I don’t mind the crab emojis. I think they are a valid response to the deep hurt caused by, specially American, religiosity. I am very privileged my parents were mostly laid back Catholics with a general “just be good a person” attitude. Rather than the jesus freaks, I’ve encountered here in America. I’m also not queer, so I don’t have to wrestle with my place in religious communities or practice; although, I am attuned to be offended and frustrated on behalf of LGBTQ comrades - and advocate on behalf of their rights and that of reproductive rights for pregnant people. It is a very privileged position to merely be “offensive” due to my political beliefs, and not much else.

I think it is worth reminding ourselves as christians and communists, that material conditions and ideas are closely interlinked. Capitalist hegemony abhors “diversity”. It is focused on creating and maintaining a surplus army of labor. Institutions such as the Catholic Church are constituted from the “thought leaders” of the current political order. There’s an upper and lower-bound for change within an institution as long as the base and superstructure stay the same.

What I do find frustrating, given that I’ve had to wrestle with some of these incongruencies and contradictions of religiosity and Marxism, is that I’ve done some work. Some investigation. Just an ounce of curiosity. Can help comrades see that faith, if practiced correctly, can help you and strengthen you, against this broken world. Pope Francis, refocused Catholicity on the needs of the most vulnerable. And it was truly a renewal of faith for me to see that happen. It should gladden our hearts this happened. We should also gladden and rejoice that it triggered some of the worst people in existence, cause it robbed them of certainty, certainty that God is with them. Because he is not. God is with the poor, and the marginalized. God lives in all of us, but he strengthen and gladdens the hearts of those that need it most.