J. Dean Hunter
More Than Complicit
What you are about to read has been heavily vetted so when you come across something that seems improbable, pause and subject it to an AI supported search engine. If you find something that is blatantly wrong, please let me know. I wish it were wrong, I wish it was all wrong.
Historians William Strauss and Neil Howe proposed a theory in their 1991 book "The History of America's Future" based on research going back some five hundred years demonstrating that history repeats itself in 80 - 100 year cycles.
Chapter 1
Ninety years ago, the Catholic Church of Germany was instrumental both through its members and leadership in the rise of the Third Reich
“The Church does not fear history, she loves it”: Pope Francis relating to the release of the remaining sealed documents pertaining to the relationship between Pope Pius XII and Hitler/Nazi Germany in March of 2019.
After these document's release, Germany’s Council of Catholic Bishops confessed that the German Catholic Church had been complicit in the rise of Hitler’s Third Reich and its participation in World War II. In 1998, Pope John Paul II issued a Papal apology primarily for the inaction of the members of the church during the Holocaust. “May it enable memory to play its necessary part in the process of shaping a future in which the unspeakable iniquity of the Holocaust will never again be possible.”
The early Nazi movement was based on Aryan supremacy and Christian Nationalism. Raised a Catholic, Adolf Hitler capitalized on the “Christian” disdain for Jews as the “people who killed Christ” aiding early recruitment from the German people comprising of some forty percent Catholic, fifty nine percent protestant (many Lutheran) with a remaining one percent being Jewish. While not an official act of the Catholic Church, Germany’s Catholic Centre Party had been central in the passage of Hitler’s “Enabling Act” of 1933 which consolidated power to his Chancellorship position thus freeing him to empower the Weimar Republic Party to the authoritarian dictatorial Nazi German Party. Pope Pius XII’s controversial Reichskondkordat treaty with Hitler was perceived by many to give some Papal credibility to the Nazi movement though a posture of Neutrality was the official position. This perceived credibility was only heightened by the lack of German clergy opposition (often fearing alienation by German Catholics), followed by wartime support providing prayer and succor to those on the battlefield along with converting cathedrals and parishes to field hospitals.
https://wykop.pl/cdn/c3201142/comment_1648544349qm7AkoldRvJR2NdngvJsRl.jpg
Joseph Goebbels and Wilhelm Frick with bishops
An unnamed cleric after the Reich fell and its atrocities were fully brought to light noted, “We should have shouted from our cupolas, until being shot to be silenced. It would have made for a much easier conversation when meeting our Lord than to explain our ‘policy of neutrality’.”
While I understand everyone gets a little annoyed by the current Nazi references, people argue whether Elon performed a Nazi salute (though there is no argument amongst the residents of Germany), and there is some contradiction between Donald Trump and his deceased wife Ivana over whether or not he spent time reading his bedside copy of Hitler's speeches "My New Order" (though there appears to be no argument over whether he was given the book ... and when was the last time someone gave you a copy of Hitler's work and you kept it handy), there can be no argument that occasional rhetoric coming from President Trump such as "poisoning the blood" and wishing he had generals like Hitler is very consistent with the Third Reich. Both Vice President Vance and Elon Musk publicly endorsed the AfD party in Germany's recent election and Texas GOP Congressman Keith Self credited and quoted Hitler Propaganda Minister Joseph Gobbels during a congressional hearing. Consequently, it would seem the Nazi references are not just coming from liberal Democrats.
Chapter 2
The Catholic Church of the United States was instrumental both through its members and leadership in the rise of the New US order through the Trump administration
Pope Francis had first hand experience with President Trump, but no doubt relied on the USCCB for input on Vice President Harris. Leading up to the 2024 election, Pope Francis noted that the decision of the Presidency was a choice between two evils and instructed Catholics to vote their conscience and choose the lesser of the two. However, (once again, cloaked in a veil of “neutrality”), in an effort to better support “the development of the conscience” of the electorate, the USCCB placed a thumb on the scale of the election by noting that of all the electoral platform issues to consider, abortion must be the prima or first greatest consideration. This was compounded by the visible collusion with candidate Trump serving as the de facto keynote speaker at the widely publicized Al Smith Charity Banquet along with several smaller “prayer breakfasts” and charitable/political functions, such as New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan (one of, if not THE most recognized name in US Catholic leadership) delivering traditional prayers at Trump's first (and then of course the second) inauguration, and members of the USCCB present for celebration of National Day of Prayer in Trumps first term (and then of course his signature of executive religious freedom orders during his second). Cardinal Dolan joined Catholic leaders on a 2020 conference call with Trump during which the two men each declared their mutual "great friendship". Later that year, Dolan publicly said of Trump's handling of the COVID pandemic: “I really salute his leadership” and noted Trump was "particularly sensitive to the, what shall I say, to the feelings of the religious community.” This prompted Faith in Public Life's Catholic director and senior writer John Gehring to note: “There is a difference between dialogue and a kind of deferential coziness with a president who, frankly, has used cruelty as a political weapon and who abuses power.” Over fifteen hundred leaders of faiths signed an open letter published in 2020 to Cardinal Dolan, asking “Please speak truth to power and refrain from giving even the appearance that bishops have their hands on the scales in this election.” Maybe they should have re-convened in 2024 for a second draft. This year Cardinal Dolan bragged that his great friend [Trump] “takes his Christian faith seriously.” After the death of Pope Francis, Trump plugged Dolan for the newly opened position. Given how Trump's endorsement in the Canadian elections played out, one can presume that Cardinal Dolan will not be on the short list. I suspect the German Conference of Catholic Bishops recognize the legitimacy being given to this administration as it uses the right hand to shake the hands of all the smiling religious attendees to the nationally publicised day of prayer signing an order creating a Commission on "Religious Liberty" while the left hand is deporting a US citizen child cancer patient. Your parents often warned when you were young to be careful who you choose to hang around with, who you identify as your friends, your peers ... people with whom you are like minded, people you respect and admire - as you will be judged by others for such preferences, often reminding you that "birds of a feather flock together".
When Jesus walked the earth, the religious leaders were the Pharisees and Sadducees who interpreted the law and how it applied to daily living, thereby exerting a rather large role in all aspects of the day to day lives of the Jews. At the time, it was a position of honor and respect. However, because of their struggle for power and legalities, Jesus (often believed to be a Pharisee) spent much of his time rebuking the two and warned his disciples to beware of them both. Today, many would consider being called either an insult. I wonder what Jesus thinks of the USCCBacees?
