Opus Dei champion Leonardo Lee pushed far right judges onto the Supreme Court who find the whole idea of pluralism and separation of church and state repugnant.
SCOTUS recently broke precedent about federal money for church schools and followed it up with a ruling that school districts cannot prohibit high school football coach’s prayers on the field. I received this e-mail in response:
No longer protecting the separation of church and state! Conservative religious fanatics victorious again thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision this morning!
Of course this should come as no surprise–Opus Dei has never liked the separation of church and state. Consider Franco’s dictatorship where Opus Dei played a very active role in marrying far right wing Catholicism with right wing politics and industry for decades of rule.
This decision to turn its back on pluralism shows clearly in the SCOTUS decision to gut 49 years of precedent and kill roe/wade since most religions do not recognize a fetus as a human being until a certain number of months (including most Christians, among them Saint and doctor of the church, Thomas Aquinas). The Jewish tradition (that of Jesus) believes the fetus is not a human until it leaves the womb.
Clearly Dobbs demonstrates venom toward women and especially poor women many of whom are women of color. This hardly echoes Jesus’ teaching of a “preferential option for the poor,” does it? What research did Alito do into the impact Dobbs will have on poor women? In fact, Dobbs will kill poor women and render poor families even more poor.
The most recent appointee to this unSupreme Court gave a speech this past summer under Senator McConnell’s auspices–and with him in attendance–and declared that people should not see her and her colleagues on the Court as “political hacks.” At the time, I couldn’t help catching a déjà vu—oh, yes, it was President Nixon publicly declaring that “I am not a crook.” That happened shortly before it was demonstrated to the world that he was so much a crook that he was forced to resign the presidency—AND to be pardoned for his crimes by the next president.
Not only is the current Supreme Court political hacks with their decision-making, but they are also religious quacks. Opus Dei is religious quackery. So too is much of the evangelical version of Christianity. Check it out. Mixing fascism and Christianity is religious quackery of a very serious kind. Its name is Christofascism.
Every supreme court judge who signed off on this so-called legal decision, that utterly contradicts the 13th and 14th amendment that prohibit servitude and the control over women’s bodies that was integral to the slave system, is acting out of Christofascism and is pleasing forces of Christofascism.
Adapted from 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 a transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner Image: Mitch McConnell speaking in 2013 at the Conservative PAC. Originally posted to Flickr by Gage Skidmore.
Queries for Contemplation
Do you think it is possible for people who call themselves followers of Christ to also submit to fascism? Is it time to call out Christofascism in all its forms?
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 “Political Hacks & Religious Quacks: Christofascism in SCOTUS”
Matthew, Today you give us the news of how the Supreme Courts recently broke precedent about federal money for church schools and followed it up with a ruling that school districts cannot prohibit high school football coach’s prayers on the field. This decision to turn its back on pluralism shows clearly in the Supreme Court decision to gut 49 years of precedent and kill roe/wade since most religions do not recognize a fetus as a human being until a certain number of months.
“Do you think it is possible for people who call themselves followers of Christ to also submit to fascism?” No more than the early Christian martyrs, submitted to the Romans.
“Is it time to call out Christofascism in all its forms?” Because the current Supreme Court is made up of political hacks with their decision-making, but they are also religious quacks. Opus Dei is religious quackery. So too is much of the evangelical version of Christianity. Check it out. Mixing fascism and Christianity is religious quackery of a very serious kind. Its name is Christofascism. But my question is, “Yes, we need to be aware and informed on the evils that are being played out in our government,” but I feel that it would be more productive to focus on what can be done to change matters. Wayne Dyer wrote a book titled, THERE’S A SPIRITUAL SOLUTION TO EVERY PROBLEM. Do you believe this is true? Some actively fight what they feel is unjust like those who fought in the January 6th incident. Did that help? Was it productive? During the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam protests, through passive resistance, that which seemed impossible without fighting, accomplished the desired end. What is the spiritual solution to this problem ??? That’s what I want to know…
That is the question. Have you read “Christ in Crisis” by Jim Wallis? He identifies the same basic issues that Matthew does and also suggests spiritual practices. I have it and need to go back to it, having read it twice already. Peaceful protests, civil disobedience, passive resistance eventually work, although it takes way too long, and the issues keep coming back. I am very much afraid that there will be a whole lot more violence. As I mentioned yesterday, I really like the core value of the CAC, the best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better–but we do need to name what we are dealing with, and in the case of SCOTUS and OPUS DEI, I wish that I could see something besides pure evil.
