Since Harrison Butker and MAGA Senator Josh Hawley are in the news again I’m going to revisit the comments made by the Kansas City Chiefs placekicker, since his comments encapsulate a lot of the agenda of white Christian Nationalists.[1] The MAGA Project 2025 goals supports the Christian Nationalists agenda.[2]
The devil is in the details.
(15-minute read.)
A woman’s place is in the home!
Welp, MAGA Senator Josh Hawley and Kansas Chief’s Christian Nationalist Harrison Butker are making headlines again.[3] Butker endorsed Hawley. They’re best buds and Hawley said that he shares Butkers’s religious views. What are Butker’s views? Let’s revisit the infamous speech that he gave at Benedictine College. That’ll provide a good idea of what they want to impose on the rest of the country.
Harrison Butker did a nice job of giving his speech. He had a good delivery and pleasant, smiling demeanor. Then I read the transcript. His bigotry and racism stand out more in the written word. Butker’s beliefs about a woman’s place in society are real old school Christian traditional. Keep them barefoot, pregnant and in the home. The man is in charge.
The full text of Butker’s speech is currently available here at the national Catholic Register website.
If you want the full effect you can listen to Butker give it here.
The Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, co-founders of Benedictine College, took Butker’s speech kinda’ personal and issued a response to his commencement address, saying they “do not believe that Harrison Butker’s comments in his 2024 Benedictine College commencement address represent the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned and in which we have been so invested.” You can read their full response here. BTW initially their response was listed at their website on the home page but is no longer available.[4] Any guesses as to why?
Butker evidently forgot something that he should have learned earlier in life.
Don’t mess with the nuns.
The Butker MAGA manifesto!
Harrison Butker received a standing ovation for his commencement speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas. Butker obviously knew his MAGA audience. Hawley loved his speech too.
Butker staked out some ground early in his speech to give an idea of where it was going. “Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the Sign of the Cross during a pro- abortion rally.”
Things went downhill from there.
One of the things that I noticed about Butker’s commencement speech is what he didn’t say. He danced around topics and issues without directly naming who he was talking about even though it was clear who he was talking about. Like with President Biden. He didn’t say President Biden. I suppose it’s possible that he is one of those MAGA supporters that believes Trump is still President except he makes ZERO allusions to Trump.
Butker heavily criticized the Catholic church, Catholics, Priests, and Bishops for their poor leadership and the direction (set by the Pope) that the faith was heading but didn’t mention the leader of the church. The POPE. It was clear that he was talking about the pope but avoided using the word. Notably he didn’t mention nuns at all.
Butker referenced queers without using their LGBT designation. He joked deprecatingly about Pride Month. His audience got the joke. They knew that he was talking about queers so he didn’t have to name them.
They understood the code.
Butker distilled.
Below is the gist of what I believe Butker believes. My bullet points aren’t in any particular order. I started off with the bigoted racist part of his speech. Butker’s words are in an Ariel font. My comments are in the indent in italics Times New Roman.
~ “The world around us says that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of diversity, equity, and inclusion.” [Emphasis added]
Whooooeeee! Butker just says the MAGA quiet part out loud, doesn’t he? Way to go, Butker! This is a deeply racist Conservative Christian belief and MAGA talking point. Turns out that People of Color (POC) black people, Chinese, Japanese, and minorities in general were the actual tyrants all along.
Where do you suppose career women that work outside the home fit in that group? You know—the ‘same work/same pay crowd.’ MAGA wants to nullify the entire struggle for civil rights for everyone. (LGBTQ people fall into a special category for MAGA hate all their own.)
~ “While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique. Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.”
Trump started all those COVID policies. He bragged about locking things down. Fauci worked for Trump. MAGA tends to forget that. How about that “degenerate cultural values” part? Is that anything like Latinos poisoning the blood of our nation? I’m going to go out on a limb here and posit that he’s talking immigrant Latinos, education, LGBTQIA people, drag queens, books, etc as well.
BTW this means that young couples using IVF or surrogacy to have children are lumped in with the other degenerates. Since Butker didn’t specify, he may have believed that he didn’t need to for the audience he was addressing. After all, they know who the degenerates are. They understand the code talk. Wink. Wink. Nudge. Nudge.
~ “The bishops and priests appointed by God as our spiritual fathers must be rightly ordered. There is not enough time today for me to list all the stories of priests and bishops misleading their flocks, but none of us can blame ignorance anymore and just blindly proclaim that “That's what Father said.” Because sadly, many priests we are looking to for leadership are the same ones who prioritize their hobbies or even photos with their dogs and matching outfits for the parish directory.”
Unlike 16 Spanish nuns that had the courage of their convictions when they denounced Pope Francis, Butker stopped short of mentioning the Pope—the leader of the leaders of the Catholic church by name.[5]
Butker also never mentioned nuns as being church leaders. Neither did he mention the sacrifices that nuns have made throughout the centuries or their ministries.