This influence under veiled "neutrality" was only halfway successful. Acknowledging that twenty percent of voters identified as Catholic and some one hundred and fifty million Americans cast a vote, that calculates to thirty million catholic voters. In past elections, Catholic voters have traditionally split their vote fairly consistent with the public, often with a two to four point spread. In the 2024 presidential election, Catholic voters supported the Trump campaign by an eighteen point margin. While we cannot know the outcome had the USCCB not weighted the scale, we do know that if the Catholic vote had split more consistent with years past, even dropping eight points to the Harris/Walz ticket would have resulted in some 2.4 million lost Trump votes. Trump won the popular vote by a 2.5 million margin. Obviously the specific distribution in swing states would be necessary to most clearly identify the electoral margin but even without that, it can be safe to note that the USCCB all but handed Donald Trump the presidency. As previously noted, the effort was only halfway successful. Though the election effort was successful, the veil of neutrality was not. When asked in exit polls why they voted for Donald Trump, a common theme among Catholics was, “because of abortion, the Church told me to”. How easy it would have been for the USCCB to simply say, "We are looking forward to working with the Vice President's administration on finding innovative solutions to the problem of abortion; otherwise, we will work with the Trump administration on compassionate solutions to immigration."
Chapter 3
The Issue of Abortion
Because the USCCB utilized Abortion as its “Trump Card”, it merits a deeper examination of the specifics of Abortion as it would seem this topic is the underlying price for the USCCB wholesale sell out of economic stability, environmental protection, immigrant and LGBTQIA2S+ rights, women’s rights, support of the freedom of Ukraine and further marginalization of the disabled (all of which candidate Trump openly professed to dismantle once elected).
It is worth noting that Candidate Trump had made no promises regarding abortion other than to keep it in the purview of the States during his presidency. Candidate Harris had only promised to promote a return to the previous Roe v. Wade era which she could only do with the support of the legislature and after Supreme Court Challenge (as the Supreme Court had originally overturned Roe v. Wade and its members had not since changed). [For all the rhetoric over Harris being the "Pro Choice Candidate" and Trump being "Pro-Life Candidate", once the dust from the election settled, the Trump administration petitioned the courts to dismiss suits restricting access to mifepristone (known as the abortion pill) to make its access consistent with the Biden administration policy.]
In 2022, (the year the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade) the USCCB published a handout on “The Truth About Abortion & Women’s Health” and in so doing, consolidated the entirety of a specialized medical practice requiring over a decade for full certification down to a single page. On that page the USCCB claims:
“Abortion is the direct and intentional killing of a child in the womb”
“Abortion is never medically necessary. It does not treat or solve any pregnancy-related complication”
“In the tragic case of miscarriage, surgery may be necessary—and is an ethical treatment—to remove the remains of an unborn child who has already died”
“Women can get the lifesaving treatments they need—without abortion”
“Outlawing abortion will not affect treatment for miscarriage”
“In rare cases, and in the absence of better alternatives, life-threatening maternal health conditions may require interventions that indirectly and unintentionally lead to the death of an unborn child. Abortion restrictions will not prevent women from receiving these treatments”
“ When a woman’s life is at risk in pregnancy, preterm delivery may be used as a lifesaving medical intervention to preserve the life of both mother and child”
“When the lives of mother and child are in immediate danger, the goal is to fight to save both patients. Effective treatments exist that seek to save the life of the mother and never to intentionally harm her unborn child.”
“Abortion restrictions never prevent women from receiving life-saving treatment”
It then goes on to discuss the subject of ectopic pregnancy:
“Ectopic pregnancies result when an embryo implants outside the uterus—often in the fallopian tube. Sadly, such embryos cannot survive and this condition can pose serious risks to the mother. While ectopic pregnancies sometimes resolve naturally, interventions are often necessary”
“When done ethically, treatment for an ectopic pregnancy is not abortion. Ethical interventions include the removal of the damaged fallopian tube containing the embryo or, if embryo death has already occurred, medication can be used to resolve the ectopic pregnancy.”
https://www.usccb.org/resources/Women's%20Healt%20Infographic.pdf
It’s really quite simple: treat any late pre-natal emergencies with early delivery; always save both mother and child; there will rarely be a case requiring interventional care that could be fatal to or even risk the infant but in such cases, care will never be impeded; and in the case of an ectopic pregnancy (which appears to be the only other possible maternal/delivery complication) that does not self resolve, surgically remove the affected fallopian tube but do so very ethically… … … it does fail to describe what is to be done with the removed fallopian tube and the embryo that was living inside – until you remove it … thereby killing it. But of course that “technically” wasn’t an abortion by their definition, since the baby was not originally in the “womb” but in the fallopian tube. And the baby wasn’t “technically aborted” as it was “ethically removed?” Though make no mistake, the baby was absolutely intentionally killed through the procedure – which really splits hairs with the statement that “abortions are never medically necessary” and the opening definition that “Abortion is the direct and intentional killing of a child in the womb”. The splitting of such hairs, (particularly to a lay population who would not otherwise understand the significance) in an effort to promulgate a point appears to dally all the way up to the term “deceitful”. And if one were to argue to a very fine line that separates deceit, one could not deny at the very least the term “cowardly”. And while on the topic of ectopic pregnancies, it should be noted that though the USCCB completely condones ectopic pregnancy termination (as long as it is done in a most ethical manner), they don’t (quite fortunately) reveal that ectopic pregnancies have been reported to go to term in very rare instances. These would almost certainly require a cesarean section, and for every one that goes to term, there would be tens of thousands who would suffer severe complications and possibly death of both mother and baby without treatment. But the number of ectopic term pregnancies does exceed those derived through immaculate conception. So I suppose we should count it a blessing that the USCCB has not promulgated the philosophy of “leave it all in God’s hands” when it comes to ectopic pregnancy and at least allows for a surgical exception … abortion … as long as done ethically.
