I don’t care what Trump posts on social media

The late great Norm McDonald used to talk about what it was like to discover that beloved actor and comedian Bill Cosby, known far and wide as “America’s Dad,” was actually a rapist. McDonald said a friend of his told him the worst thing about the story was the hypocrisy. 
 
 
Let’s keep that in mind as we talk over the events of the week. 
 

Perhaps you saw Donald Trump’s dumb picture of himself as a divine healer, before he deleted it, and then said he just meant to show himself as a Red Cross doctor or something. Here is the image he posted:​

Maybe you also saw his insane little rant about the Pope, which he apparently stands by. ​

Bishop Robert Barron, the founder of Word on Fire Media who serves (and I do mean “serves”) on Trump’s “Religious Liberty Commission,” did see it, and he responded. Here is Bishop Barron’s response post on Twitter:

Barron wasn’t the only one who thinks Trump should apologize. Lots of Catholics, and others, including the President of of Iran?? were horrified and offended that he would say and share such things. 

Not me! I don’t care. It’s all dumb and ridiculous and yes, I guess it’s offensive, although my capacity to be offended has been worn down to a mere grease spot these days.

What I do care about is why this, a stupid little social media post calling names and being dumb, is what finally stirred Bishop Barron out of his long, comfortable slumber and spurred him to make a statement (sandwiched in between some bootlicking). This? This is what finally gave his conscience a little twinge? 

The Pope doesn’t want or need an apology for the president being disrespectful, I guarantee you. It’s the kind of thing Trump posts all the time, and always has. It doesn’t matter.

What does matter is what Trump DOES. 

So I wonder, Bishop Barron. Should Trump apologize for bombing a girls’ school
Should he apologize for referring to our fellow children of God as “animals,” “garbage,” and “people with bad genes?” Should he apologize for sharing an AI video of himself dumping liquid shit on the heads of American citizens
Should he apologize for yanking funds away from USAID, consigning thousands of utterly innocent people to death,  while pouring torrents of money into wars of choice, vanity projects, and of course golf?   
Should he apologize for gleefully cramming countless human beings into a man-made hell without even the pretense of a trial?  

I could go on. Bishop Barron, though, is apparently pacing himself, saving his dissent for the crimes that will really echo through the halls of eternity: A post on social media.

Social media matters because it amplifies opinions and shapes people’s worldview. But when that worldview and those opinions are already being translated, in real time, every day, into real life acts of terror and destruction and wholesale degradation of the entire country, only a fool cares what someone posts on social media. Only a fool adjusts his collar and asks for a Truth Social apology when the real world is in flames. 

An insult on social media post isn’t the worst part of what Trump has done, your excellency. The worst part is everything else. 

 

Great news for Los Angeles (and prayers for Uncle Joe)

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The Pope has appointed three new auxiliary bishops to serve in the massive archdiocese of Los Angeles. One is Fr. Robert Barron, the wildly popular author, speaker, and founder of Word on Fire ministries. I’m not familiar with the second pick, Msgr. David O’Connell, but I do know the third, Msgr. Joseph Brennan — “Uncle Joe” to us. He’s my husband’s uncle, and we are thrilled for Los Angeles.

Read the rest at the Register.

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Homemade pasta, FREE Fr. Barron DVD set . . . UPDATED

UPDATE:  The $50 prize is now gone!  

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I posted last week about Arista Pasta’s kickstarter.  A lovely Catholic homeschooling family of seven (the co-founder, Benjamin Herreid, is the brother of John Herreid, who designed my book’s cover, and the other brother of Bill Herreid, who is married to my sister!) is selling delectable handmade pasta products made from local, sustainable ingredients at their farmer’s market.

They want very much to expand their production, become more self-reliant, and bring their exquisite food to a bigger audience.  But there are only 12 days to go, and they have a long ways to go to meet their goal.

So of course you’d throw a few bucks their way, right?

NO?  It’s okay, I understand.  It sounds like a worthy cause, but you just don’t have the money to spare, unless you get something back for it.

Of course they offer some of their wonderful products and other gifts to thank donors — and they now offer to ship their amazing food.  Last night, my husband and I feasted on their incredibly flavorful mushroom ravioli, which was bursting with juicy chunks of savory mushrooms and seasonings.  I’m serious, the whole house was filled with a fragrance that would bring a tear to the eye of the most hardened ascetic.  So with added shipping, now non-local donors can also enjoy their choice of extruded pasta or ravioli or homemade pestos.

Here’s my part:

I have three audiobooks of The Sinner’s Guide to NFP to give away.

Just donate $25 or more to Arista Pasta, and note on your Kickstarter donation form that you would like the audiobook.  No raffle this time — just the first three donors of $25 or more get an audiobook (and, for extra shipping, Arista Pasta will also send you some of their lovely pasta products).  The audiobook is going for $17.46 on Amazon before shipping, so this is a nice deal.

For a larger donation, I have something really magnificent:  Catholicism: The New Evangelization by Fr. Robert Barron.

This is the four-disc set and the spiral bound study guide.  Going on Amazon for $41.00.  I only have one of these, so I will give it the first Kickstarter donor of $50 or more.  Again, that is in addition to the Kickstarter thank-you gift. Remember to note that you want the DVD set when you donate.

So if you were thinking of maybe giving the audiobook or Fr. Barron’s DVDs as a Christmas gift, this is a great chance to get these items plus help out a lovely family business.

When these prizes are claimed, they are gone, so act fast! I expect the Fr. Barron DVD set to go like *that.*  I will update this post at the top when the prizes start to be claimed.

Even if you have $5, please consider supporting Arista Pasta!