Horseshoe Theory Is Real
Since the 2020s, I've noticed a rise in a certain type of people. The simplest way I can describe it is "based Christianity". For those who don't understand what I'm talking about, what I mean by this term is I've noticed a significant increase in people who behave exactly like internet atheists used to in the 2010s only they're actually Christians. Every time I come across these kinds of people, they have that same snarkiness, that same heir of intellectual superiority, that same talking down to the other side like they just crushed their school bully's remark and I'm reminded of the very internet atheism I'm all too familiar with.
Although I had noticed a rise in this snarky behavior for years, this idea fully clicked when I came across a comment mocking atheists with an unironic "Go pray to your Sciencemas tree." which reminded me of all the times atheists would say "Go pray to your sky daddy.". Until I read this comment, I thought the whole Sciencemas tree thing was actually mocking these types of Christians but it turns out no, it's apparently a snarky retort to own the atheists. I've also noticed the same kind of "facts and logic" arguments atheists used to make be used among these types of people. They come up with some argument which on the surface seems clever and owning the atheists but often is either just unanswerable philosophy or can be applied to another religion, revealing it's complete sophistry. And it's not the classic creationist debate crap that argues from the basis that Christianity is true, it's argumentation that actually posits philosophical or even logical rhetoric not reliant on the assumption that it's true.
I've also noticed the exact same petty blasphemy among these types of people as internet atheists used to do to them. Just as the internet atheist would commit blasphemy against God or would use Satanism to trigger Christians, I've noticed the exact same things these based Christians do to other religions. For example, I often see them mock Muslims by saying they're eating pork or less commonly, mock Hindus by eating beef. They will desperately try to trigger non-Christians with their symbolism and quippy phrases; every "Christ is king" that exists to trigger the non-believers only reminds me of all the "hail Satan" stuff internet atheists would say to trigger Christians.
I just can't help but notice how every time I come across these people, it's no different to the internet atheists they hate so much. When internet atheism had its great schism and became split based on culture war nonsense, someone had to fill the void of the snarky, Redditor-tier rhetorician and it seems the very Christians who were the subject of the mockery decided to fill that role. And just as the internet atheists split and all ate each other, I've seen this happening with the different denominations. They simply can't override their millennia-old disdain for people who don't agree with them exactly. Sure a lot of it's "Haha, let's all laugh at the Protestants." but sometimes you get the serious argumentation on how "Protestants aren't true Christians." and you realize there will never be unity among the unified.
Aside from the vacuum, there is another reason I believe there's a rise in this based Christianity: cope. Fact is, shit's getting worse and the suicide and mental health rates show it. What you notice is it's when people are at low points, they turn to religion. Drug addicts will often turn to religion as a last resort. Depressed? The sense of community a church can bring is likely more effective at treating you than whatever scheme the psychiatric industry has cooked up. In a polarized society where everyone hates you, at least you can remember Jesus still loves you. I've also seen people spout "Jesus loves you" towards people whom they are hostile or call for the death of, justifying their hostility with the belief Jesus will still love and forgive the person. With the general populace having been losing faith for decades, it's quite easy to place the blame of the worsening state of things on this fact. Just as the atheists who felt persecuted banded together online and took out their frustrations on Christians, so too are these based Christians now taking their frustrations out on non-Christians.
Written 2026-8-24 Published 2026-9-1