No, a major anti-racism organization has not declared Christianity a terrorist group – Australian Associated Press

AAP FACTCHECK – Social media posts falsely claim the pro-Israel group Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has labeled Christianity as an “extremism” and “terrorism” group.

Posts shared on social media show a screenshot from the ADL’s website, which contains the headline “Christian Identity” and is labeled “Extremism, Terrorism and Bigotry.”

“Did you know? ADL has listed Christianity as a group of extremism, terrorism and bigotry,” one Facebook post reads, with the Star of David and Israeli flag emojis along with the screenshot.

Some posts specifically refer to “Jews” in the subtitles.

the ADL was founded in 1913 with the mission of “combating anti-Semitism, combating extremism and combating bigotry”.

Its website describes “Christian identity” as a religious ideology or sect, while Encyclopedia Britannica describes it as a new religious movement characterized by “a belief in white supremacy and anti-Semitism”.

According to the ADL, Christian Identity originated in the mid-19th century.

An ADL spokesman said AAP FactCheck the group had not listed Christianity as an extremist group.

“Online purveyors of misinformation claim that the ADL has listed ‘Christianity’ as an extremist group on our website,” the spokesperson said.

“This outrageous claim is completely false.

“The article in question refers only to one long-standing racist and anti-Semitic religious sect known as ‘Christian Identity’, which is widely recognized as extremist.”

Christian identity is labeled ‘an anti-Semitic and racist belief system’ by Middlebury Institute of International Studiesterrorist center in California.

It was also described as containing “elements of racism” by Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The screenshot misleadingly shared online captures only the title of a 2017 ADL articlewhich is ambiguous without the context of the entire background document that explores the origins and violent history of the fringe sect.

“Christian identity is a popular religious ideology in far-right circles,” the article states.

“His virulent racist and anti-Semitic beliefs are usually accompanied by extreme anti-government sentiment. Despite its small size, Christian Identity influences virtually all white supremacist and extreme anti-government movements.

“It has also informed criminal behaviour, from hate crimes to acts of terrorism.”

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