And so the handout completely obfuscates the need for three years of undergraduate studies minimum, four years of med school, a year internship, and four years of residency followed by a grueling board exam to become an obstetrician. The handout references material made available by the American Association of Pro Life OBGYNs who at the very outset concede that they are not in agreement with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists or the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (who actually govern, test and certify obstetricians and gynecologists and as such are the determining and governing body over that particular branch of medicine.) Neither the Board nor the College agree with the material published by the USCCB’s abortion handout. Consequently, the USCCB (and thereby its clerical representatives) propagate selective medical consult that will most likely not be consistent with the information provided by a mother’s obstetrician in a time of what would no doubt be one of the most emotionally challenging moments in the life of an expectant and once gleeful mother and/or couple.
Chapter 4
The Story of Robert
'While visiting a friend in a nursing home, I chanced upon an elderly lady musing over a photo album. Completely unaware of what lay ahead for me, I thought myself considerate by asking about her pictures. Immediately she landed on a very old family photo and began to recite the names and identities of all the individuals present. And when she finished, she said, “yep, they're all here, … all but Robert”. I completely misread the trail of her voice and the almost distant gaze leaving me to curiously ask where was Robert? She quietly began to recount the story of the son that never was. In her six month of pregnancy, the doctor asked if she would like to know if she had a boy or a girl. Ultrasounds had just been developed and it was a wonder that allowed you to see a picture of the baby in the womb. Delighted they scheduled the procedure but during the scan, the doctor got increasingly quiet. He had determined that it was in fact a boy but there was something wrong. She still remembers the way her heart sank to hear those words, after all, the nursery was almost ready and now they knew to buy blue paint. After tests, “those terrible tests” (I didn’t pry) they determined that Robert (he had a name now that they knew he was a boy) had “a development defect they called it”. His lungs weren’t developing. Then there was “that day, that day they sit you in the office, on large cushy leather bound chairs, and they tell you that your baby isn’t going to live.” The doctor explained that terminating the pregnancy was an option. He said it might be easier on her and if she and her husband wanted to try for another baby, she would likely heal up faster and would reduce the risk of any further delivery complications that might make it impossible for her to have another baby at all. Of course they needed time, time to think, pray. The doctor said “certainly, but don’t take too long”. “Well naturally we called Father Dowell straight away, told him everything. He told us we couldn’t. 'Don’t you wanna meet young Robert, look into his eyes and hold him as he passes on to meet his Lord and Savior with the band of heavenly angels?’ said it would be murder, asked us how we expected God to give us another child if we murder this one?” She was welling up … to be honest, so was I. I’m not going to tell you what she decided, as despite what you might think and despite your vocation, you are in no place to judge. What I will tell you, (and the point of the story) is that after she finished, after she told everything and became very quiet, I asked her “If you had to do it all over again? Would you want to see him? hold Robert? Or would you not go through the pain of it all?” This was my mistake. I thought I might gain some wisdom from her experience. She sat quietly for a moment, I thought she was lost in thought and hadn’t even heard me ask. I had decided not to ask again but to leave it, to leave her lost in her memory. And just as I started to get up, “Neither” she said. (my mistake was, my naiveté was that I had never considered there were any other possible options) “If I had to go through it again … knowing all that I know now, after all life has given me, all that I went through, have been through … I’m quite certain I would kill myself and die with Robert.” Then she quietly turned the page to another photo in the album.'
This is only one of several similar stories I have encountered. Of two things I am certain: First -That a group of elderly celibate men would impose themselves on such a decision with the pretense of presuming they had some knowledge of the occurrence of a prospective mother is nothing short of hubris, and to do that without including the relevant most advanced medical knowledge of the day … is a word far worse than hubris. Second – none of this merits the sacrifice of individual liberties of a country, for even in the best of circumstances, the unborn child can have no more liberties than that of the mother who carries him.
Chapter 5
The effect of Abortion Bans
As far as the validity of the remainder of the USCCB abortion handout, now that we have had almost two years of near total abortion bans in many states, we can statistically confirm a sharp rise in maternal morbidity, septicemia and mortality as well as a roughly ten percent rise in infant mortality (though that is often attributed to the forcing of non viable infants being carried to term). It is also well worth noting that these statistics are not uniform in that they are consistently skewed to minority or marginalized mothers. The spikes in Texas and Kentucky have been enough to warrant the legislature to endeavor in 2025 to modify their bans to widen the scope of conditions spelled out in the law giving medical care providers the confidence to manage more cases without fear of retribution. Statements such as the one found in the USCCB handout noting that care can simply be addressed “after the baby had died” reflect an elementary view and complete lack of understanding of medicine as it requires proof of a negative. While we have many ways to confirm a baby is still alive, despite all our technology, it is still quite challenging to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, at risk of prosecution, that the baby is not alive. It is even more challenging to discern that a procedure being done to address a complication will not be potentially harmful to the baby.
Efforts to legislate medical care with risk of prosecution (exceeding the already present risk of malpractice claims) have left medical care professionals, (and more often their hospital’s legal counsel) hobbled when trying to navigate both the medical and legal implications of every complication case and every therapeutic option.
Because medicine is a fluid and progressing environment, it is certain that not all contingencies can be pre-imagined and it is questionable if a politician (or a Bishop) with no medical experience should be considered qualified to make such determinations. Additionally, we now see women being arrested for having a miscarriage being somehow asked to prove they did nothing to contribute to the event, once again assuming the mother to be guilty until proven innocent and requiring them to prove a negative.
The end result leaves us returning to the claims made by the USCCB “The Truth About Abortion & Women’s Health” handout and we find that the statements made about interruption or denial of health care may have been theoretically hopeful but in practice are blatantly wrong. Unfortunately in the end, the handout proves to be inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete in most of its claims. It should be noted that it has not been updated since released in 2022. Given all we now know, maybe such an update is well overdue.
