Modern anti-Catholic conspiracy targets organizational secrecy, not theology

Evidence

Unlike nineteenth-century Protestant nativists, who had doctrinal disputes with the church or regarded it as inimical to democratic institutions, contemporary anti-Catholic conspiracy theorists have little interest in theology and even less in democratic politics. Instead, their anti-Catholicism springs from their conviction that all signifi cant power is wielded in secret. Hence, to their mind, the Catholic Church, with its hierarchical structure and international reach, is the model secret society. — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 625

Categorization

• XREF: Pays off the chapter-2 design principle that conspiracy worldviews posit hidden centers of power. — connects to: Masonry’s secrecy let nativists link it to any evil group — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 609; Conspiracy theories usually aim to name an enemy, not to build a coherent story. — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 64; Anti-Catholic conspiracy claims about takeover plots recur verbatim against American Muslims today — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes…, 310 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Conspiracy theories usually aim to name an enemy, not to build a coherent story. #complicates (0.80) — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 64
• Anti-Catholic conspiracy claims about takeover plots recur verbatim against American Muslims today #exemplifies (0.75) — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 310
• Conspiracy theories rest on reifying a religion into a self-motivating agent #complicates (0.75) — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 174
• Religious practices get reframed as security threats justifying citizen surveillance #exemplifies (0.72) — Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, 273