The Curious Case of Steve Skojec and the Dangers of Deep Diving into the Crisis Sub-Titled: The Failings of Others

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JMJ

It's been a while now since Steve Skojec sold 1P5 and abandoned the Catholic Faith.

I've been a 'Trad' since 1982 and in those 40+ years I seen this death-spiral before with a similar end point.

It seems that anyone who jumps into the fray unprepared for the enormous task of righting wrongs will, eventually, become discouraged by not the task but the people who surround them.  

I remember when Skojec complained of the treatment his family received from a traditional priest.  This seems to have been the start of the end for him.

So what can we learn from the likes of Steve Skojec, Michael Voris (maybe?), Louie Verrecchio, Gerry Matatix and other celebrity Catholics?

Probably quite a lot about what not to do.

First, don't burn out on the crisis? 

When you burn out, on work or anything else, little things assume a more greater importance than they are due.   This is one of my 'canary in the coal mine' signals that I've been stretching myself too thin.  For example,  I received an email from a director on a Friday afternoon and read only the first couple of lines before I started to get upset. So I set it aside. When I read it again Sunday evening, I realised I had been saved from making a big gaff by not responding in the mindset that I had on Friday.

Second, don't feed the Trolls. 

"Trolls" are people who simply can't hold a logical argument because they are emotionally instead of intellectually engaged. Because of this, they have a problem handling a logical argument that undermines their own ... and in most cases Trolls need to create a new reality to keep it all together.  This is a great example of Cognitive Dissonance theory at work. 

Simply put, if someone defends an absurdity, disengage. 

When a person is irrational, anything that contradicts their position causes them to hold on to it, to believe it, all the more firmly. With every contradiction, even if you have incontrovertible proof, they will dig their hole deeper.

So don't waste your precious time and energy on them. Pray for them, but realise that you can't change them, only God can reach their hearts.

Third, be grateful.

I'll simply refer to the article on gratitude (link).

Fourth, know the Catholic truth, not your truth.

I've had arguments with people that are ignorant of what the Catholic Church actually teaches and are, apparently, incapable of drawing distinctions.  For example, do the Muslims worship the same God as Catholics?

So before you try to tar and feather me ... I've already addressed this in an article in 2014 Is the object of Catholic, Jewish and Islamic worship the same God? (link)   

So you need to draw the right distinctions and remove your assumptions that surround how you feel about the assertion.  Back in 2012 Catholicam (back on Ignis Ardens) rejected the distinction ... effectively contradicting the Catholic Encyclopedia.

So make certain you can draw the right distinctions, inferences and understanding of what Catholic Teaching actually contains vs what you may selfishly or pridefully want it to say.  

Also remember that proving someone wrong is a case of winning the battle but losing the war. Everyone wants to be right and it takes a good dose of humility to admit when we've been wrong.  

Without humility and grace you may lose the person you're arguing with.

Fifth, take responsibility for your baggage.

Steve Skojec seemed to be carrying an awful lot of baggage that he aired on twitter etc.  The baggage included what wrongs he felt a disgraced congregation had done to him ... sorry I can't remember the details of the article.  

Suffice to say, with 20/20 hindsight, Steve Skojec was probably not the person to start a Catholic media outlet. I've seen others burdened with historical baggage falter in the secular world.

So the lesson is, if you can't practice prudence and even little slights get to you, then you should avoid trying to fix the world.  Work for your own salvation and those for whom you have responsibility.  Then take from the surplus for others.

Also, before undertaking any endeavour, be honest about your motivations.  

For example, I know that I'm not going to change the Church all by myself. This blog is about documenting my studies, ponderings and sharing them with anyone who wants to take the time to read them. 

Conclusion

So you have to keep it together and if you or someone you should trust says you're losing your grip take a step back. Otherwise you'll risk following in the path of these once luminary Catholic personalities.

 

P^3