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Patriarchy and Shame, Roy Cohn,
Mentor to a President 04/20/2023 |
Our relationship to shame is a bit like that of Goldilocks who found some porridge too hot, some porridge too cold and some porridge just right. We can have too much shame, too little
shame, or just the right amount of shame. |
What is the right kind of shame and the right amount of shame? Healthy shame has to do with respect—for oneself and others. When we break the circle or go over the line, we should acknowledge it. | Jenn Lawlor explains what healthy shame is as opposed to toxic shame. |
Many men are reared in an atmosphere of unhealthy shame. Patriarchy constructs itself on shame. Shame plays a
primary role in a patriarchal culture or view of the world. At an early stage, it tells boys they should feel ashamed—if they demonstrate feelings, if they are overly sensitive, if they don’t play sports or engage in self-defense—certainly if they are
gay. And at a later, adult stage, shame is used to beat up on others and not feel any regret or shame at doing so. |
The Washington Post reveals documents tracing Roy Cohn’s influence on the early career of the former occupant of the White House. CNN‘s Brian Todd reports. | Lack of shame can be very destructive. Roy Cohn was a lawyer for McCarthy during the infamous Army/McCarthy hearings which I alluded to yesterday. He was there when lawyer Welch accused McCarthy of having no “decency” or no shame. |
Cohn was Trump’s lawyer in 1973 when he was accused by the Justice Department of making false “no vacancy” statements to African Americans seeking apartments on his properties. Cohn became a mentor to Donald
Trump. Among other things, he introduced Donald to Roger Stone and Paul Manafort and Rupert Murdoch. He instructed Donald that one should never admit that one is wrong. Always deny. Always go after
one’s enemy. Roger Stone summarized it this way: “Above all, attack, attack, attack–never defend.” |
Cohn was expelled from the legal profession by the New York State Supreme Court and died of AIDS in 1986. But he
lives on in the saga of his protégé. While a man of very little shame, Cohn held very far- | Review of a documentary on the life and work of New York power broker Roy Cohn. Deadline Hollywood. |
reaching influence. One person
who studied Cohn said that he had a “huge influence on Trump….I think Roy Cohn created a president from beyond the grave.”* A person who is always attacking and never examining one’s own conduct, and rarely if ever looking inside is a
person who has little shame. If he or she has power, shamelessness is spread far and wide. Like a virus. To be continued. | |
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Cohn, p. 8. See Matthew Fox, The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine, pp. 51-57; 285-294. Banner Image: Corruption; Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Ashwath Hegde |
Queries for Contemplation
Do you recognize healthy
shame and unhealthy shame and the dangers of no shame at all?
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The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the
Sacred Masculine To awaken what Fox calls “the sacred masculine,” he unearths ten metaphors, or archetypes, ranging from the Green Man, an ancient pagan symbol of our fundamental relationship with nature, to the Spiritual
Warrior….These timeless archetypes can inspire men to pursue their higher calling to connect to their deepest selves and to reinvent the world. “Every man on this planet should read this book — not to mention every woman who wants to understand the struggles, often unconscious, that shape the men they know.” — Rabbi Michael Lerner, author of The
Left Hand of God | |
See Matthew Fox's full calendar
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Join Matthew Fox as he discusses “Creativity – Where the Divine and the Human Meet” in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat. Thursday, April 20, 4:00-6:00 pm PT. Register HERE. Join Matthew Fox and Charles Burack in an online conversation on “The Essential Writings On Creation Spirituality” hosted by The Aquarian Minyan. Thursday, April
27, 6:00 pm PT. Register HERE. Join Matthew Fox as he discusses “The Physics of Angels – Exploring the Realm Where Science and Spirit Meet” in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat. Thursday, May 18, 4:00-6:00 pm PT. Register HERE.
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Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Karen Tate interviews Matthew on his latest book Matthew Fox: Essential Writings on Creation Spirituality to discuss religious vs. spiritual, the nature of evil and angels, compassion vs pity, and wisdom vs knowledge. On Voices of the Sacred Feminine with Karen Tate. Listen HERE. | |
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