Step Aside God; MY Will Be Done!

Just over a year ago, in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit decision, I wrote an article for Catholic 365 which was unsurprisingly well received by conservatives and utterly scorned by liberals. In my humble opinion, it was well written and it's purpose was not necessarily to sway or champion the Brexit cause, but simply to point out the reasons why it happened. It didn't matter; the left lambasted me. So I know what it is like to be the recipient of harsh criticism from foamy-mouthed individuals with questionable reading comprehension abilities. It comes with the territory of being a writer. I have always been transparent about who I am. I am a Catholic first, always and everywhere. My politics have shifted slightly depending upon variables, but I’ve maintained a fairly steady approach to individual issues. On some, I am labeled a liberal, on others a conservative. I don’t fit neatly into either mold. I firmly believe that when you’ve succeeded in having both sides brand you a member of the other camp, you’re probably doing something quite right.

I am a moderate. I have always taken a nuanced approach to things because extreme rashness is nothing but fireworks for the sake of being fireworks. It is no secret that fireworks have become the modus operandi of both conservatives and liberals in the 21^st century American political arena. Fox News is the right wing’s entertainment propaganda machine while the left has MSNBC--which I'll admit, I frequently watch. Despite having been a registered Republican until recently and identifying with the Goldwater brand of conservatism, I have a very difficult time feeling any kinship with today’s Trump Republicans and conservatives because they’ve lost all sense of civility, discourse and public decorum. I have always prided myself on being a gentleman; if you cannot behave like a civilized human being at all times, then you’ve basically rescinded your humanity. That said, the left is increasingly giving verbal approval to movements that, while not inherently violent, are turning a blind eye to the violent tactics employed by some within their ranks. Violence begets violence; always. Jesus chastised Peter for reaching for his sword. That is all the proof I need that violence is never, ever the answer.

Yet I found myself embroiled in a Facebook battle royale this past weekend with Catholics of a more progressive bent who I had long viewed as allies in the cause for justice. Like them, I frequently write about and march for the rights of the oppressed. I am a brown-skinned man. I identify as a “minority.” But in this thread, I was branded a bigot, an enabler of bigots, a misogynist, a “mansplainer” (whatever that is), a bad Catholic, a bad American, and a Quaker—that one made me chuckle because despite my extensive theological studies, I must admit that I know nothing about the Quakers. You might be wondering the reason why I became the object of so many people’s ire? Because, despite having a degree in English and a degree in theology, I was told that I refused to acknowledge that an article written by a friend of mine was somehow racist. I was told that the article—and the author—epitomized white privilege, and that her choice of words somehow gave carte blanche to Nazis, Klansmen, alt-righters and downright “mean people.” Newsflash: they didn’t.

Having taken graduate courses in literary interpretation, it would be irresponsible and just plain incorrect to derive any such nonsense from her words. But because one individual who arbitrarily happened to be one quarter African American took offense to her interpretation of these words, the centuries old rules of English grammar and context were supposed to be flushed down the toilet and because I refused to kowtow to the language police—in a nation where reading comprehension skills are nauseatingly woeful--I became the reincarnation of Joseph Goebells. The author’s purpose for writing this article was to point out that all of us who call ourselves Christians, have an obligation—above all other obligations—to tend to our own transgressions before pointing out the sins of others (these were Christ’s explicit sentiments, not hers or mine). She astutely stated that given the nature of how polarized we’ve become as a nation—and the fact that nobody seems to listen anymore—perhaps it would be more fruitful to tend to the monsters within ourselves and our own “side” before trying to change those who think drastically different from ourselves. The soundness of this logic cannot be refuted, yet these aforementioned individuals decided to attack the author without mercy and then turned on me for defending her.

One individual had the gall to say that there was no room in the Catholic Church for “white politeness.” Given the nature and temperament of Catholics such as Steve Bannon, it seems this individual’s absurd statement is a self-fulfilling prophecy. This individual went on to express a thinly veiled justification for employing violence—moments after chastising the violent tactics used by Nazis and alt-righters—something I never have and never will condone. St. Thomas More once wrote that he “would uphold the law if for no other reason than to protect [himself].” Yet many people on the left are now seeking to throw out the entire rule of law because a few overly sensitive people’s feelings are wounded by their misinterpretations and misunderstandings of the contextual realities of the English language. They spend their days trolling the internet, lying in wait to pounce upon someone’s words in an attempt to besmirch that writer’s character. This is immoral, unethical and unholy.

Racism is alive and well in 21^st century America. It is painfully evident everywhere we look and yes, our entire national fabric is predicated upon systematic oppression of varying peoples from decade to decade. This can be changed. It must be changed. But the only way it is going to happen is if we, the Catholics and Christians of this country heed the warnings of the Man we claim to serve and worship and look inside ourselves at our own pathetic flaws before casting judgment upon others. Hiding behind a fabricated image of who Pope Francis is by cherry picking his words out of context does not justify the nefarious means of the left, any more or less than similar attempts by conservatives to hide behind fabricated images of Benedict XVI or JPII to justify their own political ideologies. All three of these men have maintained and upheld the teachings of Jesus Christ, faithfully and without veering from core doctrinal Church tenets. Attempts to warp their words for the sake of political gamesmanship is bordering on blasphemy. If we serve Christ, then we must do so with the fullness of our being. Saying things such as “if this pope or this bishop or our Church doesn’t change its teachings to coincide with MY political beliefs then I’m leaving,” is nothing short of laughable. Who are you to make such a bold statement? Are you now the center of my universe or is Christ?

It is time for us to take a collective deep breath and a step or two back from the madness to really consider who we are and what our purpose is. If we refuse to do so out of stubborn pride or an inability to break from the ranks of our political team of choice, then for the sake of your soul, I hope your political “side” offers you the same redemption and eternal life that my Savior has offered me; but you and I both know that it won’t.