How dark money prostitutes the US church and distorts Catholicism

How dark money prostitutes the US church and distorts Catholicism

The Pro-life movement prostituted Trump.

He was pro-choice (if not pro-abortion) until he made an unwavering commitment to ending abortion. He even thought through what that meant and was quickly told that, no, we are not out to prosecute women (even though that is the natural result of recognizing the unborn as legal people - and without doing the latter, privacy protects the woman's right to abortion). There was a quick retraction.

Why support Trump? He was gaining in the polls. A Pro-Choice Republican president is essential to keeping the movement, and its fundraising establishment, well fed. When is became clear that Russia was helping Trump, they looked the other way. It may even be that the way the Midwestern Catholic bishops were ready to pounce on Clinton's defense of partial birth abortion in the debate (and Trump brought up the issue) was that her briefing book showed she was soft on the issue. Who do we know that was able to hack her briefing book? I will give you three guesses and the first two do not count.

It is not that Trump was afraid of Russian support coming out, it was that he acknowledged his debt to them - which he tried to fulfill by blocking appropriated funds to Ukraine to kill invading Russian tanks. The "perfect phone call" was the cover-up to that attempt. At some point, Trump knew that this would all come out and he was mistaken in the impression (which the media went along with) that he could not be prosecuted while in office. 

No court, from Manhattan to Washington, have ever acknowledged this and have hinted strongly that this is not the case. They cannot rule on it, however, until Trump is arrested. The Federal Judiciary to not issue advisory opinions (which is why the Texas abortion ban has not yet been overturned). No one tried. Trump's belief in what was wrong led to the Insurrection. In for a penny, in for a pound.

All of those involved with Trump knew that, if he went down, their fingerprints would be found.

And they will be.

Michael Sean is shocked, shocked he says, that the Catholic Church - especially the pro-life side - contains Authoritarians.  As Trump would so, so sad.

Spiritual but not religious recognizes that institutions are open to bad behavior. From the sexual teachings of St. Augustine and the bloodshed over finalizing the Creed, to Nepotism in clergy appointments and papal elections to the attacks on free thought, democracy, science, religious freedom and sexuality do not have their origins in the spiritual. They are all about the Catholic brand and its worldly interests. There has never been as time when the Church has not suffered corruption.

Spiritual but not religious is the easy path. Being Spiritual AND Religious as a Catholic is only for the courageous.  That Fortitude used to require greater commitment. The Church used to torture and burn dissent. Now being attacked as a dissenter is a boon to sales. Sadly, Francis has cut off the heretic hunters at the knees.

I have more than one book that the Church would try to ban. More's the pity. They are finding that ignoring dissent is much easier and more effective than fighting it. That Michael Sean never covers dissidents from the Catholic Left - meaning me - is the best service he can render to those who would buy the Church for the Republican Party.