In the north of Rio de Janeiro, a drug lord and evangelical pastor has dominion over a series of favelas known as the ‘Israel Complex’. The streets are clean and building walls are painted with verses from Psalms… while religious minorities are persecuted and rival gang members are sent back to their homes in gift wrapped boxes.

From Brazil to Texas to Romania and South Africa, the phenomenon of religiously-inspired gang leaders is becoming more and more common — and we explain why.

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

We’re joined by our friend Conner from the Propagandos podcast to talk about how the famously hardcore evangelical, anti-LGBT Chick-Fil-A empire has invested in an original content app and Trilith Studios, the second largest production lot in all of North America — home base for nearly every Marvel movie made since 2017.

The Cathy family, owners of the fast food chain, the aren’t the kind of people you’d usually associate with Hollywood — so what are they really up to?

Check out Propagandos at https://rss.com/podcasts/propagandos/ and on Instagram: @Propagandospod

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

On July 7, 2005, at 8:49 AM, three bombs detonated in three separate trains in the London Underground. How did Samantha Lewthwaite, the British wife of one of the suspects known as the White Widow, go on to become one of the world’s most wanted individuals for her roles in multiple terrorist attacks across several continents?

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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From 19th-century mentalists to multi-millionaires, we trace how a fringe theology promising health and wealth became a global juggernaut among evangelical Christians.

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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Aamer takes us inside the Saudi social media phenomenon of 'free masked men' — anonymous videos complaining about declining living standards and calling for the head of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

But like everything in the Kingdom, it may not be all that seems...

Check out the videos here: https://www.middleeasteye.net/trending/masked-saudi-youths-spark-online-movement-calling-end-crown-princes-rule

Support us by signing up for our Substack at https://helltopaypodcast.substack.com/

Suggestions? Questions? Comments? You can find us at helltopaypodcast@gmail.com

Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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Recorded prior to the United States bombing Iran, in this episode Elle and Aamer discuss the history behind why American Christians have become so obsessed with defending the state of Israel — no matter the cost.

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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Aamer and Elle are joined by journalist Gareth Gore, author of Opus, an expose on Opus Dei — a secretive, ultra-conservative Catholic sect — and its long history of cosying up to dictators, human trafficking, and siphoning billions of dollars from one of the world’s largest banks.

Buy Gareth’s book here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Opus/Gareth-Gore/9781668016145

Support us by signing up for our Substack at https://helltopaypodcast.substack.com/

Suggestions? Questions? Comments? You can find us at helltopaypodcast@gmail.com

Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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Reactionary nihilism, ideological world building, and kitty litters in classrooms: in this episode, journalist and author Katherine Stewart takes us inside the power center of American conservatives.

Katherine's substack: https://substack.com/@katherinestewartbooks

Katherine's latest book: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/money-lies-and-god-9781635578546/

Support us by signing up for our Substack at https://helltopaypodcast.substack.com/

Suggestions? Questions? Comments? You can find us at helltopaypodcast@gmail.com

Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.