The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers |
Fascism, Politics, SCOTUS: Institutionalizing Fear & Hatred 05/26/2023 |
When fear enters the social and political arena, it becomes something very scary indeed. It takes root as a political system lacking all
compassion. |
Where was the compassion toward children, women, gays, old people, and others in the Hitler, Mussolini and Franco-led fascist systems of the last century? Scapegoating, resentment and
hatred of the Jews became institutionalized in death camps. Was fascism’s appeal built on its very institutionalized hate, fear and resentment? | “Children’s shoes after victims killed in the Auschwitz concentration camp ( extermination camp, death camp)” on display in Oslo, Norway, on loan from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Wikimedia Commons. |
Today fascism, the compulsion to create a society based on control, is back. We have the governor of a large state banning books, mostly written by black and homosexual authors, including a poetry book written by a young (black) poet who shared her poetry at a presidential inauguration. |
“Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman delivers a poem at Joe Biden’s inauguration.” CNBC
Television | Christo-fascism, now out of the closet and endorsed by some mainline media and politicians, is integral to what is called “Christian nationalism.” Fascism reappeared near the end of the last century when Father Jose Escriva, founder
of the secretive Opus Dei society in the |
Catholic Church and a declared fascist, was rushed into canonization by Pope John Paul II. Perhaps we should not be too surprised at the return of fascism coming as it does on the heels of a papal blessing from the Vatican. Nor should we be overly surprised by the present state of the once supreme court dominated as it is by members hand-picked by Opus Dei operative Leonard Leo. Its latest evil decision to effectively destroy 50% of wetlands in America
totally ignores the teachings of Pope Francis to care for Mother Earth and all her creatures. How strange that Alito and other Catholics on the once supreme court can so readily turn their backs on papal teachings when they collide with their true religious ideology of giving corporations whatever they want. |
One has to wonder to what lengths people and their institutions will be driven when pursued by the demons of fear. For some people, a disgraced president or someone else can become a new “fuhrer” because the issue is the same: A surrendering of one’s powers and | “Supreme Court rules against EPA on Clean Water Act case.” CBS
News. |
conscience to another in exchange for security. Fear is indeed a powerful beast needing careful watching lest it become “institutionalized violence”–Susan Sontag’s very definition of fascism. The once supreme court has now becomes a place of institutionalized violence. Not only girl’s and women’s bodies but Mother Earth’s body is in their crosshairs. |
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society, p. 300. See also: Fox, The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved, pp. 103-144. Banner image: “Supreme Court barricaded.” Image
by Victoria Pickering on Flickr. Creative
Commons. |
Queries for Contemplation Do you see fascism as a political incarnation of fear and resentment? And returning in our time? What lessons does history teach us about combating it? |
| To view today's video, please click the image. You will be taken to today's post on the Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox website, where you can see the meditation in a larger version and also view and post your Comments. In the sharing that follows, a kind of community is developing around the DM.
If
you can't reach today's post on the website directly, click HERE.
If you can't reach Matthew's video on the website, try his Vimeo channel HERE.
|
Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, please click HERE
to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul
and Society Visionary theologian and best-selling author Matthew Fox offers a new theology of evil that fundamentally changes the traditional perception of good and evil and points the way to a more enlightened treatment of
ourselves, one another, and all of nature. In comparing the Eastern tradition of the 7 chakras to the Western tradition of the 7 capital sins, Fox allows us to think creatively about our capacity for personal and institutional evil and what we can do about them.
“A scholarly masterpiece embodying a better vision and depth of perception far beyond the grasp of any one single science. A breath-taking analysis.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, author of
Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics | |
The Pope’s War: Why
Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved The Pope’s War offers a provocative look at three decades of corruption in the Catholic Church, focusing on Josef Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. The final
section in the book focuses on birthing a truly catholic christianity.
“This book should be read by everybody, not only for its ferocious courage, but also for its vision for what needs to be saved from the destructive forces that threaten authentic Christianity.” ~ Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope.
“In the gripping The Pope’s War, Matthew Fox takes an unwavering look at the layers of corruption in the Catholic
Church, holding moral truth against power.” — Jason Berry, author of Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II | |
See Matthew Fox's full calendar
HERE |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses “The A.W.E. Project – Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human” in an online Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, Thursday, June 15, 4:00-6:00 pm
PT. Register HERE. Join Matthew Fox for a Cosmic Mass and Panel Forum at the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions - A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom & Human Rights, August
14-18 in Chicago, IL Wed., 8/16, 7:00pm CT - The Cosmic Mass - Honoring Gaia, Solidarity for Our Earth Thurs., 8/17, 1:00pm CT – Panel and Response to The Cosmic
Mass Register here: https://parliamentofreligions.org/ |
Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Tikkun Magazine releases a new Interview of Matthew Fox by Andrew Harvey regarding Matthew Fox: Essential Writings on Creation Spirituality (Orbis, 2022) edited by Charles Burack. Read the interview HERE. | |
Please share this post! Just click the buttons below.
OR share your insights on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #RevDrMatthewFox and tag Matt with @RevDrMatthewFox
|
|
|
|
