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‘Christ is King’ under siege: Evangelicals warn phrase is being weaponized by hate groups
Leaders of a prominent research institute focused on identifying and predicting trends in misinformation said evangelical leaders are united in reclaiming the phrase «Christ is King» from far-right and far-left entities seeking to twist its meaning.
The Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) at Rutgers, which recently published studies showing how DEI training can fuel hostility and how political assassinations are gaining support online, was early in scientifically measuring the trend of online extremists hijacking the phrase, «Christ is King.»
«We were looking at a lot of different kinds of heated languages and arguments and this sort of look online for threat-actors in general,» the authors of a new March report told Fox News Digital.
«We noted that prevalence of the use of the term and a mismatch of the actors that were using it, that just didn’t make any sense. And we want to understand, like, what is the origin of this? Where did it come from?»
VANCE SAYS ‘JESUS IS KING’ AT WISCONSIN RALLY
Actors like Nick Fuentes, a far-right Holocaust denier and podcaster, were co-opting «Christ the King» to unify behind what they considered their righteous political mission, authors of the report said.
The institute said «Christ the King» resurged with Pope Pius XI’s 1925 institution of The Feast of Christ the King in response to nationalist and Communist ideologies undermining Christianity’s role in the West.
Instead of being the «spiritual guide,» the phrase has been co-opted by both human and «bot» actors to rally behind ideals counter to Judeo-Christianity.
«What was really fascinating is that the NCRI folks were in real-time tracking the bot activity,» said Rev. Johnnie Moore, a former commissioner for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
«The question was how much of this vicious, virulent antisemitism that emerged when we published the report were these bot-nets – It was north of 30% of all the activity … were these antisemitic bot-networks latching onto [Christ is King.]»
Canadian psychologist-commentator Dr. Jordan Peterson, who co-authored the report, said after the study was released in March, «the narcissists, hedonists and psychopaths occupy the fringes wherever they obtain power.»
«[A]nd using God’s name, attempt to subvert the power of the divine to their own devices. A warning – not everyone who says «Lord, Lord,» will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.»
FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING SERVES AS INVITATION TO OPEN WIDE THE DOORS TO OUR HEART TO GOD, SAYS PRIEST
A chocolate Easter bunny (iStock)
The report found evidence of mass «manipulation tactics» and, beginning in 2021, more than 50% of engagements were driven by «extremist influencers» like Fuentes and kickboxer-turned-commentator Andrew Tate.
Moore noted Thursday that in addition to NCRI’s findings, evidence also surfaced after antisemitic protests exploded in New York and Los Angeles that there were reported social engagement connections to the Chinese Communist Party.
«It’s quite clear that people are trying to steal this phrase from us, and we’re saying no, it’s a Christian phrase,» Moore said. «You sure as anything can’t use it to spread hate against Jews.»
Moore, who had just left the White House’s Easter Dinner, where he said the administration also welcomed religion back to the sociopolitical fore, added that no matter how hard fringe elements try to co-opt Judeo-Christian slogans, the bloc is a force to be reckoned with.
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Rev. Johnnie Moore (Getty)
He added that those on the far-right who believe their antisemitic tenets with a Christian-like righteousness often forget «there’s no Christianity without Judaism.»
«They’re losing their battle to Christianize antisemitism, because there’s just a sheer amount of Evangelicals in every country… we’re all pro-Israel.
Evangelical leader Robert Stearns said that Christians must not let «extremists hijack what belongs to God – ‘Christ is King’ is a cry of worship, not war.»
Meanwhile, Princeton jurisprudence professor Robby George told Fox News Digital that when you hear the phrase as a Christian, the proper response is, «Amen.»
«But if you hear someone say the same words as an antisemitic taunt, the correct reply is, ‘I stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters.’ Don’t be played,» the Catholic influencer said.
«What will happen at Easter is there will be countless millions of Christians all around the world that will be saying these words, and they only mean one thing, and it will drown out all of these people trying to steal our words to spread their hate,» Moore added.
Politics,Judaism,World Religions Christianity,Israel,Holiday
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Son of British couple detained in Iran ‘let down’ by Starmer’s leadership on parent’s imprisonment amid war
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The son of a British couple who have remained jailed in Iran for more than a year is appealing to President Donald Trump as the war in Iran complicates the situation.
«Conditions have intensified over the last couple of weeks, to say the least, as you might imagine with the complexity of war,» Joe Bennett told Fox News Saturday.
He said the notorious Evin Prison, where his parents are being held in Tehran, was already at capacity, and a recent surge of protesters has created severely crowded conditions.
«Food is scarce,» he added. «We’re worried about the replenishment of their stocks of food. I mean, it’s unsanitary conditions. It has been described as ‘hell on Earth’ by them.
FREED IRANIAN PRISONER SAYS ‘IN TRUMP, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC HAS MET ITS MATCH’
Family and supporters of Lindsay and Craig Foreman hold up a sign in London calling for their freedom in January on the first anniversary of their detention. (Brook Mitchell/AFP via Getty Images)
«With the bombs that are dropping and the activity that’s happening there at the moment, the anxiety is heightened for us and for them as well.»
Craig and Lindsay Foreman were arrested in January 2025 by Iranian authorities while on a global motorcycling trip and were later sentenced to 10 years in prison on suspicion of spying.
Bennett spoke in Washington, D.C., Thursday at the McCain Institute’s US-UK Transatlantic Conference on Hostage-Taking and Arbitrary Detention, criticizing British leaders’ — namely Prime Minister Keir Starmer — «non-existent» advocacy for his parents, BBC News reported.