Chapter 6
The Success of Overturning Roe v. Wade
Can we at least take solace that the reversal of Roe v. Wade had a positive impact on abortion saving the lives of the unborn which might validate our loss of liberties being pressed by the new administration? Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, so 2023 would have been the first full year through which statistical data could be accumulated to evaluate the effect. Realizing the annual incidence of abortions has some inherent fluctuation, one must approximate how large a drop would be required to be able to directly attribute it to the legal change. A ten percent drop could be easily attributed to year to year change, twenty percent would start to look indicative, but certainly a thirty percent drop would be difficult to argue was not a direct correlation to the reversal. The Guttmacher Institute continually measures and studies worldwide reproductive health metrics and is often reputably referred when discussing abortion as its regular monitoring provides a consistent comparison confirming that evaluation year to year would well be measuring apples to apples. In comparing 2023 (the first full year after the overturn of Roe v. Wade) to 2021 (the last full year before the overturn) there was an eleven percent INCREASE in abortions. While this could have been simply a yearly variant, it can certainly be said that the value did not decrease. (To be complete, it has already been confirmed that the 2024 values have not gone down greater than a yearly variance over 2023 and both years are still higher than 2021 and 2022 values.) While there is no data to identify what caused the increase, there is some speculation. Since most of the increase has correlated to medical (oral) abortion pill use, (which is most commonly used in very early pregnancies), some have speculated that the absence of readily available abortions has generated a “time sensitivity” to the decision resulting in women who might have kept an unplanned pregnancy if they had more time to contemplate, plan, come to grips with that new paradigm, now feel more compelled to make an earlier decision as the window of terminating the pregnancy would rapidly close if they did not.
One would think that if the USCCB were waiting with baited breath for the overturn of Roe v. Wade (as the “Pro-Life movement” was – evidenced by the fact that they already had passed “trigger laws” which would go into effect at any point the law was overturned) that everyone would be anxious for the first sign of statistical data to validate the many years of protest, marching and novenas. The Guttmacher Institute published its data in May of 2024, some six months prior to the election. Did the USCCB not know? Obviously if this were going to be your “prima” focal point of a presidential election one would think that this was at the very least mentioned … to someone … at some point? Or is it possible they did know, but didn’t care? Why would that be?
Chapter 7
Abortion in Politics
In 1954, a major Supreme Court ruling (Brown vs Board of Education) declared racial segregation in schools unconstitutional. A decade later in 1964, the Civil rights act was passed aimed at ending discrimination. Up to this time, far right (“Christian”) conservatives could always be agitated to engage politically when a racially motivated measure was on a ballot. Candidates need only incorporate such a narrative to ensure contributions and reactive voter support. However, after these measures passed, there was a loss of responsiveness to what might have been considered more mundane issues such as road construction or a one percent sales tax hike. Roe vs Wade passed in 1973 with little notice from the Protestants, (who at the time had even ratified abortion through some of their organizational conventions) passing it off as a “Catholic issue”. That is until 1979, when evangelicals Paul Weyrich and Jerry Falwell developed what became known as the Moral Majority and managed to identify through a few small test elections that the issue of Abortion could be easily weaponized using phrases like “baby killers” and linking the Feminists movement “tearing apart the family unit”. Very soon the label “Pro-Life” became a unifying identifier (and who wouldn’t be “pro life”) and it was very easy to label “them” as “Pro-Abortion” and “Pro-Baby Killing”. Alternately, “Pro-Choice” sounds like a cause any one should support (as opposed to “pro- no choice”?) But all these labels make for good posters to carry at rallies and chant at one another across the street in pro and anti movement events, something Weyrich and Falwell soon found would be a steady and lasting source of animus to keep people (and contributions) engaged, as well as racial integration once did, for many years to come … and obviously to this day.
Point of fact, since Herod (apart from some genocidal events during which babies were not the only or primary target) no one in history has actually been “pro- killing babies” and even Herod was only such for a few short years. Even “pro-abortion” is an intended inflammatory derogation as no one experiences an abortion from any perspective and relates it to be an event to which you would look forward. At no point, it would seem, does anyone endeavor to reach out of the funneled (and lucrative) box of abortion to ponder efforts on how the unplanned pregnancy could be prevented. While the Catholic Church (headed by the USCCB) bears a wondrous program which it touts to be ninety eight percent effective at birth management, it offers this support only to couples deemed approved to receive it. One might think that if the USCCB had such an effective tool at its disposal, and if the USCCB were really truly earnestly trying to stop abortions, it would be sharing access to such an option to anyone and everyone willing to participate. I do know that there are plenty of avenues of access for the “calendar” or “rhythm” method of birth control otherwise and I actually full throated believe natural family planning is the healthiest reproductive relationship - physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. I understand and agree with the design to want to encourage reproductive behavior to consenting adults in a committed relationship. However unplanned pregnancies are the underlying cause of abortions, and if one were really truly earnestly trying to stop abortions, it might be worthwhile to take a look at actually committing to affecting their underlying cause.
Chapter 8
The Other Half
It should be noted that while all the energy of this issue is directed at women, it seems completely lost that in every instance, a full fifty percent of the equation is a man. Men only bear consequence of an unplanned pregnancy if the woman decides not to terminate it. This means that it is often (presumably) “in the man’s best interest” to encourage an abortion, leaving the woman to bear all the emotional, psychological and physical baggage of the event. In most all legislative bodies of the US, a full seventy percent are men, and by last count (to the writing of this document) a full one hundred percent of the USCCB are men. It is no mystery why laws regarding male responsibility in pregnancy are both anemic and challenging to enforce. If one really wanted to affect abortion rates, they would incorporate some responsibility to the other full fifty percent of the equation.
Assuming at least six of the nine months the mother carries a pregnancy are the most challenging, should she not plan to keep the pregnancy, rather than terminate it – she be allowed to turn the newborn child over to the father, and him be required to raise the child for six months prior to relinquishing it for adoption one could anticipate that this would at least better split the child bearing responsibility. This would first give the mother time for prenatal bonding reducing the likelihood that she would want to terminate the pregnancy. And if she ultimately determined she did not want to raise the child, it would give the father time to develop a bond and reduce the likelihood of turning over the child for adoption. It would also mean he would bear the responsibility of being the one who “gave the child up”. It is also quite likely that the experience of raising a baby for six months may have a large impact on future reproductive behavior planning.
