Redeemed Zoomer

[[File:Ackerman.png|right|thumb|165px|Richard Ackerman.]]{{youtubenav}}
{{cquote|Q: If God is good, why can't He destroy evil?
A: Well, He eventually will.

Q: Why can't He do it now?
A: Because He'd have to destroy you.|||Redeemed Zoomer on the [[Problem_of_evil|problem of evil]].<ref>[https://youtu.be/k02_gcrsnLs&t=327 ALL atheist arguments answered in 10 minutes]</ref>}}
'''Richard Ackerman'''<ref>[https://americanreformer.org/author/richard-ackerman/ Ackerman's author page on the ''American Reformer'' website]</ref>, better known online as '''Redeemed Zoomer''', is an [[United States|American]] [[YouTube]]r who makes videos about [[Christianity]], sometimes while building a church in [[Fun:Minecraft|Minecraft]]. While some of his videos are genuinely informative, such as his videos on Christian denominations, a lot of his videos are about how [[Protestant#Mainline_Protestantism|mainline Protestant churches]] have been corrupted by theological liberalism and progressivism (read: allowing gay marriage and LGBTQ pastors). In response, he founded the "Operation Reconquista" movement to "retake" the mainline Protestant Churches from progressives to have access to their historical buildings and institutions.<ref name="reconquista">[https://www.operationreconquista.com The Operation Reconquista webshite]</ref> Through this movement, Ackerman sent his own "95 Theses" to his church, the [[Presbyterianism|PCUSA]], which condemns the PCUSA for being "theologically liberal" and socially progressive.<ref>[https://www.operationreconquista.com/95-theses-to-the-pcusa "95 Theses to the Presbyterian Church USA"] - Operation Reconquista</ref>

Perhaps his [[Sarcasm|greatest crime]] is the creation of the "Every X explained in Y minutes" video format, which he originally created as a way of informing about different Christian denominations. Other channels soon began copying him, including many that were blatantly [[Artificial intelligence|AI]]-generated or otherwise geared towards [[clickbait]]. Ackerman would later apologize for "ruin[ing] YouTube," only to subsequently go back to making more videos of the same format.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsHGU9o8IbM "I ruined YouTube. I'm sorry."] - Youtube</ref>

As of 30 October 2024, his YouTube channel has 472K subscribers and 53.9 million views.

==Background==
Ackerman was born in New York and is ethnically Jewish, although he was never religiously Jewish. According to Ackerman, he was a former "secular leftist" when he was a teen before attending a music camp and converting to Christianity.<ref>[https://youtu.be/jAiEZPSocBI "KingdomCraft: How I went from Leftist to Christian"] - Youtube</ref>

==Views==
===Anti-LGBTQ===
Although his YouTube channel is somewhat reasonable, a lot of his posts on [[Twitter]] consist of blatant bigotry against LGBTQ people.

