Of the Viet Cong and Radical Feminist Nuns

I’ll bet that some of you younger readers don’t know who the Viet Cong were and what they did.

They started as a tiny groups or cadres of committed Communists, insurgents, in the south of Vietnam, after the end of the Indo-China War in 1954.  Communist front-groups formed, such as the Saigon-Cholon Peace Committee, the Executive Committee of the Fatherland Front, the Vietnam-Cambodian Buddhist Association,  the Alliance of National, Democratic, and Peace Forces. These front groups gave cover for and organized Communist insurgents and guerrillas, masking the activities of their community organizers.  The Viet Cong was the conglomeration of groups would be called, became the military arm of the National Liberation Front.  The VCs embarked in savage assassination campaigns, committed horrible atrocities to intimidate opposition, developed a political branch, opened up the Ho Chi Minh Trail, etc.  Their various units wore no insignia.  They were ideological guerrillas, insurgents, terrorists.

The Viet Cong are fascinating.  They are yet another of history’s examples of how small groups engaged in unrestricted asymetrical tactics can bring a large and well-supplied organized military machine to a grinding blood-stained halt.

What’s this about?

The other day I posted How tiny liberal loon crank groups provide cover and distraction for larger, more dangerous initiatives.

In that post I pointed out how someone whom, for good reason, no one has heard of (Patricia Miller), editor of something no one has heard of (“Conscience magazine, the leading journal of pro-choice Catholic thought”), put out a blog opinion piece about an obscure group of weird radical nuns (the National Coalition of American Nuns – NCAN -which campaigns for women’s ordination, headed up by abortion-promotress Sr. Donna Quinn of the Sinsinawa Dominicans, who makes parody redundant).

NCAN supports the Obama administration’s efforts to impose the pro-contraception, pro-abortion HHS Mandate on religious institutions such as the Little Sisters of the Poor and Hobby Lobby.

NCAN says openly what the leaders of the LCWR can’t say openly. Consider NCAN a front group.

Now I see that the Ho Chi Minh Trail of cable news, MSNBC, picked up the story.

Somebody no one has ever heard of, Irin Carmon picked up in the insignificant news about the nun splinter group. What are the other things Irin has written about?

  • Anita Hill answers your questions
  • Inside the newest faction of the anti-abortion movement
  • California’s quiet reproductive rights revolution
  • Meet the rebels of the anti-abortion movement
  • Big leap for morning after pill access? Not so fast
  • Should it be easier to get emergency contraception?
  • Women in 2014: Eloise Gomez Reyes
  • Hillary Clinton counts on women’s rights
  • Do you think Wendy Davis’s abortion comments hurt her campaign?
  • Wendy Davis falls into abortion question trap

Irin seems to be obsessed with abortion and others matters uterine.

So, from Irin at MSNBC we find:

Nuns take sides as contraception fight heads to the Supreme Court

[…]

The Catholic Church formally opposes contraception, [“formally?  What does that mean?  That the Church can then “formally” change its position, as if opposition is a mere “policy”?  “Formally” as in the Church turns a blind eye? ] and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in particular has taken an active role in criticizing the contraceptive coverage mandate in Obamacare. [“taken an active role”…. and… so?  No, wait.  The point is, no one is permitted to critize what Obama does, much less be a ring-leader in criticism.  But there’s more…] But this isn’t the first time nuns have shown independence on an issue. [Hurray!  Nuns showing “independence” is a good thing!  “Independence” is good, right?] In 2012, a Vatican group rebuked [LOL!  The CDF is a “Vatican group”, now.  The ignorance here is a hoot.  And, remember, “rebuking” is bad, especially when women are the rebuke-ees.] the Leadership Conference of Women Religious for espousing ”radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith.”  [More on the LCWR and NCAN, below.]

That prompted one commentator to reach for the b-word [This is misdirection… read on.] in a rather different context. ”Women are not capable, in the Vatican’s mind, [“the Vatican’s mind”?!?  Who’s writing this garbage?] of governing others or even themselves,” wrote Gary Wills [Him again?  Embittered anti-Catholic.] in the New York Review of Books. “Is it any wonder so many nuns have left the orders or avoided joining them? Who wants to be bullied?”  [That’s the “b-word” Irin meant, not the other one.  And women are joining communities of traditional sisters, communities which don’t belong to the LCWR or subscribe to its radical feminist tenets.]

