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| Mark Shea, from Mark's blog, in a different age and time |
Now granted, I knew what I was getting into. Mark resorts almost daily to lies and false accusation, calumny and defamation of character, spreading false rumors, character assassination, name calling, personal attacks, or similar things that apparently have made him quite a big name in Catholic apologetics circles.
So Mark posted a typical post emphasizing the rise of anti-Semitism, but exclusively that which is on the Right. Included in this was labeling several he apparently doesn't like as closet Nazis with their own brand of anti-Semitism. He's done that before, accusing this or that Catholic or Christian of being Nazi. The Left has long used the old 'be liberal or be evil' tactic, and it's worked like a charm. Mark and others across the Catholic blogs seem happy to use the same effective tactic. That anti-Semitism is on the rise is doubted by nobody. Hate crimes in general are on the rise. And obviously, to any sane person who keeps up with the times beyond Left wing rags, the anti-Semitism is well beyond the borders of right wing neo-Nazi white supremacists.
Nonetheless, Mark naturally focused only on that Jew-bashing that could be used to subsequently bash opponents of the political Left and its narratives and policies. Included in the post was the usual 'opponents of George Soros only hate him because he's Jewish - thus Nazi!' So I decided it might be worthwhile to see one of Mark's older posts on the subject:
But Mark has become like a mindless thrall of the political left. Any deviation from the left, per Mark's rhetoric, proves your own brand of evil. On Mark's pages, one's relationship to Christ comes across as some dashed off afterthought. Sure, it's borderline heresy. But Mark can hardly be blamed. Increasingly across the Catholic Church, it's one's fealty to particular policies regarding immigration, global warming and the economy that defines one's righteousness and even pathway to heaven. Actually living a chaste life or one in obedience to traditional Church teaching, or being charitable and giving to the poor, or even one's relationship to Christ, looks increasingly irrelevant.
Like a growing number today, whether by design or by accident, Mark acts as if it is fealty to the modern way that matters. And like most, especially inclined as Mark is to his own brand of rhetorical flourish, failure to fall into Mark's circle of acceptance damns you.
I saw similar behavior to this in some more radical Protestant fundamentalist, independent churches back in the day. But usually not this extreme. That beyond the lies, sin and heresy of his own posts and comments, his combox is a bastion for racism, evil, murder, wishing death, abortion (including late term), witch hunts, sexual debauchery, heresy, blaspheme, tyranny, slander, anti-Christian and anti-Catholic rhetoric, merely reminds you of what was no doubt behind many who proudly goosestepped behind the ones who got invited to the best parties in Germany in the 1930s. For example, lest you think I exaggerate, a smattering of comments from only a couple posts in a couple days:
When I called out Mark on his failure to reprimand the fellow who wished a gun rights activist's children would be murdered by cops, you'll note the limp-wristed 'ah come on now, stop with the whole I want children murdered thing - or I'll do something!' Compare that to outright banning someone for merely posting one of Mark's own posts (you'll note that even after pushing back against Mark's criticism of wishing the children murdered, the commenter was allowed to post again).
Sure, Protestants had their Fred Phelps*. But you know what? Anyone who was anyone stepped as far away as humanly possible from him, and practically beat each other up to get to the microphone to condemn him. But then, Phelps spewed hatred against the designs of the popular culture. Mark's is right along with the designs of the popular culture. Perhaps that's why he can say or do anything, or excuse or advocate anything, and he still gets accolades from the leaders and clergy and prominent voices of the Church.
Again, the problem is not - repeat, NOT - Mark. It is that such a flagrant display of near blasphemy, heresy and sin is generated by someone not only popular, but one who is increasing his own profile among Catholics, Catholic leaders and even clergy and Catholic ministries.
Yes, in fairness, Mark seldom presents himself this way in public. In an ironic twist, he almost personifies Social Media era passive aggression, in which face to face he swoons over people and insists he's just Mark and everyone just love Jesus and let's be friends. He then slinks back to the protection of his computer screen and lobs his endless slander and lies and minimizing the manifold sins of the Left through any means necessary. So there is a chance - a chance mind you - that not everyone knows of his alter ego. Nonetheless, many do, and even make excuses for him. And don't forget Catholic bishops who have moved aggressively against various Catholic ministries or spokesmen for far less, but for far more traditional perspectives. This strongly suggests that, once again, there are those in the Church poised to ally with a grave and intrinsic power of Satanic evil rather than give up suffering for Jesus on upper middle class incomes at the best awards assemblies.
