<p>Go inside the Heart of Fire Church and meet the motorcycle-friendly congregation and gun choir. Check out the fellowship hall — or biker bar — and learn more about Johnson's dark past.</p>

Go inside the Heart of Fire Church and meet the motorcycle-friendly congregation and gun choir. Check out the fellowship hall — or biker bar — and learn more about Johnson's dark past.

An Empire Built On Blind Faith

In 2016, Danny Ray Johnson was elected to state office. The fast talking biker-preacher known as "The Pope" paints himself as a 9/11 hero. He says he raised the dead! But our seven month investigation uncovered a much different picture: Attempted arson. Another mysterious fire. Alleged bootlegging and molestation in the church. For years, Johnson broke laws. Now he helps make them. What happens when the institutions we rely on look the other way? How does a liar slip through the cracks into a position of power? This six-part series attempts to find out. From Louisville Public Media.

Share An Empire Built On Blind Faith

Sign up to save your podcasts

An Empire Built On Blind Faith

An Empire Built On Blind Faith

More shows like The Pope's Long Con

This American Life

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

WTF with Marc Maron Podcast

Embedded

20/20

The Daily

Shadow Kingdom

Swindled

Buried Truths

American Scandal

Something Was Wrong

On Track

Dateline NBC

Dig

Heaven Bent

The Binge Cases: Where is Daniel Morcombe?

LPM Daily News Briefing

Where Y'all Really From

MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

Sprinkle Sparkle

Words for the People