Webster’s Dictionary informs us that the word “torque” drives from the French word to twist and has two meanings: First, “a metal collar or neck chain worn by the ancient Gauls, Germans, and Britons.” The word “torture” is derived from the same French word, thus “something that causes agony or pain” or “affords sadistic pleasure.”
It seems to me that the five political hacks on the unsupreme court have twisted all legal reasoning out of shape and twisted the last 49 years of jurisprudence from the Supreme Court out of shape to get to their position to turn their back on 87% of American citizens in order to torture the lives of women, especially poor and black and brown women, and certainly young girls and victims of rape in order to arrive at some sadistic pleasure.
The second meaning of “torque” is as follows: As a verb, it means to “impart torque to: cause to twist (as about an axis); a turning or twisting force.”
The chaos that will happen in the everyday lives of women and families from this sick decision; the complete loss of respect for the Supreme Court; the chaos to derive from people losing all faith in government by law; the joy such chaos will bring Steve Bannon and his goal of undermining respectful law and order therefore, will surely match any other quest for sadistic pleasure conceived of.
The next step is naked fascism or what historian Timothy Snyder calls Tyranny. I smell Opus Dei in the air. Word in the street is that Ginni Thomas is a member of Opus Dei (however, being a super secret organization, it is hard to substantiate though her car was seen at Opus Dei meetings). I smell fascism of all stripes in the air at the Supreme Court.
This law will be remembered as Supreme Torque therefore, a supreme and ultimate twisting of legal precedent to come to a bona fide act of torture and of sadism toward women. It represents a triumph of Patriarchy; a triumph of misogyny. The killing of human rights just as it opens the door to the killing of babies and of mothers whom it pretends to defend by denying access to safe women’s care.
Yes, the once-supreme court will now be recognized as the Supreme Torque—a sadistic and power-driven cluster of political hacks driven by religious ideology and not the law, in fact throwing overboard 49 years of the law—to implement their theocratic mandate on an already limping democracy. The Supreme Torque of Patriarchy, Authoritarianism, Misogyny, Theocracy.
The only remedy is moral outrage heated enough to get people to the polls. “Nothing great happens without anger.” (Thomas Aquinas)
See Matthew Fox writing on See Matthew Fox writing on abortion previously in dailymeditationswithmatthewfox, Sept 4, 5, 6, 2021; and Dec. 3, 4, 5, 6, 2021.
And Matthew Fox, “Opus Dei,” in Fox, The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved, pp. 106-124.
To read the transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner Image: “Standing for Choice” Photo by Manny Becerra on Unsplash
Queries for Contemplation
What possibilities do you envision for standing up to Supreme Court overreach and taking away civil rights already promised to the citizenry?
Recommended Reading
The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved
The Pope’s War offers a provocative look at three decades of corruption in the Catholic Church, focusing on Josef Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. The final section in the book focuses on birthing a truly catholic Christianity.
“This book should be read by everybody, not only for its ferocious courage, but also for its vision for what needs to be saved from the destructive forces that threaten authentic Christianity.” ~ Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope.
“In the gripping The Pope’s War, Matthew Fox takes an unwavering look at the layers of corruption in the Catholic Church, holding moral truth against power.” — Jason Berry, author of Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II
14 thoughts on “Supreme Court—or Supreme Torque?”
Matthew, Today you ask us with this, in our Queries for Contemplation: “What possibilities do you envision for standing up to Supreme Court overreach and taking away civil rights already promised to the citizenry? First of all, we as citizens should let them know that we will not put up with their twisting all legal reasoning out of shape to have things the way they want them. Nor will we allow them to “turn their back on 87% of American citizens in order to torture the lives of women, especially poor and black and brown women, and certainly young girls and victims of rape…”
Also, I must make a big recommendation for those of our on-line community to read your book, THE POPE’S WAR: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved.
There’s a wise saying, which states “Know the face of your enemy”, and I might add to this, the one hidden behind the mask. So what mask are those on the Supreme Court wearing and what intentions and motivations lie hidden beneath their cloaks. The first image that appears in my minds eye is that of the Devil Card in the Tarot. It’s the image of the Devil, whom has placed chains around the necks of humanity.
