Shea the Pro-Abort

I’m convinced Shea was always a leftist. I’m of the opinion he kept his real views hidden so he could make it in the apologetics movement. But as liberalism grew in the Church, he felt he could safely express his actual beliefs. Sadly, I think he’s going to discover that when the eventual counter-reaction occurs, he’ll find himself in a boat without a paddle. His liberal friends will be running around like headless chickens to save themselves, and the real Catholics won’t give him the time of day for the way he slandered and libeled them for years on end. Hopefully, it will humble him enough to seek the mental and spiritual help he’s needed for years.

I cannot understand how such a louse makes a living gulling low-IQ/low-information Catholics.

Since 1973, everybody that voted for a D is a pro-abort.

John 8:44 [they’re the children of Satan – the father of lies – who consciously want to follow their father’s ends and do what is natural to him and them – lie, murder, . . . .] is totally appropriate relative to Marx Shea and the rest of the execrable, catholic Left.

This is the last time. I promise.

One of the greatest and most valuable lines ever spoken in a Hollywood movie applies to Chazemi, Marx Che, and the rest of the Satanist (John 8:44), catholic Left, “Everything that guy just said is bu!!$hit.”

I’m convinced Shea was always a leftist. I’m of the opinion he kept his real views hidden so he could make it in the apologetics movement.

If your motives were mercenary, you’d do just about anything with your life than write books for small audiences. I think there are some evangelical types who make good coin as celebrities, but Mark left the evangelical fold 30+ years ago. Some time ago, I came across a picture of his home in Snohomish County, Wa (I think it might have been on Zillow or Redfin). He and his wife haven’t made jack-squat from apologetics.

(The gross fiduciary failure of the board of Catholic Answers was exposed by Michael Voris some years back, when he discovered looking through their IRS 990 forms that Karl Keating was paid a salary of $250,000 a year to run an agency which employed fewer than 20 people. The President of EWTN had a cash salary of about $150,000 at the time, and 10x as many employees. I don’t think Shea was getting any of the swag).

Art, I wasn’t talking about Shea making big bucks when I said “making it”. I was referring to him establishing a reputation in the field of apologetics. He might have had a chance of earning some big bucks, but his leftist fanaticism threw a monkey wrench into any possible chance of doing that

He wasn’t making small bucks either. If you’re in it for recognition, writing things you don’t actually believe in rather diminishes your psychic income. You could say he’s in it for an audience (rather like a professional performer), but Mark doesn’t have a Hollywood vibe at all.

I think Mark Shea writes what he thinks, if you can call it thinking. The question is why the content has taken the form it has, and I’ll wager you the issue is never the issue.

How in the world would they qualify for these benefits? How could he morally justify it? (I know, I know.)

Possibly the program is cock-eyed. As recently as 2014, all four sons were living in the same town he was in Snohomish County and it stands to reason some were living with him. I believe his sons were 15-30 at the time. His younger sons are, I believe, 22 and 24 and may still be living at home and contributing their wages, so the benefits may be theirs. His wife is 67 years old. Most women that age are retired, but given the curios of their living situation over the years, she may still be working. I’ve seen pictures of their house and my guess would be that she’s more likely a CNA or LPN than an RN.

When Shea writes about “orgiastic spite,” he’s describing himself. Ever since the National Catholic Register dumped his column in 2016, Shea has been executing a one-man vendetta against Trump and his supporters, whom he blames for getting fired. There are several reasons why Shea is getting worse and worse, along those lines:

Shea’s desire for personal retribution can never be satisfied. The more he seeks it, the less satisfied he is when he doesn’t get it. That increases his lust for vengeance (which is exactly what’s going on). It’s a never-ending cycle of self-corrosion.
Shea has never repented for his behavior. Shea doesn’t want to repent for his behavior. Adopting the pose as the anti-MAGA crusader keeps him from admitting, confessing and repenting from his sin. I don’t care how often Shea might go to confession; no priest can do the dirty work of repentance for him. Absolution is not repentance.

Shea’s desire for personal retribution can never be satisfied. The more he seeks it, the less satisfied he is when he doesn’t get it. That increases his lust for vengeance (which is exactly what’s going on). It’s a never-ending cycle of self-corrosion.