Supporters of the contraceptive coverage provisions plan to rally outside the Court on March 25, the day oral arguments are heard in the Hobby Lobby case.  [That’s an advertisement, btw.]

As I watch this unfold, what pops into my head are Alinsky-style Chicago-based community organizers, the Viet Cong and the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Again, as I wrote the other day, liberals have coalitions of myriad groups. They front for other, much larger groups.  The small groups provide cover and distraction and coordination for what the larger groups are really up to.  This is a common feature of the Left’s activity.  They work together, cover each other’s tracks, carry each other’s water, present a united front.

Not from an opening ceremony of an LCWR meeting.

 UPDATE:

At Newsbusters I found THIS.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in Liberals, Magisterium of Nuns, Pò sì jiù, Religious Liberty, The Drill, Women Religious and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

20 Comments

  1. Andrew says:

    Nutritionists formally oppose the human consumption of mercury, and the United States Conference of Good Nutrition in particular has taken an active role in criticizing the promotion of mercury in food products. But this isn’t the first time we have shown independence on an issue. In 2012, a group of nutritionists rebuked us for espousing ”radical ideas incompatible with good nutrition.”
    ”We are not capable, in the nutritionist’s mind, of governing ourselves,” wrote Gary Wills in the Mercury Eater’s Review. “Is it any wonder so many mercury eaters have left the Good Nutrition Conference or avoided joining them? Who wants to be bullied?”

  2. KylieP says:

    You just LOVE that picture of Sr. Donna Quinn, don’t you, Father? :)

  3. KylieP: I despise it. I think that should be perfectly obvious by now.

  4. Irradiated says:

    As lay people, what can we do when we are faced with a consecrated religious – or even a priest – who has unequivocally fallen into heresy? Especially in the case of entire communities like the Sinsinawa Dominicans?

  5. Calling once again for the expulsion of Sr. Donna Quinn from the Order of Preachers, and the suppression of the Sinasawa Dominicans.

  6. Uxixu says:

    Not really sure that one works. VC were militarily smashed by Tet and didn’t accomplish a single military objective. The machine they brought to a halt was LBJ’s, not the United States and even the final treacherous defeat lies with the Congress that failed to enforce the Paris peace terms. Otherwise bombing resumes in 75 and probably still going in 1980.

  7. Bob B. says:

    @Uxixu I don’t know…we still had VC launching 122mm rockets into Da Nang periodically, infiltrations, propaganda platoons (especially around Chu Lai, where one had a Salt and Pepper couple of U.S. traitors with them). They continued to scare the local populace in 1971-72 and there were various other incidents (using children, BTW) of “beaucoup” VC. Not letting the military fight and micromanaging things from thousands of miles away won’t work, either.
    (The bombing resumed in ’72 during the Easter Offensive while some Americans were still there: http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/army/tradoc/usaic/mipb/1998-1/BAKERfnl.htm )

  8. kbf says:

    AAAAh yes, the Sinisinwa Domincans, who bring you:

    Finding new connectors to God:

    We will explore the four types of claires — clairvoyance (pictures), clairaudience (hearing), clair sentence (feelings), and claircognizance (knowing) — trying to discover one that resonates with you to help you better connect with the Divine power and bring awareness to where you are spiritually. The retreat will combine the Hatha physical practice and meditation practice of Yoga with discussions about the four types of claires, and time for personal reflection. This is a semi-silent retreat; silence will be observed at all times except during our group sessions.

    https://www.sinsinawa.org/MoundCenter/RetreatDetail.cfm?num=511

  9. Joseph-Mary says:

    March 25th? That is a low blow! The Solemnity of the Annunciation. The devil is running that show!

  10. The VC also took prisoners who died in captivity.
    Sorta like these nuns. Guerrilla warfare is effective because it looks like they aren’t doing anything big and can’t be pinned down. They don’t play fair and prefer to shoot you in the back.

