QAnon is going to become a much more important factor moving forward here in the United States and around the world. To date, I've thought of it much more as a conspiracy theory place of lies and fantasies. However, this movement has become much more dangerous as people move from the "faith world" to acting out on their beliefs.
It is time to think of it more in a religious context, not as your typical 501(C)(3) but a worldwide network of people and ideologies not tied to any single text or belief system. I urge you to read this article: "In the Name of the Father, Son, and Q: Why It’s Important to See QAnon as a ‘Hyper-Real’ Religion."
It will open your eyes to what we are going to be facing going forward. It will give intelligence analysts fits as the "movement" changes and evolves over time.
Earlier I shared this Disaster Zone Podcast: "Who is QAnon?" It is worth listening to from an analyst's viewpoint, but the religious aspect of the movement and "stew of ideas" all mixed into a belief system is missing.
As a student of history, I must warn you that when a movement takes on a religious connotation, it can be very deadly, as people act on what they believe. All the mainline religions of the world have had adherents who deviated from the core beliefs and became extremists. These extremists were and are willing to torture and kill others, being motivated by a construed sense of what they are being called to do. The word "fanatic" comes to mind.
