The 2024 Legal Defense Fundraiser has ended early due to the Board's decision to settle the suit. Donations will go towards the creation of a legal defense fund. Discussion on the matter can be found at the RationalMedia Foundation noticeboard. Thank you for your generous support.
Jesse Lee Peterson
Parroting squawkbox Pundits |
![]() |
And a dirty dozen more |
“”If white Americans were to leave the country tomorrow, in ten years — America would be a ghetto. You can see the truth of this when you look at many of our major cities that are run by black mayors, black-dominated city councils, and black police chiefs. These cities are usually horrible places to live. Yet blacks who live in black-ruled cities can't see the truth: their own immorality is the cause of black poverty, crime, and family destruction!
|
—Jesse Lee Peterson, the real-life version of Uncle Ruckus[1] |
Jesse Lee Peterson (1949–) is a Christian reverend and far-right activist who writes for WND and hosts the Jesse Lee Peterson Show on Newsmax. He is known for his relentless anti-black racism (despite himself being black), male status-shaming, and misogyny. Until the 1970s, Peterson was a Democrat. He is, of course, an enthusiastic supporter of Donald Trump, describing him as the "Great White Hope".[2] Moreover, he is a blatant sexist, publicly espousing ideas that run counter to suffrage. More examples of his "teachings" are documented below.
Biography
All of Peterson's racism and sexism stems from a serious case of daddy issues early in his childhood. Peterson was born in 1949 at Comer Hill, Alabama, growing up on a plantation where his ancestors had been enslaved, and where his great-grandfather had been lynched by a mob of angry whites. [3] Peterson's father refused to admit his existence and his mother fled early in his life to start a family with another man. Thus, Peterson's childhood was spent with his grandparents. Peterson's grandfather was extremely strict and disciplined him harshly, and worked as a farm manager for the plantation which was, at that time, still owned by white people who were no longer in the area. His grandparents indoctrinated him to the idea that their poor circumstances were not the result of anti-black racism, but instead of moral and "spiritual" problems. [4]
Peterson himself admits to the problems he suffered without a father, seemingly oblivious to the fact that anecdotal experience is not sufficient justification for a broad political view about all black society and culture. Peterson says that he had a “hunger for father.” (sic)[5] Peterson expresses that later in life when he finally met this man, he derived great pleasure from visiting him.
From here, Peterson's story turns into a typical "rebirth" plot arc. Straight out of high school, Peterson became dependent on the welfare system, first by merely claiming to be a drug addict to collect a sizable monthly check. Eventually, however, Peterson descended into actual drug abuse and "wanton" sex.[6] Around this time, Peterson also begun to involve himself with black nationalist movements, led by people such as Louis Farrakhan, who Peterson says made him feel "good to be black."[7] At some point during this time, Peterson also attended Los Angeles City College for a year, leaving without a degree.
To no-one's surprise, Peterson eventually ran into a friendly white man who converted him to the correct political viewpoint through his enlightened evangelical rhetoric. Peterson claims that the prayers of Roy Masters made him understand that his anger was directed against his parents and that white people were not "responsible" for the problems Peterson had experienced in his life. Following this event, Peterson eventually became a prominent political commentator, taking advantage of peoples' proclivity to take pleasure in consuming content that reinforces their own unjustified and prejudiced beliefs.
Religious practice and cult-like behavior
Peterson is a pastor and founder of the Brotherhood Organization of A New Destiny (BOND) in Los Angeles, California.[8] This church purports to be able to deal with men's issues (seemingly primarily).
