330. Which False Religions Want to Take Over the World? | with Kerry Nietz

Last week we remembered the Sept. 11 attacks. But some people, shall we say, did not know how to grieve well. That’s for many reasons. One of them is strange yet simple—they can’t fathom that real people could really do something like this. But it’s true that many groups of real bad guys really want to take over the world. So today, author Kerry Nietz, student of futuristic caliphates, returns to the studio to ask which false religions seem the most bent on global domination.

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3. Etania’s Worth by M. H. Elrich

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Backstory: Kerry Nietz

Kerry Nietz is an award-winning science fiction author. He has over a half dozen speculative novels in print, along with a novella, a couple short stories, and a non-fiction book, FoxTales.

Kerry’s novel A Star Curiously Singing won the Readers Favorite Gold Medal Award for Christian Science Fiction and is notable for its dystopian, cyberpunk vibe in a world under sharia law. It  is often mentioned on “Best of” lists.

Among his writings, Kerry’s most talked about is the genre-bending Amish Vampires in Space. AViS was mentioned on the Tonight Show and in the Washington Post, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Newsweek called it “a welcome departure from the typical Amish fare.” Today his latest release is Start Early, You Might Get Published Before You Die, an honest and humorous look at the long, unpredictable path from aspiring storyteller to published novelist.

1. If militant Islam took over the world …

• This one’s been much in the news, so we’ll discuss this one first.
• Kerry and Stephen have both written about Islam in their novels.
• Kerry’s novels imagine a future literally ruled by the caliphate.
• That’s a future many Muslims anticipate, total submission to Allah.
• Yes, many believe (with Qu’ran support) that it’s won by the sword.
• Yet this story is more about the people affected by these beliefs.
• Stephen’s novel includes “peaceful Muslims” and militant ones.
• In fact, long before Sept. 11 he was researching Islamic religion.
• Great fiction shows realistic people, peaceful, militant, in between.
• We can reject false religion and long for everyone to know Jesus.

2. If fake Christianity took over the world …

• Some folks ignore other world-dominators and focus only on this.
• In some cases, they’ve truly suffered in the Church Back Home.
• Yet in other cases, they only think they have, or fall into rumors.
• But it’s still worth noting some professing Christians do want this.
• And not in the normal, biblical way of “Jesus returns to do this.”
• Some specifically call for religious monarchy, a “Christian prince.”
• There really is a “patriarchy” or bad sorts of religious nationalists.
• Shrewd readers will spy references in Above the Circle of Earth.
• Such top-down “spiritual” notions are refuted by clear Scripture.
• Jesus takes over the world in His own way, starting with hearts.

3. If a secular state took over the world …

• This is more of a catch-all, because this foe can take many forms.
• Secular-Luciferianism, like in many Christian end-times scenarios.
• Materialist magicians, like the N.I.C.E. of That Hideous Strength.
• Humanistic technocracy, like CAUSE in Above the Circle of Earth.
• Sociopolitical movements like Godless socialism or Communism.
• These also include fascism, secular nationalism, and evil hybrids.
• Dictator cults, like the Kim dynasty that dominates North Korea.
• Sexualism, or the religious worship of disordered self-expression.
• New! Therapism, which denies our sinful nature for “brokenness.”
• Many of these are adept at hijacking Christian-sounding words.

Com station Top question for listeners

• If you were evil, how would you take over the world?

John Fort heard our ep. 326 chat with Bryan Davis:

I’ve met Bryan Davis many times in real life as an exhibitor at homeschool conventions. He is the real deal—a humble, honest, and good man. He has been very encouraging and helpful to me as an upcoming author of fantasy and sci-fi myself. So happy you featured him on your podcast.

Next on Fantastical Truth

The Pendragon Cycle streaming series began with a slower start for its January release on Daily Wire Plus. Well, this month, everything changed. Based on the first two volumes in Stephen R. Lawhead’s series, The Pendragon Cycle worked its new wizardry to reach the top 5 shows on Prime Video. Let’s go behind the scenes of the Cycle, touching on controversies but staying pre-political and pre-medieval as we explore how Christian creators fight to build the future.