I got blocked on Facebook by a MAGA Cleric and all I got was this lousy blog post

- By Michael Shackelford, Funny Farm News

Image by Skynet, AKA Google Gemini

When Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005, conservative Catholics celebrated by saying “the cafeteria is closed!” referring to so-called “cafeteria Catholics” whom they deride for picking and choosing which Church teachings to follow and which to ignore.

Benedict was going to drive out all the evil liberals, throw them into the Coliseum, and Make the Roman Catholic Church Great Again!

But he didn’t. Joseph Ratzinger, the Pope, was different than Joseph Ratzinger, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In the Navy, the CO is the Old Man, and the XO is the Hatchet Man, so you act accordingly in each role—as Benedict did.

The funny thing about conservative Catholics is that many are cafeteria Catholics, too. They focus on the sins they don’t like but ignore politically inconvenient Church teachings.

For example, the right of workers to be paid a living wage and the preferential option for the poor, opposition to the death penalty, and the rights of migrants, refugees, and immigrants are issues that are hard to reconcile with contemporary conservative policies.

On to Facebook. I have an acquaintance that I’ll call Deacon Donnie McCarthy that uses his personal Facebook page to promote his ministry, which takes place in the form of several Catholic businesses that he works for or is associated with. It’s a public Facebook page and he has Facebook friends from all over the globe.

Deacon McCarthy is very conservative and posts a lot of political content, even from the Unholy Right-Wing Trinity of Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro, and Charlie Kirk. Yikes!

Last week, the deacon posted a meme of The Angel of Death, er, Vice President, JD Vance attacking Jen Psaki for correctly saying that “Prayer is not freaking enough. Prayers does not end school shootings. prayers do not make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayers.”

‼️ MAGA Trigger Warning! Read with Caution! ‼️

This statement WAS NOT an attack on prayer. Ms. Psaki was correctly calling out America’s political class that is beholden to the NRA and their extremist views that stop ANY attempt to regulate gun sales and ownership.

Naturally, it’s easier to disingenuously portray Ms. Psaki’s statement as an attack on prayer rather than speak the truth, which is that the NRA’s opposition to ANY gun control legislation is responsible for the ease at which Americans can legally buy firearms and then commit mass murder.

I commented on the deacon’s post, and if I remember correctly, it was along the lines of supporting Ms. Psaki’s statement and saying that Sandy Hook proved that meaningful gun control will never happen in America. I think I also called for extensive background checks on firearms, which would require a lengthy waiting period to buy a gun.

I’m not sure exactly what I said because my subversive comment was deleted by Deacon Donnie McCarthy. In an apparent response to my deleted comment, the deacon stated the following. The quote has been reworded and paraphrased by ChatGPT because I’m not trying to out anyone here. I just want to finish the discussion I was kicked out of! ☹️

When it comes to taking away people’s guns, the notion is widely dismissed as inconceivable and unreasonable. Immigrants from former communist countries are often stunned that some Americans would even consider it. The belief that individuals are entitled to defend themselves is broadly affirmed.

Background checks are not the same as taking away people’s guns, but I want to ban AR-15s, so let’s give the good deacon this point. I’m also unreasonable, so let’s give him that comment too.

Give Deacon McCarthy an extra point for an excellent Straw Man or Red Herring logical fallacy. Remember, I’m unreasonable so I can’t be sure which one it is, so I listed both. Inconceivable!

At this point I was still Facebook friends with Deacon Donnie, but my subversive comments were being deleted. Those poor comments! Gone too soon! ☹️

The next day would prove decisive to our Facebook friendship!

In a post about his ministry = business, Deacon Donnie kind of sort of said this, which is altered by ChatGPT:

We’ve urged Christians—especially Catholics—to avoid aligning with harmful political influences that are destroying classical family life. The Holy Roman Empire Good Family Group Which Is Not the Real Name but Is Way More Fun has formally joined us in support, though we remind everyone that the Church is more than just an institution. For the Gospel to shape society as God intends, believers must stand together, serve their communities like the Good Samaritan, and let the message of Galatians guide modern ministry. As Galatians warns, don’t abandon the gospel you first received!

You know who’s “destroying classical family life” right now in the USA more than any other group? ICE.

ICE is ripping families apart, abducting parents in front of children who are on their way to church, and shredding the Constitution while hiding behind their masks.

As I told Deacon Donnie:

That’s a wonder* idea! Right now ICE is destroying classical family life, breaking up families, and violating the constitutional rights of immigrants and American citizens daily. I look forward to hearing you speak out against these evil forces driving immigration policy in the USA. God bless. [Yes, I own that dumb typo. Isn’t it wonder?]

Those were the last words I EVER typed to my dear Facebook friend! ☹️

I don’t consider myself to be the best Catholic in the world, but I take my faith seriously. I go to Mass every week, and I haven’t burst into flames when I take communion, so that’s a win.

If I had to take a Catholicism self-assessment, I’d be in the solid C to C+ range. Passing, with lots of room for improvement.

So as a perfectly average, Goldilocks Catholic, imagine my surprise when I got blocked on Facebook by a deacon who is—WAS!—a Facebook friend! What did I do to Deacon Donnie McCarthy to deserve digital excommunication?

Oh why, oh why, has Deacon Donnie forsaken me?! 😔

How did I FEEL about getting blocked on Facebook by a Catholic deacon?

I thought it was hysterical. But I also had an epiphany.

MAGA has Snowflakes, too! And MAGA Snowflakes need their Safe Space!
🤗❤️❄️

But really, it’s pathetic. I was simply calling on the good deacon to stand up for Catholic Social Teaching, speak up for the poor, marginalized, and outcasts against the unjust policies of the Trump Administration.

Basically, be a Catholic deacon.

Speaking of Catholic leadership, on Sunday, August 31, Pope Leo XIV said in English "We hold in our prayers the countless children killed and injured every day around the world. Let us plead God to stop the pandemic of arms, large and small, which infects our world."

While calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine the pope said "It’s time that those responsible renounce the logic of weapons and take the path of negotiations and peace, with the support of the international community. The voice of weapons must be silenced, while the voice of fraternity and justice must rise.”

Good grief, I just called for background checks and banning AR-15s, but Pope Leo wants to stop “the pandemic of arms” and a renunciation of the “logic of arms.” He declared war on guns! And he said all of this IN ENGLISH.

Pope Leo XIV must be insane, right, Deacon Donnie?

Freeze, Peach! 🥶 🍑
Image by Skynet, AKA Google Gemini