Chapter 9
The "R" Word
Since we are on the point of male responsibility, one might consider that while we fully acknowledge giving a woman a drug to then have sex with her is clearly illegal and victimizes her, the question begs, how many drinks do you have to buy her in an endeavor to get her “loosened up” and “willing” for it to qualify as a crime? And if you are one who draws a line allowing for abortion exclusion in the instance of rape, where does this fit in? And because I recognize the comprisal of the USCCB to be predominantly geriatric celibates for whom reproductive physiology may not be a strong suit, I might point out that even up to the early part of the 1900’s there was some belief that female ovulation occurred during climax. We now know with resounding assurance that is absolutely NOT true. In fact, only some eighty percent of women are capable of reaching an orgasm through penetrative intercourse, and even for them – not always. When you then account for the number of those who are successfully impregnated during intercourse with a climax, it is calculably only a very small percentage of instances. The point being made here for those still stuck in grossly outdated “science” is that the concept of “if she got pregnant, that means she was enjoying it … so it couldn’t have been rape” is both repugnant toxic masculinity and horribly medically incorrect. It should be noted that in January 2024, the Journal of the American Medical Association released a study estimating the number of rape related pregnancies that have occurred just in states with abortion bans since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, (some 4 - 18 months depending on when the state's bans initiated) and found that number exceeded sixty four thousand. Twenty six thousand of those were believed to be in Texas, where Governor Greg Abbott declared abortion exceptions for rape would not be necessary in Texas as he vowed to end all rape. It is no wonder that women take the subject so personally.
Chapter 10
"Pro-Life"
Because everyone seems to be so wonderfully Pro-Life, those who bother to ask women why they are choosing an abortion find the most common answer is they simply can’t afford a (another) child. Since everyone is so worried about the declining birth rate, (even though 30 years ago we were desperately worried about world overpopulation) here would be a marvelous opportunity to put our Pro-Life money where our Pro-Life mouth is and start financial support for the underfunded mother beginning with prenatal care, (vitamins and dietary support) carrying right on through childhood if needed. If we can’t see ourselves supporting the mother who “so irresponsibly got herself in this mess”, we should be able to happily do it for the unborn child … remember? … the one who’s rights we are so conscious about defending. And if the declining birth rate is such a problem … why are we so upset about birthright citizenship?
While I understand the USCCB is not responsible for making or enforcing the laws of the land … I would point out that as I have already demonstrated, they have the power to control the election of a President. If we were truly earnestly trying to affect abortion, it might be time to consider alternatives to holding signs with slogans and shouting at each other across the streets.
Chapter 11
Behind the Hook
So now we have discerned that the USCCB at the very least had the opportunity to know that reversing Roe v. Wade has not impacted abortion as hoped but that piggybacking issues to the cause of abortion is both a tried and true method of targeting ideology which might be less accepted or palatable, we should question what issue would the USCCB be trying to influence in such a somewhat underhanded manner? January 23, the Vatican News published an online article interviewing USCCB president Archbishop Timothy Broglio about the new administration. Archbishop Broglio expressed concern over Executive Orders relating to immigrants, foreign aid, the death penalty, and the environment (all rather scoping and some even worldwide concerns). However he was pleased to see the efforts made toward gender confirmation. And there it is. Weyrich and Falwell’s platitude about feminism breaking up the family unit was successfully transposed to the LGBTQIA2S+ community through the “Pro Family” gender affirmation trope.
So we have an administration snatching legal immigrants off the streets to be shipped to concentration camps without any (let alone due) process, destroying foreign relations and aid to starving countries, embracing the death penalty with abandon, turning our back on our allies – particularly Ukraine (currently embroiled in a 3 year fight for freedom), and obliterating the environment – not because we are worried about speaking out for the unborn (which certainly everyone is) but because the USCCB hates the Trans - approximately 2% of the population (and remember the Jewish population was some 1% of 1930's Germany). Alright, “Hate” was a reactionary word that tightened all the sphincters reading, so … more accurately we can say the USCCB promotes there are only two genders, so if you "think" you are Trans - it is all in your head. The USCCB wishes the Trans didn’t think they themselves existed … uhm … well… when you’re on the other end of it, that sounds a bit like hate. A meager fourteen Bishops have signed the Tyler Clementi Foundation letter of support on anti- LGBTQIA2S+ bullying. Marianne Buddy-Burke of Dignity USA (a Catholic LGBTQ advocacy group) notes that “Given that this statement asks for nothing more than human dignity, I would hope that more Bishops would add their names.” In contrast, the USCCB issued a statement expressing concerns with extending existing federal protection against sex discrimination to include LGBTQIA2S+ people. LGBTQIA2S+ youths are five times more likely to commit suicide than their straight peers, not because of their orientation, but because of societal bullying and violence imposed upon them by others. (Apparently all now, not just condoned, but contributed to by the USCCB. Are we sure that “hate” may not be just a little bit be the right word?). Unfortunately, once again, we find after pulling all the dirty clothes from the hamper, at the very bottom of it all is just a continuation of the long lived saga of the Catholic church endeavoring to control human sexuality. Dr. Stephen D. Mumford’s in his book, American Democracy and the Vatican: Population Growth and National Security (1984) argues that the Church exerts effort to control nations by first controlling their laity, through control of their religious leaders (priests, brothers and nuns) ... and yes, that all circles around control of sexuality. His is only one on a very, very ... very long list of directly and peripherally related books.
While there is still quite a bit of controversy and practices vary from region to region, in 1987, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran issued a fatwa in support of trans people. It has to be a tough pill to swallow when you realize Sharia law of the Ayatolla thirty-five years ago was more accepting than USCCB is today.
Chapter 12
All God's Children
Since the USCCB is so concerned about what is in the skivvies of others and so fearful that “the Trans” will be the ultimate demise of the family unit, let us pause for a momentary gander of the subject. While we could step well beyond the (somewhat simple?) chromosomal X and Y constellations and discuss the SRY gene and its expression or the functions of direct and indirect hormone production cells and receptors, it might be more expeditious to use a folksy, (since we are "gandering") agricultural analogy. A “freemartin” is a heifer (female) calf born with a twin bull (male) calf. During gestational development, the bull calf’s sex hormones impact the developing reproductive tract of the heifer twin resulting in an incomplete or dysfunctional reproductive system ninety percent of the time. We have known about freemartins, well pretty much ever since men have raised domestic cattle. Here is something else we have come to fully understand: babies do not develop embryologically in a consistent universal progression. In other words, at two months, the baby is not consistently twenty five percent formed; at eighteen weeks the liver is not half formed along with the kidneys half functional and so on. When studied, gestational development is truly the wonder of God to which we attribute. Cells migrate and mutate in a complex orchestra with different timing and pace to ultimately culminate in the miracle of life that leaves us all breathless at delivery. And for those of us who have studied embryology, we are always amazed at the consistency with which it all seems to so effortlessly come out right so much of the time. Intuitively we understand the inconsistent progression of development because on ultrasound at twelve weeks, we can hear a functioning heart beat, the liver is not fully developed but the kidneys are almost functioning and the head is some thirty percent of the entire length of the fetus. Now, let’s take these two concepts that we already fully understand and amalgamate them to see the development of a Trans baby. Because the brain and genitals do not develop consistently together, anything that impacts the hormonal balance in the mother or developing baby can result in the brain thinking one thing and the genitals developing differently. That really wasn’t so hard was it? It might even have been easier than accepting the reality that the earth rotates around the sun rather than vice versa as challenged the Church leaders in Galileo’s day. The Church believed Galileo was questioning their divine authority, labeled him as a threat and had him convicted as a heretic.