So what’s the real face behind the mask… none other than what has been implied in today’s DM… Opus Dei. Escriva, it’s founder once described this right wing fascist cult, which it is… as an intravenous injection into the bloodstream of society. So what’s being injected… their intentions and motivations? Their ideal, is to redeem the world from within, through the world’s institutions within society, by Christianizing it with their personal ideals. This they call their great sanctifying work. The real aim of this organization, is the acquisition of political and judicial power as well as financial gain. Anyone, whom does not agree with their ideals and policies, is deemed mentally and physically inferior. They are trained in what is called “saintly coercion”, which is described as using force… to save the life of those who they deem to be idiotically persisting in committing suicide of the soul… which they see abortion as. They also believe that birth control and LGBTQ+ orientations are “disordered”. They also enforce mortification of the body, in order to suppress all human desire, and they see this as a necessary part of resisting evil and saving the soul.
Their ideal of feminism, is for women to work in the spirit of submission, according to the official Opus Dei documents they have created and forced women to comply to. To enforce this, women have been given antiphycotic drugs… due to the depression that ensued, caused by the burden of oppression and suppression upon them. (Do you see the pharmaceutical connections influencing and impacting society, with its promotion of antidepressants in response to humanities state of not only depression, but anxiety and stress as well?) Not long ago when some of these women escaped Opus Dei, coming forward with their claims, the French Court acquitted the accused members of Opus Dei. (Sounds like a familiar story with those whom now sit on the Supreme Court today, doesn’t it?)
They recruit new members, targeting the youth… through universities and colleges that they own. As well, current memebers of Opus Dei use their jobs and their status of position within society to manipulate others, misusing and abusing their power and authority, with their own intentions and motivations being the ultimate goal and gain.
Many Catholic priests are hidden members of the Opus Dei cult, and several of these men have had charges filed against them under the Child’s Victim Act… due to the criminal sexual assault they repeatedly engaged in… children being their victims. The Opus Dei cult has reportedly paid out millions of dollars to settle a number of sexual assault lawsuits, and this continues to this day.
These statements are NOT conspiracy theories, but rather they are well known facts, reported on and brought to light many times… a sad reality that must be faced in our world. So what is humanity to do, facing such evil… the Devil whom is wearing its many disguises, hidden within the institutions of our society… whom are injecting and forcing their hidden agendas, intentions and motivations upon others?
Firstly, face and know the enemy in our midst. Continue to expose and reveal the truth, by bringing light, conscious awareness into this darkness. Use wisdom, creativity and imagination, along with the power of our truth telling prophetic voices, to nonviolently prevent the shackles of oppression and suppression… that are attempting to be placed upon humanities necks. Take a stand, and strike like lightning, protesting the structural towers of Opus Dei that have infiltrated our institutions within society… all the way to the Supreme Court… as well as many other places of power… that they may crumble and it’s leaders will fall.
Matthew’s use of the word ‘torque’ today reminds me of Dominican friar Thomas Torquemada: Tomás de Torquemada (14 October 1420 – 16 September 1498), who was a Castilian Dominican friar and first Grand Inquisitor in Spain’s movement to homogenize religious practices with those of the Catholic Church in the late 15th century, otherwise known as the Spanish Inquisition. Matthew’s warning about some Supreme Court judges’ connection with Opus Dei is more than sobering.
Example: There was a feature article on April 30/22 in Toronto’s Globe and Mail about female refugees in Poland fleeing the war in Ukraine. Some were traumatized after being raped by Russian soldiers. On arrival in Poland these women found that they couldn’t get access to birth control pills or abortion services. They were warned about the severe penalties for Polish doctors performing abortions etc. A Polish organization called the Life and Family Foundation provides the Ukrainian women refugees with pamphlets outlining Poland’s abortion restrictions. One PLFF flyer includes this statement: “The biggest threat to peace is abortion. If a woman is allowed to kill her child what’s stopping me or you from killing each other?” This staggering blindsided religious misogynism puts the blame for war and terror on abortion with no mention of the dark money global industrial complex which has seeded our planet with weapons of mass destruction. These women refugees are living an endless nightmare, escaping full scale destruction in their beloved homeland Ukraine and being threatened with incarceration in Poland should they get an abortion.
