Since the day Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) arose to public life in 2016, I heard nothing but venom and demonization about her from MAGA Republicans, not conservatives only, but die-hard Trump supporters who falsely equate The Republican party with godliness as equating the Democratic party with godliness would also be.  Some of key choice words for AOC I heard were/are: “Demoncrat,” bucking witch (substitute “f” for “b” “b,” for “s,”), she seeks to destroy America, etc.  The list goes on until... Read more

This morning I stumbled across a meme which colorfully displays a wheel of abuse.  It includes spiritual abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, and other forms of abuse.  After spending 25 years in ultraconservative religious communities, I am truly beginning to discover just how abusive much of (not all) the Religious Right/Catholic Right has been for decades all in the name of “getting the people into heaven.”  Folks, if the tactics involve bucking medicine/science, gaslighting, abusing people, coercing votes, oppressing others,... Read more

Since the Texas gubernatorial election last week, I thought I would review, update, and restate some of my previous material from “The New MAGA.”   Until Trump’s ascent to power in 2016, I was a life-long moderate Republican, mainly over the abortion issue.  Our family was also in predominantly ultra-conservative faith communities until COVID hit. I never dreamed that I would watch the growth of fascism in my own state, within the US Catholic Church, and within our last faith community.... Read more

  This weekend I was so blessed to spend the weekend with an Evangelical leader and her husband.  Until I understood the life-threatening implications of rejecting LGBTQ people and their families from the Church, spent some time serving in religious trauma recovery, and learned of the legislative attacks on transgender and LGBTQ youth in Texas especially, I assumed that this area was about promoting a new and harmful sexual ethic in society and imposing it on young people.  I was... Read more

  Prior to Trump’s ascent in 2016, I didn’t understand that my coerced Republican “Christian” vote along with millions of other white Republican Christian women were being used to usher in fascism.  When I refer to MAGA, I am only referring to a percentage of Republicans who are bedfellows with the Religious Right.  However, they are dangerous and powerful because they want power at all costs, even at the cost of destroying democracy. Steven Levitsky, a law professor from Harvard,... Read more

This past weekend, my husband and I attended a Christian conference in Dallas, TX called CenterPeace.  This conference was for Christian families with youth and young adult LGBTQ+ children who came from conservative churches.  Watching families unite, reconcile, and heal was actually quite emotional and healing for me. Statistically-speaking, there were LGBTQ+ youth and young adults who also had higher rates of Autism and other Neurodiversities which was not surprising since science supports this.  We had the privilege of hearing... Read more

As I sipped on my morning coffee today, I scrolled through Google images which speak of current hypocrisy in the Church and how others in society see it. No doubt, political polarization and hypocrisy are crippling the witness to Christianity. Hypocrisy is also driving out young people from the Church in droves. This image is one of thousands which exposes the infiltration of right-winged hypocrisy and ideology into American Christianity.  I could list hundreds of moderate to progressive faith leaders... Read more

Last night, I spoke with one of my older family members who lives in a very affluent, all-white, ultra-conservative, Republican community outside of Austin, TX.  Our nuclear family is nestled in the heart of San Antonio, one of the most racially and culturally-integrated cities in America, so our community is very different than the community of this older family member.  She said something she would have never stated a year ago, “We need to require all mothers who become pregnant... Read more

A few months ago, I wrote a piece called, “Doctrinal Certainty Over Born Life–Why I Left Traddery (Part 6 of 6).” I discussed my traditional Episcopalian upbringing and how I moved to more conservative religious circles, finally ending up in traddery, The Anglican Church of Nigeria and then converting to Catholicism through the Catholic Ordinariate.  Never did I think I would leave traditionalist circles, not until Trump came along.  I am going to restate much of what I wrote previously... Read more

We are so blessed and privileged to worship with some of the finest Hispanic Catholic families I have ever known.  Our family regularly attends with them at the San Fernando Cathedral in the heart of downtown San Antonio.  These beautiful families are typically large and averaging four or more children within each family.  The dedication to raise up their children to love and honor God is like nothing I have ever seen.  Even with the extreme hardships of the modern... Read more