So here comes the hard part: now that we understand babies become Trans during gestational development, we have to recognize this means “they are born that way”. In Ecumenical terms it would be said: “this is the way the Lord our God hath made them” … and we all accept that God doesn’t make mistakes. The remainder of the LGBTQIA2S+ alphabet are just somewhat variants on the theme ... working off of the more complex SRY gene alterations, hormone production and receptor cells, timing of expression during embryogenesis, etc. etc.
Now that we know, Trans (and LGBQIA2S+) children are also God’s children, we have only to ask ourselves: “how would God have us treat his children?” I certainly don’t’ think that fostering discrimination and bullying through Anti-LGBTQ posturing which we euphemistically masquerade as “proFamily” is what He has in mind. Does our “Pro-Life” theology extend far enough to reach those babies? It, at the very least, seems particularly spiteful to support an administration just to see the promulgation of anti-LGBTQ rights, while also sacrificing the rights of everyone else in the process - a bit like cutting off our own nose – to spite our face.
S.2661 was a Senate bill created a national mental health crisis/suicide prevention hotline. The USCCB lobbied against it because it had designated support for LGBTQ youth who are 5 times more likely to commit suicide than their cisgender piers due to bullying and discrimination. The line has received 1.3 million calls since founding in 2022. Trump’s new budget will defund the program.
In 2021, President Biden signed an executive order to extend already existing federal protections against sex discrimination to umbrella in LGBTQIA2S+ citizens. This too was opposed by the USCCB.
Hatred – Wikipedia
Hatred or hate is an intense negative emotional response towards certain people, or ideas, usually related to opposition or revulsion toward something. Hatred is often associated with intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust.
Hate Group – Wikipedia
A social group that advocates and practices hatred … towards members of a race, ethnicity, nation, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other designated sector of society.
That the USCCB is not leading the charge on discrimination against the LGBTQIA2S+ community is disgracefully shameful. Fourteen of the USCCB have managed to take the most minimal stand as noted in Chapter 11. In each of these suicides going forward, the rest are now more than complicit.
Chapter 13
Follow the Money
My late father-in- law noted that “with preachers and politics, one should always follow the money”. It does not go without notice that the second bonus of the Trump/USCCB collusion was that within ten days of office, he signed a well anticipated National School Vouchers Program Decree. This will no doubt be a shot in the arm for many struggling parochial schools across the country. Unfortunately, we have already seen similar state wide programs (as in Arizona) and found that they ultimately gut the public schools - most disproportionately affecting those of marginalized and minority populations. It does seem I recall reading something about “whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers” ... but I don’t remember where I read it or how it ends, yet somehow it seems appropriate to mention. While the President was signing an executive order on Religious Freedom and Speech (as if something had not already been covered by the Constitution and Bill of Rights) in attendance with many members of faith communities (including from the USCCB) the Supreme Court was deeply deliberating allowing the first publicly funded Catholic school - which actually dallies well past just student vouchers. I do acknowledge that Jesus was often criticized for the company of "sinners", responding that he came to save "that which was lost". He only sought to lift their lives. He never asked for anything from them. If that is not your objective, then the number one reason people align themselves with corruption and grifting ... is because they plan to benefit from it. (While not directly related, it should be noted that as all the religious righteous were assembled for the public Executive Order support, a group of ICE agents were waiting outside a Tucson Maternity ward for the release of a mother giving birth, so she could be "apprehended and expeditiously deported"... Mother Mary help us.)
Chapter 14
The Demagogue Demigod
In closing, shall we turn our attention to the rising Demagogue Demigod supported by the USCCB who brought us to this point?
Since Pope Francis reminded us the Church so loves history, let’s take a glancing look at historic political movements of the last century:
“Make Italy Great Again” was the battle cry of Benito Mussolini.
“Make Germany Great Again” was the cry of Adolf Hitler
Victor Orban promised to “Make Hungary Great Again”
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed to “Make Turkey Great Again”
Xi Jinping’s slogan became “Make China Great Again”
Vladimir Putin promised to “Make Russia a sovereign self sufficient power again” (“great” does seem a little snappier)
Donald Trump’s promise to “Make America Great Again” gives good cause for concern to those noting his progression to autocratic dictatorship. The Trump administration is a self proclaimed Christian Nationalist platform which is (less openly proclaimed) built on a foundation of white male supremacy (as well evidenced by the “anti-DEI program” stripping acknowledgments of all non white and female contributions in all governmental material and programs). While the USCCB may not share the "white supremacy" ideology, it is impossible to support the Christian Nationalism agenda without lending at least the appearance of acceptance for the other. And given their all male demographic makeup, it is easy to acknowledge the USCCB tolerating (if not outright condoning) the “male supremacy" part (to those USCCB males who take offense, I suggest you let your actions speak for you) . That would just leave the “white supremacy” that may not get full endorsement. In addition to the aforementioned Catholic comingled MAGA event participations, there have been more than one occasion when one of the well known Bishops or Cardinals could be seen on media in a politically based conversation with their most contemplative face acknowledging, “Why would we NOT want Christian values held in our political leadership?” and “our inalienable rights are given by God and not man” and quoting scripture referencing “all governing leaders being chosen by God”, (which is to normalize and endorse the concepts of Christian Nationalism). Hailing as one of the “most Catholic Administrations in American History” since some one third of the cabinet are proclaimed Catholic, one can only hope the title relates to the numbers and not their policy, as their policy bears a developing sharp contrast between quotations in the Bible referenced to Christ (Ahhh that is where I heard that quote of "whatever you do to the least of my brothers", I knew it sounded familiar).