As good an explanation as any for his conduct over the years.

continued to protect him for several years afterward

Protect him from what? Did he publish vicious rubbish in Crisis or Catholic World Report?

First of all, the powers that be at all those publications knew of his behavior but not only made no effort to fraternally correct him, but still ran some of his articles. Some of which were garbage. In 2014, Catholic World Report ran one of his “Consequentialism” screeds. In the comments section, he equated those of us who defend the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to defenders of Bin Laden.

Prominent Catholic media figures are among the first to pitch a bitch about the secular media protecting their bad apples, but when they do the same for the likes of Mark Shea, they seem to do it with impunity.

Your acknowledgment that Keating didn’t fire him and his work still appeared pubs like Crisis proves my point. Shea’s wretched behavior not given a public rebuke by his peers is two faced as it gets.

This cannot be a serious question. Shea’s colleagues in the Catholic Media Establishment remaining silent while he engages in some of the worst calumnies and keeping him in their employ while raking others in the secular and other outlets over the coals for the same is about as two faced as it gets. If it isn’t, nothing is!

Really, Foxfier? For one, Karl Keating turned bashing dissenting Catholic outlets on the left and the extreme “trad” right a cottage industry. Jimmy Akin called on evangelicals to publicly marginalize James White for some of his bad behavior while circling the wagons for Mark Shea.

You are obviously not all that familiar with Catholic Answers track record.

The fact that Shea remained on Catholic Answers Speakers Bureau long after his behavior went off the rails tells you they didn’t have any problem with it.

Foxfier, how any of this is relevant to whether or not Catholic Answers or other Catholic outlets that had direct ties with Shea should have publicly and explicitly marginalized Shea for his behavior. We all know their failure to do so both contributed to the problem Shea became and showed a serious lack of integrity on their part. We excoriate MSM all the time for that kind of behavior. If we are not willing to do the same when “orthodox” circle the wagons for their own bad apples, we need to shut the hell up until we are willing to do so!

Really, Jimmy Akin calling for evangelicals to marginalize James White but circling the wagons for Mark Shea when Shea’s behavior is as bad if not worse isn’t a case of double standards? The case in question with White didn’t involve Akin directly, but something White said about Francis Beckwith.

This is not a one-off either. Back in the mid-2000s, Karl Keating used to publish a weekly e-letter. It would be a topic on their forums as well. One of his e-letters was a glowing praise of something Mark Shea wrote about problems in apologetics subculture. By this time, Mark’s calumnious invective was well known. When another individual and myself pointed out how Mark’s behavior, as well as the silence of Keating and his other colleagues on it was an even bigger problem, they shut the thread down. That’s as clear a case of double standards as it gets.

Here is Jimmy Akin jumping into the Beckwith fray of which he had no previous direct involvement. He also urges Evangelicals to hold White to a standard he wouldn’t hold Shea. For the record, I thought White’s behavior was terrible. But Akin was in place to call White out while being silent on Shea. Oh, this bullshit about Akin being polite is just that, bullshit! He’s polite, except when he falsely accuses Harry Truman of being a war criminal.

https://jimmyakin.com/2007/08/james-white-has.html

Shawn M, you are absolutely right. What I call the “Apologetics-Industrial Complex” is nothing but PR for the Pope and the bishops. Most of these people need the bishops’ support, so the “apologists” can’t afford to be too, shall we say, independent.

The Apologetics-Industrial Complex is no different than the canon lawyers. They run interference for the Catholic Establishment. That’s their entire reason for existing. Full stop.

It also should be noted that the Apologetics-Industrial Complex didn’t really get its mojo, shall we say, until JPII became pope. JPII’s cult of personality influenced (and, sad to say, in some cases, deceived) many. That’s when the “star” converts from Protestantism began forging their careers.

Art Deco, as far as Shea stalking me goes, he was doing that as early as 2001! It waned considerably in 2007 but in 2018, one of his Facebook friends sent me a death threat after Shea pronounced his opposition to me by name and one other person by name who belong to a private anti-Shea Facebook group. I called the police in Shea’s hometown. A day or so later, I received a call from a police detective from that town, telling me he spoke to Shea.

Yes, people, it was that bad.

Look, you asked for proof of double standard.I provided it.