Thanks Sue! I totally forgot about Jim Wallis. He’s great on these things !!!
Christian faith from the get-go is by nature countercultural, defined less by what It’s against than by what it’s for. As such, the radical (“radix” = root) call is to detach, dis-affiliate or dis-ally, starting with the ego (false self) and all of its worldly attachments and manifestations. This is the radical death we’re to die, serially so, in order to enter and abide there. In that case, am not sure about the wisdom of continually naming and blaming what’s wrong with the world, and the “broad road”(far right and far left thinking) wherein this faulty world resides, the residues of which we’re in the process of being purged and called out from. That’s akin to bemoaning infancy when childhood arrives, or adolescence when adulthood is attained, or death itself when life emerges from it. It doesn’t seem heaven itself, even heaven on earth, is to be filled with souls constantly condemning what’s wrong with and trying to fix the countless unfixable things they’ve been delivered from. Especially when it comes to dead, politicized religious institutions, or politics in general. They’ve been around for centuries. Reprieved corpses (the redeemed) have as much in common with unreprieved corpses (the unredeemed) and their affiliations, say, as playgrounds do with cemeteries. Such are oxymorons. The tares, said Jesus, are ordained to grow and thrive alongside the wheat until the end, when the reapers (angels) will cull and destroy them (Matthew 13). Cultivate, water and tend to the divine wheat, and leave the corrupt tares to themselves.
Thank you, Matthew. Outstanding meditation.
Matthew, you describe Christofascism and its’ negative/destructive influences on society very well. I wish more Christians/Catholics would read your book, “The Pope’s War”, for some of this history in the Catholic Church, and as Andrew Harvey says in the above review of your book, “….its’ vision of what needs to be saved from the destructive forces of authentic Christianity.”
Unfortunately, in human history, the Christian institutions have been one of many more examples of toxic and unbalanced (without feminine values) patriarchal/masculine institutions that have plagued humanity with all its’ destructive negative consequences and suffering, especially on our indigenous peoples and on our Mother Earth and all Her creatures and life giving blessings… Your many books on Creation Spirituality have been very important along with others in the past and present for keeping alive our human traditions of genuine mystical spirituality/faith as exemplified by our mystics, saints, prophets, shamans, and ongoing lightworkers in our contemporary times… May our Loving Merciful God’s Spirit Present within and among us continue blessing, guiding, and strengthening our spiritual journeys with one another, and our spirit guides/Angels, of our eternal evolving souls in God’s Loving Oneness and co-Creation~Evolution, our Cosmic Christ Consciousness….
🔥❤️🙏
Amen.
I had never heard the term Christofascism before. I continue to learn many things in these DMs. It’s part of being a teacher to repeat things for new learners. Nowadays words are being tossed at us from every direction like confetti, but there is a depth and a trust behind Matthew’s teachings that connects them to real meaning. Naming something can be very powerful. You can grow up and live your entire life under a cloud of blindness, for example if your parents carry trauma that is never spoken of – but it still affects you. Naming things that are trying to stay hidden is important and has nothing to do with blaming. It’s about clear perception.
Historically, there are no places more toxically autocratic, controlling, corrupt, and lopsidedly patriarchal than religious institutions and their clerics. More than in politics or the corporate world; more even than than in organized crime. You want new words? How about this one, “necrophilia,” a word describing folk who hang around or a consumed with dead things. Not sure how coming up with more fancy names to describe dead will bring it to life. Or just how social activism will make a difference of late when it hasn’t for centuries. Maybe it makes folk feel better to perseverate on it, multiply its terminology. Joe many more metaphor for dead does one need? I see no remedy in so doing, just more paralysis by analysis. You might better try remedying the common cold. Seems the answer is to flee from it, and it’s bedfellows (politicians and lawmakers) as one would run from a burning building. Retread religionists might best confer with the Scripture standard, “come out from among them and be separate” and “resist the devil and he will flee from you,” or “speak not in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words,” or “cast not your pearls before swine.” Says here, having an ambivalent (love/hate) relationship with anything or anyone, especially Mother Church, is part of the problem. The relentless critiques and criticisms, particularly the rancor fueling them, eats souls up the way acid corrodes the container that holds it. Says here, when the horse is dead, it’s time to dismount. Get off the horse, already, or visit an exorcist, because it appears this obsession with poking the bears of darkness is fast crossing over into possession territory. The age of self-inflicted martyrdom (moral masochism) has passed.