As my oldest son, who remains Catholic, once said, "The Catholic Church has taken some long naps in its history, and right now it is in the middle off one of its longest." I fear he is right.
Oh, and lest you think I'm too harsh with the whole 'heresy, lies and sin' thing, I give you:
*BTW, this is not to suggest that Phelps was guilty of everything Mark engages in. His issues are merely well known, and one of the closest comparisons I have from outside of the Catholic world.
I was wondering why I found myself able to comment on Shea's blog all of a sudden. He banned me after a few posts, too. I'm frankly not sure if he needed to up the number of "hits" to his site as to why he lifted the ban. I have questioned his mental stability but the fact he changes his persona based on his audience- he pretends to still be the "conservative" Catholic when making personal appearances and the like- would indicate his behavior his rather calculated.
ReplyDeleteYes, he now openly supports and allies with people who declare their desire to exterminate Christianity, increase abortion rights and mock and deride the Faith, as long as you join Mark in his hatred of the GOP. And yes, he defines passive aggressive in the media sense, which might be why he uses it as an insult so often. When in public, you couldn't find a more open, polite and kindly individual. He's why my boys say you can't believe anyone you see on the Internet, because it's a parallel world of existence.
DeleteI was introduced to Mark briefly some years ago and he seemed in person like an entirely affable person. Then you go online and he is like a human flame thrower. Poor man.
DeleteI met him years and years ago. He was just as witty and amiable as he seemed on his websites. But back then, he also didn't allow such things on his websites. If you personally attacked or insulted or made an accusation against someone that wasn't true, he would warn you once or twice then ban you. That was then. Whether he continues being nice in public because he knows it wouldn't help him, or he is doing all of this just because it's working, whatever the moral ramifications are, I don't know. But it's a bad witness for Catholic apologetics whatever the reason.
DeleteFunny you should write about this just now. I posted a comment asking him not to misinterpret my criticism of his position as hatred for Jews, and he replied accusing me of "(disgustingly) defending antisemitism." So much for correcting the erring! I even predicted he would block me, and, after taking a swipe at me, he ... blocked me.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think in some ways he's starting to re-block people again, using whatever excuse. He blocked me on that same one, as I said, when I merely posted his own quote on Soros from some years ago. I don't know if it's an act or real. The worse he gets, the more he gets rewarded, so it's tough to say. If it's real, then it speaks to a person with serious issues. But either way, it's a black mark for the Church to continuing rewarding someone like this with conventions, speaking engagements, interviews and forums to promote himself. I don't know if anyone has formerly tried to take it to higher authorities or not. Goodness knows Mark and Simcha and others have no problem going after people like that, so they certainly couldn't say anything (at least not with any credibility).
DeleteThis modernist "Church" that you're referring to is *not* the real Bride of Christ. It is rather, the hijacked shell of Christ's Church. The hierarchy who control it are governed by their own favorite heresies of Leftism. So it is futile to expect the clerics to correct one of their own parrots in the pews. On the other hand - I see no signs that the clerics are rewarding Shea with any real financial payoff either. And why would they? He's merely a fat fish in a shrinking and unpopular pond of Bergoglio's Pederast Church of Boy Rapists. Besides - the Sodomite clerics have much larger financial concerns right over their legal horizon, and they have no money to waste on dead-enders like the unprofitable and intellectually bankrupt pudding-head known as Mark Shea - who still lives like a dysfunctional glutton on a shoe-string budget of welfare.
DeleteThere is the fact that many are seeing a Cold Schism going on between faithful Catholics to to historical Church, and those trying to accommodate the sensitivities of the latest. Mark is clearly with that group now, though that group seems also to be the majority.
Delete"Again, the problem is not - repeat, NOT - Mark."
