Fools to the left, fools to the right! Silence in the big middle

Fools never know they are fools, but it’s the SILENT fools in the middle calling shots about education, health, and racism that scare me most.

Ever since Trump campaigned in 2015 and smeared his opponents without penalties, I thought that any decent person would walk away or call him out. My “snake in the grass” radar said he was one on the inside, but I thought I was being unkind. No one wanted to discuss him, and all my conservative acquaintances were too quiet. So quiet I knew they were Trumpy.

I tried to think this through. No one wants to lose old acquaintances sitting in the next pew. Covid came and staying away from people was the ticket to political happiness. What pushed me away from church was that a lady sent me a message that she was so excited about going to DC with her son to hear and support Trump on January 6th. She was part of the red in-crowd who apparently knew too much.

I didn’t respond, but the next morning (the 6th) she messaged they decided not to go because those nasty antifa and BLM people would cause violence, and Trump was going to initiate martial law that day.

I was so upset that I didn’t respond to her, and then we had the insurrection of right-wing nuts. The lady soured me on church attendance after Covid. I could barely look at her and wondered how many silent Catholics were like her.

I’ve become jaded and feel like the “silent conservative Christians, especially Catholics, are the middle road fools. Holy but not as smart as they think they are. They don’t realize how cowardly they appear.

The US bishops are more political than spiritual too often. Priests are cautioned not to reveal their political views. So, the skinny if it is that it’s very uncomfortable to be in groups or church itself.

It’s a sad state of spirituality. I believe Trump-itis is a cancer drawing in decent people. I don’t comprehend the purple koolaid syndrome, but it’s real and it’s scary.