Within four short weeks of inaugurating the President they so eagerly (though clandestine) helped get elected, the USCCB found themselves being publicly reprimanded by the Vice President over failing to support the President’s rampage against immigrants and embroiled in a law suit with the new administration over the immediate cessation of refugee support. And so the fable of the frog and the scorpion comes to its inevitable end. Trump was very clear throughout his candidacy that he fully intended to pillage immigrant rights and support at every opportunity. Yet the USCCB was happy to turn a blind ear to the rhetoric in exchange for the tired banter of abortion (which has been now thoroughly deflated) and their hatred for Trans people (yeah, yeah I know you don’t like the term hatred – but when you don’t like the reflection, you shouldn’t blame the mirror - and after all, I’m willing to compromise – “ The USCCB was happy to turn a blind ear in exchange for their protection of the family values and family unit … through their hatred for LGBTQIA2S+ community” - certainly more descriptive but probably no more appetizing). The law suit, by the way, though well founded is currently floundering and will likely be dismissed. Warren Buffett is often quoted as saying, “You just can’t make a good deal with a bad person.”
Chapter 15
Golden Idols
Moses brought two tablets down Mount Sinai after spending forty days and forty nights with minimal amenities. We know the location of Mount Sinai and archeologists have successfully confirmed that (at the time … and to this day) there were no: hotels or motels (not even bargain chain or independents); restaurants or eateries (not even fast food, food trucks or a hot dog cart); Starbucks or Jamba Juice; not even a vending machine; no “comfort stations” or porta potties; and no internet service – meaning no spell check or auto correct. It was just Moses sitting up there with a hammer and chisel taking dictation hoping not to mysspeil anything. Upon his descent, he found the Israelites had already made a gold (we’ll come back to this) calf to worship, breaking Commandments One and Two before they were even delivered. I wouldn’t be surprised if Moses broke number Three on the spot, along with a number of other expletives as he broke the tablets in anger. Without guidance and leadership, the Israelites dissented to their basal selves. Gold was the most valuable thing of the day and as such, was associated with “the gods” both then and on through history. Even today, though Rhodium and Palladium are more expensive precious metals, we still associate gold with “gods” and homage, as manifest by all the gold color, plating, tinting, and actual gold found in places of honor and worship.
There are several reasons our founding fathers explicitly delineated church and state. While it is no doubt ideal to have people of Christian values and strong moral fiber in leadership positions, there is nothing Christ like in the effort to legislate Christianity on others. More dangerously, the co-mingling of the two often soon end in the declaration of Leaders Anointed by God … as such whose very word cannot be challenged. Even before, but much more so after Trump's near assassination and the bullet fragment injury to the ear, the epithets of “saved by God” were ablaze through his base and emboldened his already expansive self image. Churches and religious leaders have been heard to proclaim he is “anointed by God” or “the Chosen One” to save our country. Upon his inauguration, the President released a gold “Meme” coin with his facial profile image in gold as a means whereby interested parties or individuals could funnel untraceable donations directly to him as means to garner his favor. As part of a charity auction for Project G.O.A.T, in February, a statue was designed of a goat covered in images of one hundred dollar bills with the President's face replacing that of George Washington, and replacing “God” with “Trump” to read “In Trump We Trust”. The goat had golden horns, penis, hooves and tail and a plaque bearing the inscription “I Love You” and the President’s signature. As part of his predatory campaign to simply claim the real estate of Gaza as his own? (or as an American territory? It has yet to be made clear), he released a promotional video in which a large golden statue of his likeness is found in the middle of a prominent street in front of what appears to be a casino bearing his name. Inside the casino is a gift shop in which were displayed gold commemorative bust statues of the President for presumed purchase by patrons. The latest is a large model of Mount Rushmore in gold with the addition of the President's face on the far right of the mountain on display now at Mar-a-lago and Trump loyalists in Washington are wearing gold Trump bust lapel pins.
Though it is possible that the gold tipped goat and lapel pins may have been commissioned by individuals adulating President Trump, the remainder were self accredited. While I would never deny God the right to choose a felon of thirty four counts of fraud (for having paid hush money to a porn star over an affair he had while his wife was nursing their new born), and who has been convicted of slander (after having sexually molested a woman), and who sells cheap quality Bibles (made in China while touting America First) to pay attorney fees and fines for these (and the indictments for some sixty other felonies), to be His anointed servant, I must admit confusion when His new prophet sets about such a rampant campaign which is in so many ways antithetical to what we read in God’s word … even the one the President continues to hock online. Given all the iconography of the Catholic saints, I would think the USCCB to be better equipped than I to distinguish the line between admiration and worship. It is possible, however, given the instrumental role they played in the rise of his regime, the USCCB may have difficulty being completely objective.
Chapter 16
Tinfoil Hats
At this point you may be wondering if I am some crackpot conspiracy theorist sitting alone in my mother’s basement wearing a tinfoil hat and proposing that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops employed some mastermind political operative to influence the 2024 Presidential election by stirring up the Catholic Constituency over the flashy bait of Abortion to elect someone in exchange for support of Anti-LGBTQIA2S+ hatred and discrimination and money by way of national school vouchers. Calm yourselves, nothing could be further from the truth … … …
During WWI, the National Catholic War Council was developed to support Catholic Servicemen. After the war, this became the National Catholic Welfare Council. Since then, the concept has grown and developed progressively changing names and taking on an ever increasing role in the political process. In 1990, the USCCB (then the National Conference of Catholic Bishops NCCB) contracted a global public relations firm with a New York office named Hill & Knowlton to put together a public relations campaign against abortion. Since then, the Council has progressed from “employing some mastermind political operative” to having their own Office of Government Relations. The OGR focuses on a number of political issues including but not limited to: Pro-Life issues (certainly abortion but also the death penalty, euthanasia, disability and convalescent care); Religious Freedom – particularly from legislation that might impact religious beliefs and of course charitable organization incentives; Pro-Family – traditional gender roles (Anti-LGBTQIA2S+); and Pro-Catholic Education (which could be argued to be at the expense of education everyone else and one might think would be at odds with the support of Religious Freedom initiatives?).