In one tweet, Ackerman explicitly calls for LGBTQ people to be "cured," comparing homosexuality to "alcoholism,"<ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/archive/2kkxl "Why are you surprised? The desire to cure homosexuality is the same as, like, the desire to cure alcoholism." Redeemed Zoomer on Twitter (6:00 PM on April 29, 2024). Archived.]</ref> while adding that he "can't wait until we can cure" LGBT people<ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/archive/hvlh2 Yes! I can't wait until we can cure it @redeemed_zoomer], Twitter. Archived.</ref> and has even endorsed the use of [[Conversion_therapy|conversion therapy]] on LGBTQ people.<ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/archive/xnnB3 "Gay conversion therapy is the only healthy form of therapy." Redeemed Zoomer on Twitter (2:52 PM on October 23, 2023). Archived.]</ref> He also made a tweet claiming that LGBTQ people have "a severe spiritual and mental illness," even referencing the infamous [[Alt-right_glossary#41.25|40% statistic]], erroneously conflating attempted suicide with actual suicide.<ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/archive/jxi36 "I wouldn't call 40% suicide rates "joy" I'd call it a severe spiritual and mental illness." Redeemed Zoomer on Twitter (5:53 PM on April 29, 2024). Archived.]</ref> In addition, he supports [[Uganda]]'s anti-gay laws,<ref name="LibConp">[https://archive.is/BiOLJ "What’s your most conservative and most liberal take? I’ll start: Liberal: climate change is real and it’s a problem. Conservative: Uganda is doing nothing wrong regarding LGBT." Redeemed Zoomer on Twitter (11:59 PM on December 20, 2023). Archived.]</ref> which punishes LGBTQ people with life imprisonment and even allows the [[death penalty]] for "aggravated homosexuality."<ref>(May 30, 2023). [https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ugandas-museveni-approves-anti-gay-law-parliament-speaker-says-2023-05-29/ "Uganda enacts harsh anti-LGBTQ law including death penalty"]. ''Reuters''.</ref><ref> Rogin ''et al.'' (January 28, 2024). [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/lgbtq-ugandans-fight-for-survival-civil-rights-under-countrys-anti-gay-law "LGBTQ+ Ugandans fight for survival, civil rights under country’s anti-gay law"]. ''PBS NewsHour''.</ref> (One of Uganda's own courts later upheld the law but found sections of it "inconsistent with right to health, privacy and freedom of religion".<ref>(April 3, 2024). [https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ugandas-constitutional-court-upholds-anti-homosexuality-law-2024-04-03/ "Ugandan court upholds anti-LGBTQ law but says some rights infringed"]. ''Reuters''.</ref>)

===America as a Christian nation===
Ackerman believes that the United States was founded as a [[The_United_States_as_a_Christian_nation|Christian nation]] simply because most of the country during 1776 were Protestants. In addition, Ackerman believes that the US should become a [[The_United_States_as_a_Christian_nation|Christian theocracy]], justifying it by claiming that Christian theocracies worked before the French Revolution.<ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/archive/1OA7e "Explicitly Christian nations worked MANY times. Literally every major European power pre-French Revolution." Redeemed Zoomer on Twitter (10:44 AM on July 3, 2024). Archived.]</ref>

===Anti-abortion===
Unsurprisingly, he fully opposes abortion and believes that any woman who gets an abortion should be treated as a murderer.<ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/archive/hk2QC "Women who get abortions are murderers and must be legally treated as such." Redeemed Zoomer on Twitter (1:10 AM on April 26, 2024). Archived.]</ref>

===Opposition to Trump===
Oddly enough, he considers himself as a Never-Trumper, not because of [[Donald Trump|Trump]]'s lack of moral character, but mainly because he views Trump as being "way too pro-gay and pro-abortion."<ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/archive/ODHkI "I've said many times I'm a never-Trumper. Trump is WAY too pro-gay and pro-abortion for me." Redeemed Zoomer on Twitter (9:55 AM on February 12, 2024). Archived.]</ref>

===Antisemitism and race===
On account of his ethnically Jewish ancestry, some [[antisemitic]] Christians accused Ackerman of trying to "subvert" Christianity. He downplayed his Jewish background in response, saying: "I have a Jewish name and nose, that's about it".<ref>(June 13, 2024). [https://ghostarchive.org/archive/EoQ5b "Exactly. I have a Jewish name and nose, that’s about it"]. ''Twitter'', via Ghost Archive. [https://x.com/redeemed_zoomer/status/1801106708267171881 (Original link)].</ref> In one thread, neo-Nazi [[Nick Fuentes]] congratulated Ackerman on being an ex-Zionist, but one of Fuentes's followers accused Ackerman of being a "race denier" ({{IdEst}} not a [[racialist]]). Ackerman replied: "no I'm not I just don't really care".<ref>(May 15, 2024). [https://ghostarchive.org/archive/JJMxi "no I'm not I just don't really care"]. ''Twitter'', via Ghost Archive. [https://x.com/redeemed_zoomer/status/1790944639710556639 (Original link)].</ref> He was also asked: "what's stopping you from being a [[groyper]]?", to which Ackerman said: "them constantly insulting my Jewish ethnicity even though I've repeatedly denounced Judaism".<ref>(July 9, 2024). [https://ghostarchive.org/archive/hweQ5 "them constantly insulting my Jewish ethnicity even though I've repeatedly denounced Judaism"]. ''Twitter'', via Ghost Archive. [https://x.com/redeemed_zoomer/status/1810701894060278207 (Original link)].</ref>