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«The clear message to the U.K. government and Starmer is to stop hiding behind this as a consular case,» Bennett told Fox News. «I think that was put out the window when they were sentenced to 10 years for espionage, accused of being spies for the Israeli Mossad and the U.K. government.
Joe Bennett, center, stands in front of 10 Downing Street in London with a petition in January. (Ben Whitley/PA Images via Getty Images)
«What we haven’t seen is leadership qualities from Keir Starmer. We haven’t seen him advocate since their sentencing to, as you say, condemn this sham process and the treatment of U.K. nationals.»
Starmer’s silence has left Bennett’s family feeling «let down,» he said. «We feel there’s an opportunity to do so and there still is.»
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Bennett stressed that his parents’ detention and sentencing «is hostage taking.»
Joe Bennett, the son of Lindsay and Craig Foreman, urged President Trump to be precise with Iranian strikes. (Carlos Jasso/AFP via Getty Images)
«It affects not just the U.K., the U.S. as well and Western civilization,» Bennett added.
«Innocent people are being targeted for leverage as political pawns.»
He also urged Trump to be «concise» with Iranian strikes and not to forget that Brits and Americans are in that prison.
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«Two things I’d like to say to Mr. Trump is, firstly, that safety is important,» Bennett told Fox News. «Missiles have hit Evin in June of last year but also were very close.
«So, I think the target — I just want him to be concise that, you know, so that Evin isn’t a part of that, and, secondly, is to not forget that they are there.»
He noted that, along with his parents, U.S. nationals are also imprisoned at Evin.
«And as a humanitarian plea, from a son for his mother’s release is what I’m asking for,» he said.
war with iran,world,iran,donald trump,united kingdom
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La embajada de Estados Unidos denuncia trato cruel contra ancianos y enfermos en Nicaragua
La Embajada de Estados Unidos en Nicaragua denunció este sábado la “crueldad del régimen” que presiden Daniel Ortega y Rosario Murillo contra los disidentes del Gobierno, destacando la situación de personas de edad avanzada y con problemas de salud que permanecen detenidas. Según reportó la Agencia EFE, la representación diplomática expresó en sus redes sociales que “la crueldad del régimen hacia quienes se atreven a alzar la voz es irrazonable”.
En el mensaje, la embajada estadounidense en Managua criticó que la administración de Ortega y Murillo mantenga bajo arresto a opositores ancianos y enfermos. Puso como ejemplo el caso de Brooklyn Rivera Brayan, exdiputado indígena miskito de 73 años, quien se encuentra privado de libertad desde el 29 de septiembre de 2023. Rivera, líder del partido indígena Yapti Tasba Masraka Nanih Aslatakanka (Yatama, en lengua miskita, que significa ‘Hijos de la Madre Tierra’), fue arrestado poco antes de las elecciones regionales celebradas en marzo de 2024, detalló la Agencia EFE.
Posteriormente a la detención de Rivera, el Consejo Supremo Electoral (CSE) de Nicaragua, bajo control oficialista, canceló la personalidad jurídica de Yatama. El CSE argumentó que esa organización ejecutó acciones que menoscaban la independencia, la soberanía y la autodeterminación del país. Se la acusó además de incitar a la injerencia extranjera, cargos calificados como traición a la patria por la legislación local.
LA NACION / ZUMA PRESS)
La embajada estadounidense sostuvo que “estas personas —ancianos y enfermos— fueron encarceladas por el simple hecho de discrepar con el régimen y permanecen injustamente detenidas en condiciones inhumanas, privadas de derechos fundamentales y de atención médica”. La delegación enfatizó que la privación de derechos básicos y la falta de acceso a atención sanitaria agravan la situación de los detenidos.
De acuerdo con cifras del Mecanismo para el Reconocimiento de Personas Presas Políticas, avaladas por la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH), en Nicaragua existen actualmente 46 personas detenidas por motivaciones políticas, quince de las cuales son adultos mayores. Entre estos figuran, además de Rivera, los excomandantes de la revolución sandinista Bayardo Arce y Henry Ruiz, así como el antiguo asesor de Ortega y general en retiro Álvaro Baltodano Cantarero. También se encuentran bajo arresto los dirigentes indígenas Steadman Fagoth Müller y Nancy Elizabeth Henríquez, junto a militares retirados como Carlos Brenes, Víctor Boitano y Eddie Moisés González Valdivia, según la información difundida por la Agencia EFE.
Las elecciones se realizaron con sus principales adversarios políticos en prisión, quienes luego fueron expulsados del país y despojados de su nacionalidad y derechos políticos bajo acusaciones de “golpismo” y traición a la patria, explicó la Agencia EFE.
La embajada estadounidense subrayó que la represión contra la disidencia política se manifiesta especialmente en el trato a presos de edad avanzada, que sufren condiciones de reclusión especialmente severas. El organismo diplomático llamó la atención sobre la falta de garantías para el ejercicio de los derechos fundamentales y reiteró su preocupación por el deterioro de la situación de los derechos humanos en Nicaragua.
El comunicado de la representación estadounidense se produce en un contexto de persistente denuncia internacional por la situación de los presos políticos y las restricciones a la participación política en Nicaragua. Organismos como la CIDH y entidades de la sociedad civil han solicitado la liberación de los detenidos y el cese de las represalias contra quienes expresan opiniones críticas al Gobierno.
La Agencia EFE consignó que, junto a Rivera y los otros líderes detenidos, permanecen privadas de libertad personas identificadas por su oposición política, muchas de ellas con problemas de salud que requieren atención médica especializada. La embajada de Estados Unidos remarcó que la situación de los ancianos encarcelados constituye una muestra de la dureza de las políticas represivas del Ejecutivo nicaragüense y pidió el respeto a los derechos fundamentales de todos los ciudadanos.
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