I have not read all your posts so I was wondering if you have ever connected the dots to Leonard Leo/Federalist Society and his membership in CNP (Council for National Policy)? CNP was founded by Paul Weyrich and others over 40 years ago. In 1979, Weyrich and Jerry Falwell decided to make abortion an issue in order to raise money and later to bring voters committed to this issue to their far-right fundamentalist side. In addition, Paul Weyrich had a manifesto written that advocates for the overthrow of all government institutions. Highly secretive, CNP believes in Dominionism and they are in many influential positions and were numerous within the Trump administration. They form non-profits like webs (Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse did an excellent telling of these webs influencing the Supreme Court). They are funded by Koch, DeVos, Prince, Friess, and Mercer families. CNP is also on the 2016 Hate watch Report by SPLC because they invite right wing extremists to their annual meetings to hobnob with Republican politicians, including Trump. Leonard Leo is a long-time member of CNP as well as Lila Rose (Live Action), Marjorie Dannenfelser (Susan B. Anthony List), Frank Pavone (Priests for Life), and Robert Sirico (Acton Institute). You can look up the SPLC Report on-line and a good resource is “Shadow Network” by Columbia professor and award-winning journalist, Anne Nelson.
P.S. Joe Scarborough (Morning Joe) discussed abortion issue emergence in 1979 last week and also interviewed Rev. Dr. Serene Jones (President-Union Theological Seminary) on another morning who concurred with him. It was never about saving the lives of babies. Frank Schaeffer is another person who relates the same information.
Barbara, Matthew has touched on much of this, however we are thankful for all that you have shared in addition and will surely add this to our argument against what is going on!
Thank you Mathew for informing us about the display of authoritative power in Christofascism. This is truly a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I believe it has a twin named Christocapitalism. They seem to me to be complementary. The first yields authoritative control and the second resource control and strangely enough they both seduce under the banner of freedom and conservative religion. We have grown up in this acclaimed brothel.
Many good people need reprogramming assisted by your Meditations. In our culture we find a warped patriotism, fearlessness of War and and thirst for the ladder’s top rung.
Is there spiritual hope ? Yes, in these Meditations and following the suggestions therein. There is hope in the saints who walk among us and who are imbued with the gift of fairness. We are surrounded by goodness and seek to improve our vision to se it. We are yet to appreciate and use our blessings fully, our gifts.
Franciscan Richard Rhor, teaches a possible solution, in response to what Mathew has been speaking of in today’s DM… which is to stay focused on living what we are for, and to keep concentrating on this. Part of this practice involves some degree of nonattachment from the human-made domination systems.
Practicing the humanity of Jeshua… that of unconditional love, compassion, and mercy… the fruit of the Spirit… and the virtues and values of this way of being and living, in right relationship with ourselves, each other and the all and the everything of creation… is how we can maintain and sustain an alternative consciousness… in which God’s heart is made available and active on earth, from within the heart of our own soulself. It is this sacred work… our own souls maturation, and the unfolding, evolving and emergence of this consciousness… which we are to stay focused on, to keep concentrated on, and practice being and living out daily.
Matthew, imagine my surprise and dismay at receiving an email from my Diocese inviting me to a Mass by our bishop on “Saint Escriva’s “ birthday or feast day. Also ongoing dismay that Catholic clergy seldom are seen at ecumenical social justice movement events ( except for Sr Simone). On the other hand I participate in JustFaith groups honoring Sacred Land Water and Air. It’s schizophrenic being Catholic which I’m getting farther away from. In your questions I would say No! There is no link between Jesus teachings and fascism and YES Judge Barrett all but admitted that the recent additions to the court ARE partisan hacks. An excellent name for them.