==Activities and affiliations==
===Operation Reconquista===
Ackerman created Operation Reconquista, an organization and movement aiming to promote theological and doctrinal conservatism in the Mainline Protestant churches.<ref name="reconquista"/> This led to the establishment of an organization for his own PC(USA), Presbyterians for the Kingdom,<ref>[https://www.kingdompresbyterians.com/ Presbyterians for the Kingdom webshite]</ref> and Young Methodists for Tradition for the United Methodist Church,<ref>[https://www.youngmethodistsfortradition.org/ Young Methodists for Tradition webshite]</ref> the Episcopal Fellowship for Renewal for the Episcopal Church,<ref>[https://www.episcopalrenewal.org/ Episcopal Fellowship for Renewal of the Episcopal Church webshite]</ref> and the Society of Orthodox Lutheran Advocates.<ref>[https://www.solaelca.org/ Society of Orthodox Lutheran Advocates webshite]</ref> With the organization of the Operation, these organizations, as well as the Puritans of the United Church of Christ and the American Baptists for Christ (for The American Baptist Churches USA) commemorated Reformation Day (October 31) of 2023 by sending 95 theses to each congregation of these churches they could find in the US,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://baptistnews.com/article/operation-reconquista-aims-to-return-mainline-churches-to-orthodoxy/|title=‘Operation Reconquista’ aims to return Mainline churches to ‘orthodoxy’|last=Wingfield|first=Mark|date=November 13, 2023|publisher=Baptist News Global}}</ref> presumably via way of them keeping a global map.<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=44.03226794579251%2C-92.75978994999998&z=17&mid=1PNd_sJagci84PyKmGC6M5VJtaLMEWxg Google Maps user-created entry for "historic churches"]</ref>

==Relative normalcy==
{{main|Stopped clock}}
Despite his extremely conservative beliefs, Ackerman still follows mainline Protestant doctrine rather than Christian fundamentalism, meaning that he can have somewhat reasonable religious opinions.
*He believes in [[evolution]] due to him believing that Christianity and science are compatible.<ref>[https://youtu.be/QM9IWx9TJ08&t=190 Why I believe in evolution - Kingdomcraft]</ref>
*He does not [[deny]] that [[climate change]] is a real problem.<ref name="LibConp"/>
*He does not believe in the [[Rapture]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1cmR15NFwM Why the Rapture isn't Biblical - KingdomCraft]</ref>
*He condemns the [[Name_it_and_claim_it|prosperity gospel movement and "word of faith."]]<ref>[https://youtu.be/bZfkVvcyrQc&t=22 Every HERESY explained part 2!]</ref>

==External links==
*[https://redeemedzoomer.com/ Redeemed Zoomer]
*[https://www.operationreconquista.com/ Operation Reconquista]
*[https://www.kingdompresbyterians.com/about-us/ Presbyterians for the Kingdom]
*[https://www.youtube.com/@redeemedzoomer6053 YouTube channel]

==References==
{{reflist|80%}}
[[Category:Alt-lite]]
[[Category:Anti-abortion activists]]
[[Category:Antifeminism]]
[[Category:Anti-LGBT bigots]]
[[Category:Christian apologists]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Fundamentalists]]
[[Category:Homophobes]]
[[Category:Jews]]
[[Category:Internet kooks]]
[[Category:Leftists who turned right with age]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:New York]]
[[Category:Protestants]]
[[Category:Right-wing activists]]
[[Category:Theocracy]]
[[Category:Transphobes]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:We're on a mission from God]]
[[Category:YouTube]]

Categories: Alt-lite, Anti-abortion activists, Antifeminism, Anti-LGBT bigots, Christian apologists, Christians, Fundamentalists, Homophobes, Jews, Internet kooks, Leftists who turned right with age, Living people, New York, Protestants, Right-wing activists, Theocracy, Transphobes, Video games, We're on a mission from God, YouTube