Peterson's BOND does not (at this moment) meet all the criteria for a cult. For example, his group says it is nonprofit, Peterson does not harass former members, and members are allowed space to discuss views he does not hold.[9] However, BOND does have some of the worst aspects of a cult. For example:
"Morally perfect"
Self-released podcast summaries proclaim Peterson as morally perfect (free from sin, while believing in sin).[10][11] While being interviewed with Don Harris, Peterson proclaims his belief in sin, and states he does not believe he sins.[12] Proclamations of moral perfection by leaders are said to be warning signs of a cult. Both religious and secular sources say this.[13][14][15]
Berating his congregation
During a church service, Peterson tried to insult a congregation member as a, "beta male", for refusing to come up on stage. This was after Jesse was told by another attendant that it sounded like Peterson has been continually "talking down" to his congregation.[16] He continued to status shame and insult despite being told this, while downplaying it afterward frequently. During that same service he continued to say another congregation member was not an alpha male, and admitted he said it, "out of nowhere".[17] Peterson does this sort of thing frequently outside of this particular meeting as well. Peterson's frequent use of trying to tease out beliefs from people, insulting them, then downplaying the insult is a type of gaslighting, a form of social manipulation and abuse.[18] Leadership inducing feelings of shame and guilt, as well as psychological manipulation, are said to warning signs of a cult.[19]
Anti-concern-for-others
Peterson explicitly argues against compassion, which is the concern for other's misfortune.[20] Peterson seems (falsely) to imply "dispassion" is an antonym of compassion, ignoring that a rejection of compassion usually also includes heartlessness and cruelty. He bases his rejection of compassion on emotionality "getting in the way" of discipline. He also justifies his lack of compassion on his own emotions, specifically his self-reported lack of caring about people dying that he does not know himself.[21] Leadership's promotion of exploitation is frequently cited as a warning sign of a cult.[22]
Sexism
In 2012, Peterson claimed that giving women the vote was one of America's most terrible mistakes, justifying this belief by claiming that "these women are voting in the wrong people" and "voting in people who are evil."[23] Peterson continues to espouse this viewpoint despite the fact that the gap between male and female turnout is completely voluntary: nobody is forcing men to stay home instead of participating. Apart from this justification, most of Peterson's views about women are aligned with Christian fundamentalism, which holds that there is a god-ordained standard family which must be adhered to for success, a view which inspires his extreme prejudice.[24] Furthermore, Peterson blames many of America's problems on the hypothetical entity of the "liberal woman," a typical form of rhetorical scapegoating.
Other beliefs
Peterson claims that extreme sadness and suicideality is caused by Satan.[25]
He also claims that gay people cannot be Christian or conservative.[26]
He refers to Obama as "Obama the Fallen Messiah"[27].
Quotes
—Jesse "Racism doesn't exist" Lee Peterson[28] |
“”Have you ever picked cotton? You have not lived until you've picked cotton. It's fun. It makes a man out of you.
|
—Peterson, giving a "unique" perspective on slavery[29] |
“”Thank God for slavery!
|
—More of Peterson's "unique" perspective on slavery[30] |
“”Intellectuals have no logic
|
—Responding to an intellectual who doesn't believe his garbage[31] |
See also
- Candace Owens, his female counterpart
References
- ↑ https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/81646.Jesse_Lee_Peterson
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PM3bSORZtA
- ↑ https://www.city-journal.org/html/man-alone-13256.html
- ↑ https://www.city-journal.org/html/man-alone-13256.html
- ↑ https://www.city-journal.org/html/man-alone-13256.html
- ↑ https://www.city-journal.org/html/man-alone-13256.html
- ↑ https://www.city-journal.org/html/man-alone-13256.html
- ↑ http://rebuildingtheman.com/church/
- ↑ https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-fallen-state-tv-show#/
- ↑ https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/jesse-lee-peterson/mon-june-24-hour-1-trump-EkKQVnsHIbL/
- ↑ https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/jesse-lee-peterson/mon-june-24-hour-1-trump-EkKQVnsHIbL/
- ↑ http://www.tricommunications.org/
- ↑ https://www.learnreligions.com/warning-signs-of-cults-4173088
- ↑ http://jbeard.users.rapidnet.com/bdm/Cults/marksof.htm
- ↑ https://sites.google.com/site/mrmooressociology/pictures/the-sociology-of-cults
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfpdKLm_5K0 35:41
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfpdKLm_5K0 39:48
- ↑ https://www.thehotline.org/2014/05/29/what-is-gaslighting/
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/may/27/cults-definition-religion
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtcJxyUAWXM
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtcJxyUAWXM 2:00
- ↑ https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/clinical-update-cults
- ↑ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jesse-lee-peterson-fox-news-womens-rights-voting_n_1501070
- ↑ http://www.rolereboot.org/culture-and-politics/details/2014-03-hour-long-interview-sexist-person-radio/
- ↑ https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/jesse-lee-peterson-pastor-who-took-his-own-life-was-controlled-by-satan/
- ↑ No such thing as a gay Christian or gay conservative. by Jesse Lee Peterson (10:16 AM - 31 Oct 2019) Twitter (archived from 20 Jan 2020 08:02:05 UTC).
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVG1dNygOgA
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-GLbGqsxc0
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-GLbGqsxc0
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCPvfS0Gqe8
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVG1dNygOgA