A warning against oppression, rooted in shared experience.
Zechariah 7:10“Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.” → A broader call for justice and protection of vulnerable groups, including immigrants.
The meek might inherit the Earth, but they don’t run the show when religion and government become bedfellows. And so, in the face of Trump’s Gestapo tactics against immigrants, MAGA Evangelicals turn a blind eye, abandon the core principles of their faith, and become deaf as posts. Like all the cowards and traitors to the Christian faith in history, they know when to keep their mouths shut.
Let’s Ask Arty uses existing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to query LLMs about politics in these troubled times.
Query: Did DOGE cuts weaken Texas flood forecasting capabilities?
Yes, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts appear to have significantly weakened Texas’s flood forecasting capabilities, contributing to the tragic July 4 flooding in Kerr County.
The following list calls out the key impacts DOGE cuts had on forecasting and responding to the Texas flood:
Staffing Reductions: The National Weather Service (NWS) lost nearly 600 employees in early 2025, including critical roles like warning coordination meteorologists. These vacancies disrupted coordination with local emergency managers, delaying evacuation efforts.
Forecast Accuracy: The NWS forecast underestimated rainfall totals—predicting 4–8 inches in the Hill Country, while actual totals exceeded 15 inches in some areas. This gap was partly due to reduced resources, including fewer weather balloon launches used for atmospheric data2.
Warning Dissemination Delays: Although the NWS issued a flash flood emergency at 1:14 a.m., local alerts (like Kerrville Police’s Facebook post) didn’t go out until hours later, when the Guadalupe River had already surged over 20 feet3.
Systemic Vulnerabilities: DOGE cuts also affected NOAA’s broader operations, including climate research and disaster preparedness programs, leaving communities more exposed to extreme weather events.
Even Elon Musk’s AI tool, Grok 3, flagged these cuts as a contributing factor to the disaster, citing degraded forecasting and communication breakdowns.
It’s a sobering reminder of how vital real-time data and expert coordination are when nature turns volatile.
My Input
Texas is a MAGA map of where our country is heading as it relates to climate disasters, science, and religion.
Donald Trump is a climate-change-denying fool and shill of the fossil fuel industry, and Texas consistently carries water for him (to the detriment of its citizens). Well, as the old saying goes, the chickens have come home to roost, and in Texas, they roost over the dead bodies of children swept away by flood waters, incompetence, greed, and, yes, religion.
Texas has a strange history of injecting religion into the climate discussion, with Republican officials in the Lonestar state sometimes linking skepticism of climate change policy with religious beliefs, including the moronically simplistic and scientifically deaf idea that God controls the weather (If that’s the case, God must have been pretty pissed on July 4th, 2025).
In 2011, Governor Rick Perry’s official proclamation for “Days of Prayer for Rain” during a historic drought drew national attention, while Texas government officials have consistently downplayed climate science, even going so far as to sue the EPA over greenhouse gas regulations.
More recently, current Texas Governor Greg Abbot and several state legislators issued public statements indicating skepticism or resistance toward climate change policy, even in the face of increasing climate-related disasters.
Today, I’m waiting for the usual “God works in mysterious ways” suspects to appear on social media channels, in television news reports, and from church pulpits, telling Texans not to ask too many questions, including why a God who controls the weather simply didn’t prevent raging flood waters from sweeping children to a terrifying death.
And what’s worse in my mind is that the “it’s not for us to question God’s plan” madness is strategic — a way to get citizens to trust and submit to a higher power (be it religious or political) and sweep aside the possibility that we humans play a role in our destiny.
Just keep on keeping on.
Nothing to see here.
Why do we continue to put our blood, sweat, tears, blind faith, and money into a faulty, poorly thought-out, riddled with holes and inconsistencies, idea of God? Because doing so keeps us at bay and benefits those in power.
Hey, I’ve got an idea! Instead of relinquishing our destiny to a non-existent entity with zero accountability, let’s put our blood, sweat, tears, money, and good-faith efforts into developing our ability to learn, understand, and implement solutions to problems like climate change.
Let’s shift our approach from relying on thoughts, prayers, and avoiding questions to embracing innovation and action (including reinstating Government funding for key agencies that keep us safe). That way we can mitigate future human loss and suffering from tragedies like the flooding in Texas.
Just a thought.
In the meantime, let’s remember these facts from Arty about Texas politicians and climate change:
Texas lawmakers have repeatedly blocked bills that would require state agencies to plan for climate-related impacts. Since 2009, legislation mandating climate adaptation strategies has consistently failed to pass committee hearings.
In 2023, the only climate-related law passed was designed to prevent local governments (like El Paso) from implementing their climate mitigation policies.
Texas emits over 800 million tons of greenhouse gases annually—comparable to Germany—but has no comprehensive state climate plan.
Local governments, such as Dallas and Austin, have attempted to fill the gap with climate action plans; however, state-level resistance has hindered broader progress.
State Representative Matt Krause (2023): Krause criticized federal climate regulations, stating that “man cannot control the climate—only God can.” He argued that climate policies were economically harmful and ideologically driven.
Senator Bob Hall (2022): Hall dismissed climate science as “alarmist propaganda,” suggesting that weather patterns are part of a divine plan and not influenced by human activity. He has repeatedly opposed incentives for renewable energy.
General Legislative Pattern: As reported by MIT’s Climate Portal, Texas lawmakers have consistently blocked bills requiring state agencies to plan for climate impacts. Some legislators have described climate advocacy as a “cult,” framing environmentalism as a challenge to traditional values.
These views often coexist with efforts to protect fossil fuel industries and resist federal environmental regulations.
bendingtheneedle 