As a matter of fact Butker never mentioned nuns in his entire speech. I’m pretty sure that nuns are Catholic. Butker’s speech clocked in at around 3,700 words and he never used the word nun once.
He also didn’t talk about all the pedophile clergy and the incredible amount of money that the Catholic church has laid out to compensate victims.
Frankly, it didn’t sound like Jesus could make Butker’s brand of MAGA Team Conservative Catholic either. As for non-Catholics—fugetaboutit!
~ “To the gentlemen here today: Part of what plagues our society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or in our communities. As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction, and chaos set in. This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation.”
Obviously he doesn’t believe that women should be in leadership positions. He’s going to be seriously butt-hurt if Harris gets elected.
Hear that all you single moms and lesbian couples with children? Run out and get yourself a man! Try and get one that beats up women. It looks like Butker is giving immigrants a pass on violence. He must not have got the memo saying to lay all the blame on them.
I have never in my life heard or seen any messaging that says men aren’t needed in the home.
~ “Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the Sign of the Cross during a pro- abortion rally. He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I'm sure to many people it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice.”
Nothing political here. Move along. The rapist Trump claims that he’s the one that overturned Roe v Wade and that everybody wanted it overturned.
~ “We cannot buy into the lie that the things we experienced during COVID were appropriate. Over the centuries, there have been great wars, great famines, and yes, even great diseases, all that came with a level of lethality and danger. But in each of those examples, Church leaders leaned into their vocations and ensured that their people received the sacraments.”
Evidently, Butker didn’t like the way the pandemic was handled by President Biden or the Catholic church what with Butker being anti: vaccines, masks, quarantines, hygiene, social distancing, and all. It isn’t natural. Like dying. Dying is natural.
~ “Isabelle's dream of having a career might not have come true, but if you asked her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud, without hesitation, and say, “Heck, No.”
Butker’s wife gave up her career to be a wife and mom. She’s good at it. Good for her. A lot of women don’t have or choose that option. I am glad to know that Butker allows her to speak.
Butker’s a multimillionaire.[6] That certainly helps. The majority of women in the country aren’t married to men of such privilege.
~ “Tragically, so many priests revolve much of their happiness from the adulation they receive from their parishioners, and in searching for this, they let their guard down and become overly familiar. This undue familiarity will prove to be problematic every time, because as my teammate’s girlfriend says, familiarity breeds contempt.”
Couple of things here. Butker doesn’t think priests should get too friendly with their congregation. It’s a tragedy. This is where Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift made it into his speech though he didn’t mention them by name.
~ “She is a primary educator to our children. She is the one who ensures I never let football or my business become a distraction from that of a husband and father.”
Family is important. My wife certainly helps keeping me on track. It’s a partnership for us. I think that Butker is probably a good father and husband. He’s certainly a good provider. Anyway if Butker isn’t a better man blame his wife for falling down on the job.
~ Not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it, but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the Holy Ghost to glorify him.
Being LGBTQIA is a deadly sin according to Butker. I’m going to make the not so wild guess that he isn’t going to support same sex marriage. He’s a part of the we shouldn’t have to deal with queers crowd.
~ “Sadly, I'm sure many of you know of the countless stories of good and active members of this community who, after graduation and moving away from the Benedictine bubble, have ended up moving in with their boyfriend or girlfriend prior to marriage. Some even leave the Church and abandon God.
Uh oh. Wonder why? Perhaps it’s the hate and intolerance expressed by sweet-faced people like Butker and Hawley.
~ “I'm beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.”
Butker doesn’t believe in mixed marriage so his wife converted. Now you do have to be Catholic to marry in the Catholic church.[7] For a lotta years it caused a lot of heartburn with people of other faiths that the Catholic church did not recognize their marriages.
You know raising children is a tough job especially in this day and age when it usually takes both parents working in order to take care of a family and has for decades. Butker doesn’t address all the single parents out there either.
I was a single parent for a few years. Being able to afford having a stay-at-home mom/spouse/parent is great. It just isn’t an option for a lot of parents.
Butker slammed a LOT and I mean a LOT of people that don’t share his beliefs.
~ “Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the cultural emasculation of men.”
MAGA worries about male fragility a lot. It’s almost like they aren’t comfortable with their current gender so they lean heavily into their masculine pronouns. Butker seems to have over-compensated.
~ “The road ahead is bright. Things are changing. Society is shifting. And people, young and old, are embracing tradition. Not only has it been my vocation that has helped me and those closest to me, but not surprising to many of you, should be my outspoken embrace of the traditional Latin Mass. I've been very vocal in my love and devotion to the TLM and its necessity for our lives.”
