Conspirituality

279: They’re Shooting the Priests

October 16, 2025

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  • The episode centers on the disturbing incident of a priest being shot with a pepper ball by ICE agents, prompting an examination of whether this action crosses a red line for the American public. 
  • The hosts contrast the perceived power and community reach of clergy protesting injustice with that of groups like Antifa, and analyze how authoritarian regimes historically treat religious figures based on their alignment with state power. 
  • Contemporary religious resistance to ICE, particularly from Catholic and progressive evangelical leaders, is framed by biblical mandates to welcome the stranger, contrasting sharply with the state's use of religious rhetoric to justify its own actions. 

Segments

Introduction and ICE Brutality
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: ICE agents are employing extreme, stormtrooper-like tactics, including firing pepper balls at priests, sparking outrage.
  • Summary: The episode opens by detailing ICE’s aggressive actions, such as repelling from Black Hawk helicopters and refusing identification during alleged kidnappings. A central event is a priest being hit in the head by a pepper ball fired from an ICE rooftop. This incident frames the central question of whether this violence against a cleric protesting injustice has crossed a public red line.
Clergy vs. Antifa Influence
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(00:03:39)
  • Key Takeaway: Protesting clergy represent a larger, more community-embedded force than Antifa cells, complicating the Trump administration’s ability to label them as thought criminals.
  • Summary: The hosts compare the community support structures behind clergy versus Antifa activists, noting that clergy represent hundreds of parishioners versus a few support people for black block protesters. They question how the administration’s memo targeting ‘anti-Christian thought crimes’ will apply to protesting clergy. The visual impact of clerical attire (collar, stole, habit) conveys an immediate sense of apartness, which may influence public reaction to assaults against them.
Portland Sarcasm and Resistance
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(00:06:40)
  • Key Takeaway: Portland’s predominantly white demographic allows for effective resistance through sarcasm and mockery, exemplified by costumed protests against federal agents.
  • Summary: Reverend Dr. Chuck Curry uses sarcasm about unalphabetized free libraries to mock the narrative that Portland is a ‘hellscape.’ The hosts note that mockery and satire are effective tools in Portland due to local white privilege, which enables a response that differs from the direct confrontation seen in Chicago. These protests often involve participants in animal costumes dancing around the ICE facility.
Progressive Clergy Activism
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(00:12:22)
  • Key Takeaway: Progressive clergy across denominations are actively resisting ICE through nonviolent protest, legal action, and providing sanctuary support.
  • Summary: Faith leaders are framing their opposition to ICE raids using biblical commandments to welcome the stranger and protect the vulnerable. Churches are filing lawsuits invoking the First and Fourth Amendments, arguing that targeting clergy in demonstrations constitutes religious discrimination. Local pastors, like Adam Erickson, explicitly link ICE actions to scripture, emphasizing the divine mandate to love immigrant neighbors.
Historical Fascism and Religion
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(00:19:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Fascist regimes historically forge opportunistic alliances with traditional religion to authorize power, often leading to later purges or strategic compromises with the church.
  • Summary: Authoritarian regimes vary in their relationship with the priest, but nationalist movements often align with traditional religion to authorize power against revolutionary threats. Mussolini strategically aligned with the Catholic Church via the Lateran Treaty, while Hitler promoted ‘positive Christianity’ to subsume religion under state identity. This historical pattern contrasts with communist revolutions, which typically execute or purge clergy as enemies of the state.
MAGA Pseudoscience and Metaphysics
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(00:24:18)
  • Key Takeaway: The MAGA movement incorporates a ‘militant woo’ wing, often shifting from technical pseudoscience to easier-to-digest metaphysical or religious concepts to maintain coalition support.
  • Summary: The hosts observe that while Nazi elites were obsessed with occultism, the current MAGA brass often avoids ‘militant woo’ unless it can be framed technically (like anti-vax claims). Metaphysics and pseudo-religious dogma are considered easier content than maintaining complex pseudoscience arguments. Churches offer organizational structure and social services that the fragmented online wellness economy cannot, making them attractive community hubs for this demographic.
DHS Weaponizing Scripture
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(00:32:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Federal agencies like DHS are actively using Christian scripture, such as Proverbs 28:1, overlaid on intimidation videos of agents gearing up for assault.
  • Summary: The DHS Twitter feed has been observed pumping out religious frameworks to justify violence, using verses like ’the righteous are as bold as a lion’ during agent mobilization montages. This opportunistic use of evangelical vibes contrasts with historical fascist regimes, like Nazi Germany, whose relationship with the Catholic Church eventually strained over ideological differences, such as the Pope’s condemnation of racial idolatry.
Catholic Response and Liberation Theology
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(00:41:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The current Catholic hierarchy, including Pope Francis and Bishop Rojas, is explicitly supporting liberation theology principles in denouncing ICE actions and economic inequality.
  • Summary: Catholic bishops are issuing statements condemning ICE raids as violations of due process and dignity, with some granting dispensation from Mass to allow attendance at protests. Jesuit priest David Inzoskis, a proponent of liberation theology radicalized in South America, led a protest at Broadview ICE facility, demanding communion for detainees. Pope Leo’s exhortation, ‘Delexe Te,’ heavily cites liberation theology, denouncing the ‘dictatorship of an economy that kills’ and the growing gap between the rich and poor.