ReplyDeleteWhy not? Isn't he responsible for his own behavior?
Yes, to a point. But as I've said before, if I constantly rewarded my children for getting Fs in school by giving them money, games and candy, I should expect them to get more Fs, and work hard to do so. Same with Mark. The worse he becomes, the higher his profile as a professional Catholic apologist appears to get.
DeleteI have to challenge your assertion that Shea's "profile as a professional Catholic apologist" is appearing to get "higher".
DeleteWhat exactly are you basing that on? Because if anything, Shea is just another insignificant drone in the larger echo-chamber of the Leftwing ghetto. All he has done is hitched his ideological wagon to the overtly Leftwing "New Pro-Life Movement", and the only real purpose that organization serves is to expand the ideology of unrestricted Socialism into the comfortable non-profit edifice of "The American Catholic Church". And that little stunt will reach its own self-inflicted expiration date very soon because it really doesn't offer anything that a thousand other secular non-profit organizations already offer - and without the pretense of the increasingly unpopular paradigm of "Christ".
So again - I look around - and the only significance that I see that Shea still has with *anyone* is in the cognitive-dissonance of the faithful Catholics who were originally hoodwinked by the narcissistic charlatan. And it's not like Shea just "converted" to Leftism overnight. On the contrary - he's been revealing his Leftist bastardization of Church teaching far longer now than he ever previously spent time pretending to be orthodox.
And he *was indeed* pretending all that time; unless of course you really do believe that some dyed-in-the-wool Son-of-Seattle just instantly becomes a narcissistic ideological conman overnight because his delicate and irreproachable moral "Catholic" conscience was so terminally devastated over some jihadists getting "tortured" by the evil NeoCon Party some 15 plus years ago.
OR - you can look at the more likely scenario that Shea has always been motivated by little more than the typical Leftist internal forces of: ego, envy, and avarice, and the nessecary ability to lie through his shallow teeth when his lack of intellectual prowess can no longer hide his contra-virtues.
David, Shea got canned from his gigs with the National Catholic Reporter and Catholic Answers because of his behavior. The only outlet that I know of where he gets published is the newspaper in the Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia. Frankly, his profile seems to be *decreasing* rather than *growing.* I don't know too many Catholics who don't view him as a complete joke, nowadays.
DeleteWell, in fairness, per Mark he's getting more gigs, in parishes, interviews, colleges. True, that's Mark. A man who makes lies and false accusation his MO to defend his political opinions in the name of the Church. It could be that his profile is actually decreasing. That could be why he lifted his vast ban of everyone. So perhaps I should say per him. But fair call. Maybe trusting the outpouring of a man who is otherwise completely untrustworthy is not the smartest thing for me to do.
DeleteClearly you took on a penance far beyond any sins you could have committed. Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit often points out that today's business leaders (and other leaders as well) spend more time signaling how woke they are to their peers and less time doing their job (i.e. making their companies profitable) There are a lot of Christians like that, they are more concerned what others think of them, as the right sort of Christian. They are utterly vicious to everyone else.
ReplyDeleteIt's likely there are few sins that would justify that, it's true. But I don't know if Mark is simply the fringe that many are associating with our times, or if he represents that mainstream currents. Clearly there are those who on places like Patheos who seem just as Sheaish as Mark is. But then, you wonder just how good of a representation of reality the internet is in the first place.
DeleteMark Shea and his number one defender Scott Eric Alt are the absolute worst of Catholic apologetics followed a close second by Simcha Fisher who allies herself with Shea. No orthodox Catholic gives any of those 3 far leftists the time of day
ReplyDeleteTrue, most orthodox would - or should - know better. But that means the majority of Catholics may well follow and listen since, by all polls, most Catholics (at least in America) are far more modern than orthodox.
DeleteI hope not David those 3 are not Catholic in the least. They are Democrat apologists
DeleteTrue that. They are part of that new movement within Christianity (and particularly strong within Catholicism) that seems to suggest it's fealty to the political Left that sanctifies and redeems. I've posted before on some of them (or at least their followers) mocking the charity and deeds of people who dare oppose economic policies of the Democrats, as if Jesus cares what we vote for more than what we do.
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