He much prefers hearing a language that most people can’t understand as a way to deliver the words of Jesus to the masses. After all it’s the language that Jesus spoke! Hm, that doesn’t sound right, does it?
“Heterodox ideas abound even within Catholic circles. But let's be honest, there is nothing good about playing God with having children — whether that be your ideal number or the perfect time to conceive. No matter how you spin it, there is nothing natural about Catholic birth control.”
Heterodox means non-traditional ideas.
I don’t know how many kids he has. Should be a bunch. Traditional Catholics use the rhythm method. It’s an excellent method to use to get pregnant. Large families are EXPENSIVE! Fortunately Butker has the income to support a large family and his wife doesn’t need to work outside the home.
The problem is that MAGA Christian Nationalists like Butker and Hawley want to impose these beliefs on all of society. Project 2025 is the instrument they’ll use.
Had enough?
I have.
OMG!
Okay this is all pretty standard traditional conservative keep them barefoot and pregnant talk for millions of Americans and some Christian sects. I heard this kind of stuff growing up in the Southern Baptist Church. It turns out fundamentalist Catholics may have a lot more in common with fundamentalist protestants than not. Fortunately Butker did stop short of saying we need another Spanish Inquisition when talking about what America needs.
I know that there are people besides me that are enraged by Butker’s speech, but honestly what he said isn’t anything new for MAGA and Trump. This is actually old hat for MAGA It is essentially the MAGA platform. Butker isn’t alone. Disgusting, but, sadly, not alone.
MAGA Ben Carson for example came out against no-fault divorce.[8] That’s another rightwing position.
I was a single parent and primary custodian. My first wife and I stayed together “for the kids” for 5 years. It didn’t make one bit of difference for the kids in the end, so we got a no-fault divorce. We paid ONE lawyer. Doing away with no-fault divorce would lead to all kinds of difficulties and expense for many couples. I guess that’s the point – make it too hard to get a divorce and women will be forced to stay in their marriages. Because, let’s face it, this is all about controlling women.
Butker gave a speech much of which would be perfectly acceptable in a lot of churches and MAGA rallies including those of different faith traditions all across the country. Well, except maybe the Southern Baptists unless they’ve decided that Catholics are okay now. They weren’t when I was growing up.[9]
Butker did make a couple of sly jokes in his delivery including one about a “teammate’s girlfriend.” Gosh I wonder who he meant? He gave a good speech tailored for a very specific audience. As stupid and backward as I think some of his beliefs are, he has every right to hold them. That’s just the way it is.
However, others have the right not to have those beliefs of exclusion and hate forced upon us and the rest of society and other faith traditions, including Christians, that don’t subscribe to their hateful view of life and America.
We have the right to ours, too.
Chariots of Fire Hawley.
MAGA cult members like Missouri Sen. Hawley that are sympatico with Butker are joining in. Hawley came out in support of his good buddy Harrison Butker after he gave his speech.[10]
I will forever remember Senator Hawley of the raised fist of power in support of the traitors that tried to stage a coup by attacking our Capitol later videoed running from his supporters through the halls of Congress set to the ‘Chariots of Fire music’.
OMG! That’s a funny video. You can watch Hawley again here. I like the extended cut because they loop the run and then cut a picture of him into the video with that Hawley raised fist of power in solidarity. It turned out that Hawley wasn’t all that sure that they knew who he was or cared. Mobs are kinda’ like that.
MAGA Senator Hawley supports those beliefs espoused by Butker. The difference is MAGA wants to not only impose those beliefs on others they want them taught in schools. MAGA wants schools to be like Madrassas. It’s one of the many reasons that they oppose public education. MAGA prefers an education that excludes certain people and ideals.
Many MAGA Christian Nationalists like Harrison Butker and Senator Josh Hawley are speaking out, spreading their message of exclusion and intolerance far and wide.
It’s helping decimate the Christian faith.
[1] https://www.npr.org/2024/06/19/nx-s1-5012597/louisiana-10-commandments-law-public-school-classrooms
[2] https://www.project2025.org/
[3] https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/chiefs-harrison-butker-endorses-sen-josh-hawley-for-reelection
[4] https://www.mountosb.org/
[5] https://www.newsweek.com/nuns-denounce-pope-francis-break-catholic-church-1903818
[6] https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/chiefs-harrison-butker-becomes-nfls-highest-paid-kicker-with-25-6-million-extension-per-report/
[7] https://www.catholic.com/qa/are-non-catholic-marriages-valid-in-the-eyes-of-the-catholic-church-what-if-a-catholic-marries-a
[8] https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/ben-carson-no-fault-divorce-republicans-rcna152266
[9] https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/popes-visit-highlights-southern-baptist-catholic-differences-and-similarities/
[10] https://www.foxnews.com/politics/missouri-sen-josh-hawley-defends-friend-harrison-butker-after-out-touch-lefts-absurd-meltdown
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