The left-wing nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center , often cited as an authority on “hate” and “extremism” in the United States, recently drew criticism for baselessly labeling Moms for Liberty and other conservative parental rights organizations “hate groups.”

It turns out that the SPLC manufactures the threat of hate not only by defining it along partisan lines but by exaggerating its size. An in-depth analysis by the Daily Signal found that it inflates the number of “hate groups” on its latest “hate map” by at least 266%.

In addition to including mainstream conservative groups it doesn’t like, the SPLC “lists ‘chapters’ of organizations as separate ‘hate groups’ … no matter how small they are” and includes “individuals or entities that either do not exist, have no impact, or are not groups at all,” the Daily Signal found.

Given the profound dishonesty of this organization, it's worth noting how influential it is, as that influence has become nothing less than dangerous. Ironically, it has inspired the extremist violence that it should be working against.

Washington, D.C.’s first conviction under a 2002 terrorism statute was given to a man who attempted a mass shooting at the headquarters of the Family Research Council , a social-conservative think tank. The gunman , who shot and injured one member, said he intended to make a statement for gay rights after seeing that the SPLC had declared the FRC an anti-LGBT hate group.

When CNN asked the SPLC for comment, it showed no remorse and merely referred to a statement that argued, “The fact that we list the FRC as a hate group because of its demonizing propaganda does not make us the hateful one.”

The FRC’s “demonizing propaganda” amounts to endorsing pro-life policies, the traditional meaning of marriage, the reality of biological sex, and other standard, conservative positions. These age-old beliefs, even if motivated by a sincere biblical worldview and with the betterment of society in mind, make you hateful to the SPLC by definition.

What’s especially disturbing is that some powerful institutions seem to agree.

The FBI’s Richmond, Virginia field office created a memo directing agents to investigate “radical traditionalist Catholics,” noting their opposition to socially liberal causes and baselessly treating their religion as a possible sign of “racially or ethnically motivated” extremism. The document, which the FBI retracted after it was exposed, cited the SPLC as some kind of respectable source on the issue.

This past Christmas season, conservative and Christian charities such as the Ruth Institute were ineligible for donations through the Amazon Smile program. An email to staff at the nonprofit acknowledged that this happened because its guiding resource for the program, the SPLC, “lists The Ruth Institute in an ineligible category.”

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It’s true that everyone relying on the SPLC is choosing not to apply the slightest bit of scrutiny to its “research.” But that’s the point. Partisan sources masquerading as nonpartisan grant the appearance of objectivity to the irrational beliefs people have about their political enemies. From violent individuals to corporations to federal agents, that prejudice is inspiring those on the left to try to drive social conservatives out of polite society.

Hudson Crozier is a summer 2023 Washington Examiner fellow.