  11. Long-Skirts says:

    “Leadership Conference of Women Religious for espousing ”radical feminist themes”

    A
    NURSERY
    CRIME
    Sing a song of six-pense,
    Rubbers in the pocket,
    Having sex with consequence
    Isn’t in our docket.
    Four and twenty blackbirds,
    No bun in oven bake,
    ‘Cause we have heard our teachers’ words
    Safe sex no babies make.
    When our pie is open,
    We’ll sing and shrill like birds.
    For Health Class taught us copin’…
    Skills with plastic turds.
    Now isn’t that a dainty dish
    To set before our King —
    The crucifixion, His death wish
    These “nuns” know everything!

  12. Scott W. says:

    You can toss the World Council of Churches as one of those front groups. They criticized U.S. involvement in Vietnam in the most overdramatic fashion possible, but went silent as the grave when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan.

  13. Dimitri_Cavalli says:

    In 1984, the National Coalition of American Nuns and another left-wing Catholic group, the National Association of the Laity, joined a lawsuit to stop President Reagan from establishing diplomatic relations with the Vatican. See http://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/20/world/protestant-groups-sue-to-bar-us-ties-to-vatican.html

    They were actually worried that relations might actually curtail Catholic bishops’ influence with the federal government.

  14. Massachusetts Catholic says:

    Let me take a concept from torts, the “duty to warn.” In American law, a party can be held liable for injuries caused to another, if the party had the chance to warn the other of a hazard and failed to do so.
    Is there a “duty to warn” in the case of a priest or religious whose actions cause grievous harm to another? For example, 20 years ago in the archdiocese of Boston there were predatory priests whose actions led to the sex abuse scandal. Chancery officials knew and ignored concrete evidence. Local officials, fellow priests and parish workers were also complicit. It’s clear today that there was a “duty to warn” of this sexual abuse. Now there is zero tolerance.
    Heresy causes grave injury to the souls of those who are led astray. Yet in this area of spiritual abuse, church officials act as they did twenty years ago in the face of physical abuse. The pastor of St. Dissident’s may work with FutureChurch leaders, host Voice of the Faithful meetings, preach in favor of women’s ordination and bless same-sex marriages. The chancery is sent evidence. Nothing changes. Is there a duty to warn newcomers to town that St. Dissident’s is… dissident? If the situation is ongoing and the evidence is public (bulletin entries, photos online) is there any sin to this? Posting evidence in online forums, such as this blog? Or is a good Catholic obliged to continue to go through approved channels?

  15. ad Deum says:

    Amazing (not really) how Mr. Wills ignores the timeline: the older nuns left due to confusion/rebellion and the younger are returning out of love for obedience and Tradition.

  16. gloriainexcelsis says:

    Re: Vietnam I remember reading the books by Dr. Tom Dooley, who gave all of himself to the people there. The things he wrote about that were happening before the “War” were horrific. Village leaders were killed, the educated were killed, in the North mainly, and with the help of Chinese troops. The atrocities against women, children, babies, were unspeakable. It was the way of weakening the people to prepare for the takeover . The assassination of Diem in the South was the signal for action.

  17. Sonshine135 says:

    Questions I have:
    Who, in the Catholic Church, are funding these people?
    Who, outside of the Catholic Church, are funding these people?
    Who in the Church hierarchy are responsible for these nuns?
    Why hasn’t the Vatican held these people responsible?

    This whole thing is rotten to the core. What do those in the Vatican know that we don’t that prevents them from taking action against these nuns? Aren’t these 501c3’s? Do they not have to make their audits and statements publicly available?

    I want answers! I want the truth!

  18. Nicholas Shaler says:

    “Not from an opening LCWR…”

    That’s funny Father, of course it is.

    Also, as a younger reader, I do know who the Vîet Cong are/were.

  19. LeslieL says:

    From the National Catholic Register:
    https://www.ncregister.com/blog/ann-carey/coalition-of-american-nuns-supports-hhs-mandate

    I too want to know why these people are still recognized as nuns – how is this allowed to be????

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