The USCCB oversees and co-ordinates a tremendous amount of outstanding charitable work. They have a great reputation with those watchdog organizations that evaluate charities and their percentage of charitable funds that actually impact those in need is one of the highest. As best I can tell, the OGR consumes a very miniscule part of the annual expenditures. All that having been said, if I am to take a lesson from history, it would be that I should not blindly follow my religious leaders for political council. And if I choose to engage in political activism, I need go no further than my local parish.
The European Catholic Church played a substantial role in the almost genocidal conquest of Latin America during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The German Catholic Church through its leadership and members was complicit in the development of what became arguably the greatest human tragedy of the last century. Today’s US Catholic Church through its leadership and members has elected an administration currently nabbing college students, people off their job sites, and mothers with newborn children and sending them to detention centers, deportation to foreign countries, terror prisons, and now trying to incorporate countries with forced labor camps and an active slave trade all without due process and many of whom are actively legally involved in the government’s immigration program. Any political capital gained by Catholic Leadership over the last 90 years has been squandered on this election, (as well as putting to question any moral credibility). We have aligned ourselves with one of the most corrupt (through open blatant governmental collusion and bribery) and inept (through appointments of some of the most unqualified loyalists to top governmental positions) governments since the founding of our country all in exchange for the opportunity to openly discriminate against a minority group (the LGBTQIA2S+ community) and school vouchers. May God have mercy on us all.
Chapter 17
Pseudo-miter
Only one position in the world would be arguably more powerful than President of the USA. While it does not wield more military strength, it does impact a much larger worldwide population - Pope.
A new Pope was just elected and with each and every ballot cast, each Cardinal swears an oath of integrity of that vote. Prior to the process, much time and effort is spent in prayer for God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit. The process IS without doubt one of, if not THE most spiritual, holy events of one’s lifetime. It is painful to imagine it tarnished.
I am not so naïve as to think that there are some inner political currents within the College of Cardinals, after all, they too are human and it is a position carrying great power and influence.
The Papal foundation is a group boasting a one million dollar entry fee that blossomed after Donald Trump’s election, with many interested parties including many affluent Catholics or Catholic group heads all seeking greater influence in political opportunities. The group, (chaired by Cardinal Timothy Dolan) gathered in Rome the week prior to the conclave to pledge regular support to Vatican causes which has averaged some twenty million dollars annually for the past decade. They suggested that they could increase their annual contributions to thirty million dollars plus anticipate raising another three quarters of a billion dollars for future contributions, if a Pope were selected that was more in line with their objectives.
A second far right group called the Napa Institute intimated that wealthy lay people were better positioned to oversee Church efforts than the clergy. They are reported to have initiated a directive using former CIA and FBI operatives to gather potentially compromising information on Cardinals who would be perceived more liberal than they preferred. The pursuit apparently crawled back to the shadows once its intent came to light.
Based on the election results, it would appear that neither group bore any success with their efforts.
Chapter 18
What Can I Do?
1. We can stop participating in the persecution. If you are Catholic and your Bishop has not signed the Tyler Clementi Foundation Letter of Support - ask them why not? Educate yourself with objective information on the plight of immigrants.
2. It is possible that we MAY be allowed to have a midterm election in 2026, start preparing for that possibility now.
3. Share what you know. Every time you share this information with someone (I was going to say "an angel gets its wings" but while that is in the realm of possibility, I don't actually know it to be true) it means there is one less person apt to be duped in the next election. If you share with someone who is Catholic, you get double points. If you share it with a member of Catholic leadership (a priest or deacon) you get triple points (if I could, I would grant you an indulgence ... but that exceeds my purview). If you manage to actually share it with a Bishop, brace yourself - while I cannot guarantee it, I think it possible that your device (phone, tablet, laptop or computer) may start blinking lights, ringing bells and spit out a handful of patron saint medals, (please let me know if this happens). It is postulated that any person is only six degrees of separation from everyone else in the world. Let's test that. There are some four hundred and thirty four active and retired Catholic Bishops in the US today.
4. Unfortunately, the single language well understood across all dimensions and denominations is the dollar. Due to the enormous DOGE cutbacks in support programs, I have found there are numerous charitable organizations needing financial support. While I can't tell you to do this, (and your Bishop will certainly note that doing so would risk the eternity of your very soul) until such time that the USCCB acknowledges their collusion and searches a new direction, I have pledged to divert ALL of my charitable support to Catholic organizations that neither directly nor indirectly support the USCCB.
5. Pray. There are a lot of really good people in the leadership of the Catholic Church, priests, deacons, and yes, Bishops. Being a Bishop is a huge job with enormous responsibility. But despite their many attributes, they are still men and subject to the temptations and trappings we all face, (including fame and power). Even Peter denied Jesus three times in the garden, and we often forget that Judas was an apostle (the cluster to whom Bishops now serve as successors). It is possible that some members of the USCCB were actually doing what they somehow thought was right by steering the US public to vote for a man displaying such rampant corruption and convicted of (and indicted on so many more) vile and heinous acts. Those that truly are good men, are now living with the shame, guilt and knowledge that they share in every crime against humanity he perpetuates while in office. Those that bear no embarrassment should listen closely to see if God is calling them to a new and different service.
If this period becomes as historic as many opine, it is likely that the history, which the Church loves, will not be kind to the Church. It appears that while the Church loves history, She does not learn from it. Rather than continuing to drift deeper into the mire of Christian Nationalism, maybe it is time to cast off the "veil of neutrality", come out of the confession booth and admit to everyone publicly what we have done, then shout from the cupolas of every parish. There will no doubt be alienation, likely even death threats, (knowing MAGA) some may be "shot to be silenced" – this will be a sign that you have done the right thing - [but haven't you always secretly wondered how your faith would stand up to real persecution - not the persecution propagated by the current administration in its directive of searching for "anti-Christianism" which involves you having to share a world with people who don't look, act or believe like you do, but persecution like that experienced by the subjects of your "pro-Family" campaign ... who's suicide rate is five times the national average ... because of your persecution].
The only other option is to wait sixty years for a Papal Apology to the world and eighty years for the USCCB to issue an acknowledgment that we were more than complicit.
The well of compassion runs dry. The price we pay for the purchase of compassion is the witness of unjust suffering. If compassion is waning in the USCCB – the guardians of our faith, then we must assume the well is bone dry … dusty at the bottom.