Gwen, That was some sharp thinking on Matthew’s use of the word ‘torque’ today, and your connecting it with the Dominican, Tomás de Torquemada (1420 – 1498), who was the first Grand Inquisitor in Spain–why didn’t I think of that? That is a great connection on your part! But the statement: “The biggest threat to peace is abortion. If a woman is allowed to kill her child what’s stopping me or you from killing each other?”–This is absolutely absurd !!! Thank you for your comment!
Thank you, Matthew. Again you clarify the issue.
Amen, I say to Matthew, Richard and Eileen. I pray for courage to continue to speak these truths. I pray for myself that I may stand strong too and act in non violent ways.
The second and most recent link/article opens with a quote from renowned Canadian author Margaret Atwood. The quote is from her book and movie The Handmaid’s Tale which has won international acclaim and awards. It is Atwood’s prescient warning about events currently unfolding in the USA re a woman’s reproductive rights.
https://www.stylist.co.uk/life/handmaids-tale-margaret-atwood-predicted-us-abortion-law-pro-life-heartbeat-bill/273387?msclkid=db80d02ecd4211ec9df1bd7dc023101c
http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/thom-hartmann/fugitive-woman-act-women-red-states-need-shelter-escape-draconian-anti-abortion-laws/
Gwen, Thank you for the links !!!
I have been accused often of being a very noisy, nosying moose! }:-0 But sometimes “shouting”, bellowing is called for that others may hear and take notice. }:- a.m.
Great poem, listened to it several times! Short, sharp and precise. The phrase “rendering fascism in fashion again” really gives me goosebumps because it’s undeniably so.
Thank you VERY MUCH Matthew Fox! I feel you gather us like that proverbial mother hen, and I very much
appreciate your stirring words today, as I often do.
I’m asking Great Love to give me and all justice lovers the courage, love, imagination, prophetic ears, prophetic mouth, community, solitude, brilliance, persistence, fire in our bellies, faith, tears, fury, laughter and marvelous self-care practices to run the long distance race to end fascism and plant seeds of communities SO just and SO kind that nothing can stop their flowering. Nothing. Ever. I think this is why Jesus lived, taught, healed, and, after being tortured and murdered by Empire and some conspiring “religious” authorities, rose from the dead. To embody for us the sometimes surprising invincibility of love, justice and healthy communities. I know this invincibility is hard to believe in, at least for me and many, but, please listen to this. I have Thomas Merton to back me up. Because I know he said words to the effect of – God’s love is more powerful than all the evil humans can do, including making and using nuclear weapons. Please forgive me for not being able to give you his exact quotation and the name of the book or article from which it came. I’ve been trying to find it again for many years. But the gist of it helps me get out of bed in the morning and ask the risen John Lewis to help me to make good trouble with my rabble-rousing friends.
Thank you Matthew for once again speaking/shouting as a prophet with God’s Spirit of Love~Wisdom~Truth~Peace~Justice~Creativity… to All for compassionate being and action in our lives during these perilous times in our society and as part of Mother Earth and all Her creatures, for the continued evolution of humanity and our eternal souls….
🔥❤️🙏
I WAS ANGRY ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT THE SUPREME COURT WAS DOING ON THE ISSUE OF ROE VERSUS CASEY UNTIL I HEARD THE NAME OPUS DEI!!!!!!!! NOW I AM AM REALLY ANGRY!!!!!!! HEAVEN FORBID THEY ARE INVOLVED IN ANYTHING! MAY MATTHEW FOX HIS JOURNEY SO WE CAN ALL BE ON THE ROAD TO ENLIGHTENMENT!!!!!
Today I have been wondering what affect Jansenism had on my Irish Family Tree! Then I see Matthew Fox reference to Opus Dei. Is there relationship?