So today, Austin Ruse and Janet Smith are wasting everybody’s time…

So today, Austin Ruse and Janet Smith are wasting everybody’s time… February 21, 2017

defending a publicity-seeking perv named Milo over on Facebook (see the Katolicos Politikal Geeks page).  Milo got invited and then disinvited to CPAC because, although it was awesome that he was a creepy champion of the racist Alt Right and a troll who has destroyed people’s lives, it crossed the line that he championed pedophilia.  He also had his book contract with Simon and Shuster rescinded.  Evidently, this makes him a free speech martyr or something and not a purveyor of worthless garbage.  So he merits defenses like this:

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Meanwhile, the infallibly wrong Austin Ruse, who months ago was heaping contempt on my conversations with straight atheist he somehow took to be gay is suddenly full of solicitude for Milo the semi-Baby Christian who, like Trump, must be afforded all excuses:

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You may ask why two prominent figures on the Catholic prolife Right are wasting one second of time and one ounce of breathe in the defense of Milo’s vile crap. (“Milo goes where angels fear to tread,” swoons Janet Smith.)

The answer appears to be that the prolife leadership has completely drunk the lie that everything about the culture war right, no matter how grotesque and freakish, must be defended.  It is the central result of this election.

This is what I warned about.  The prolife right has deeply internalized a fundamental lie.  That lie is that you measure all that you do, think, and say, not by the light of the gospel, but by your own imagined version of the very worst of your Culture War enemy.  Then you champion whoever it is that aggravates, offends and exasperates that enemy and tell yourself you are a savvy and urbane political sophisticate.

In addition, because you are a Good Prolife Christian, you remind yourself you are doing it for The Babies[TM] and are a true hero standing tall against the Baby Killers.

If you have have any pesky qualms of conscience, your instant fallback is “But Hillary!” and “But Obama!”

Lather, rinse, repeat.  No matter what Trump says or does (including sexual assault of multiple victims) you are fighting for the Greater Good.  And so is Milo, who must be defended as a doughty culture warrior who, sure, is a little rough around the edges, but who gets under the skin of those damned liberals God hates.

And so time goes on.  At some point you dimly remember something about “holding their feet to the fire” and you remember faint and flickering memories of saying Trump was a very bad candidate.  But now you find that, no matter what, he and his circle of Bannonite toadies, leeches, provocateur, liars and crooks must be defended.  Why?  Well, because of The Babies[TM] which are the Number One Priority.  And to defend that priority, you set yourself the task of defending “grab ’em by the pussy”, and endless lies from Trump on matters big and small, and Steve Bannon, and Steve Bannon’s vile bomb thrower pedophilia defender Milo, and Austrian Nazis at the Inauguration and everything else, trivial and big, that this gang says and does.  And before you know it, all your time and energy has been siphoned away from the unborn you once told yourself were so important and you are defending a gay guy who speaks salaciously of 12 year olds because his sex predator patron has made clear he thinks he’s cool.

This is how it will go for as long as Trump is in office.  The prolife movement, having already completely dynamited its credibility by getting in bed with Donald Trump will now waste its time–morning, noon, and night–fighting moronic battles likes the Struggle for Milo Yiannopolous’ Good Name instead of fighting for the unborn or the gospel.  And the Church will continue to hemorrhage 6 people for every one to join, especially among the young, who see the grotesque prostitution of the Religious Right to this post-Christian freak show.

Meanwhile, the work of the real gospel goes on, in contrast to the Fake Good News of Americhristianity belched out by the cult of Trump. On the tragic side, the stupidity of this de facto schism makes the head hurt.  On the bright side, telling the difference between a super duper “Real” Catholic who thinks Milo Yiannopoulous a prophet of the true faith and a decent and holy man who is, you know, the actual pope of Holy Church is hard only for the most pride-blind Pharisee.

Given the troubles the Catholic Church has had in the recent past, one would think the very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very last thing that a Catholic would want to do is defend Milo Yiannopoulous’s latest ruminations.

Because of this, God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles. – Scott Eric Alt


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