The fall of Steve Skojec

[Gnarwhal]

Is anybody here familiar with him? He founded OnePeterFive around 10 years ago, I think I first heard of him back in late 2019 when he joined the Gordon brothers on one of their first podcast episodes. Ever since then I had been following his work just because I appreciate his way with words.

But back in 2020 at the height of the lockdowns his FSSP priest denied one of his kids their first sacraments because the family had been obeying the state lockdowns and not attending Mass. According to Steve there were also some extenuating circumstances surrounding his family's health so they were being extra careful. Apparently that was the straw that broke the camels back for him, and he's really turned away in the time since. In 2021 he sold 1P5 to Crisis Publications and now it seems like it's tone has become decidedly trad, something that I think kind of bothers Steve just because he's generally very disgusted with the trad world these days.

Today I saw something from him that confirmed my fear that he's basically left the faith when he wrote "my reason for opposing abortion isn't inherently religious because I am no longer inherently religious."

I hate to see this because Steve has been a really important voice in the Catholic world over the years, at least in my opinion. His site offered a perspective that felt very neutral and honest, not biased towards one faction or another and I always felt like I could get the truth from there. I think the devil targeted him in some very intimate ways because he wanted to disrupt and destroy what Steve had built because what Steve had built was effective.

That's not to say what 1P5 is doing now isn't, it just doesn't have the broad appeal that 1P5 did under Steve.

I like Steve a lot, he's honest and seems to have a lot of integrity. He's also angry and hurt going all the way back to his younger days with the Legionnaires and then this fiasco with the FSSP which I believe the priest doubled down on rather than apologized.

If you guys wanna join me, I'll be praying a Hail Mary and a Saint Michael prayer tonight for Steve and his family. May he find his way back and return stronger than he was before.

 

[Michie]

I think I read something about that awhile back. I hate that he has left the Faith. Praying for him and his family!

 

[Michie]

I just ran across this:
Wronged and Yet Wrong

 

[Gnarwhal]

I just ran across this:
Wronged and Yet Wrong

Wow interesting, I wonder if this was published before or after they finalized the sale of 1P5? Or maybe Skojec just didn't care at that point... super interesting that the guy he essentially sold to wrote that.

 

[Michie]

Wow interesting, I wonder if this was published before or after they finalized the sale of 1P5? Or maybe Skojec just didn't care at that point... super interesting that the guy he essentially sold to wrote that.

Yes it is. I did a bit of research and it appears he is agnostic now. But his hostility and derision of religion in general comes across more as an atheistic to me. What is it about leaving faith that makes people overtly hostile to it? My sister is the same way. It’s not a pleasant disposition to have.

 

[Gnarwhal]

Yes it is. I did a bit of research and it appears he is agnostic now. But his hostility and derision of religion in general comes across more as an atheistic to me. What is it about leaving faith that makes people overtly hostile to it? My sister is the same way. It’s not a pleasant disposition to have.

That's what I think too, his commentary these days has a very polemical tone. I think it's weird too though, they always like to claim that it's just years of pent up frustration and angst owed to how "strict" Catholicism is but I don't buy it. I think it's pure rebellion, the devil wiggled his way into the conscience and started whispering sweet nothings about doing things "my way" until the itch to live that way got too strong not to scratch.

It's like their departure from the Church isn't legitimized unless they tear the whole thing down first.

 

[Michie]

That's what I think too, his commentary these days has a very polemical tone. I think it's weird too though, they always like to claim that it's just years of pent up frustration and angst owed to how "strict" Catholicism is but I don't buy it. I think it's pure rebellion, the devil wiggled his way into the conscience and started whispering sweet nothings about doing things "my way" until the itch to live that way got too strong not to scratch.

It's like their departure from the Church isn't legitimized unless they tear the whole thing down first.

For years or the rest of their lives. While walking away from faith they obsessively nurse their new identity in it. It’s becomes a schtick. I’m not impressed. I’ll pray for him and his family and hope he comes to his senses.

 

[Gnarwhal]

For years or the rest of their lives. While walking away from faith they obsessively nurse their new identity in it. It’s becomes a schtick. I’m not impressed. I’ll pray for him and his family and hope he comes to his senses.

Me too. I kind of think of it like when Anakin Skywalker fell to the darkside in Star Wars and became Darth Vader, he had to hold on to his hate and anger towards the Jedi Order to sustain himself as a Sith. Even more so, there's non-canonical lore that his Master rigged his suit to pump painful drugs into his body to keep him angry because if he didn't then Vader would probably chill out, forgive, and cease to be a Sith like he was.

I see a lot of parallels there with "ex" Catholics.

 

[RileyG]

Praying...

 

[pdudgeon]

I just ran across this:
Wronged and Yet Wrong

This is refreshing, and yet painful to hear.
And ( not to be disrespectful) it reminds me of so many of those cowboy TV shows of the 1950's.
You could always tell the good guys because they wore white cowboy hats, and the bad guys wore black.
And there were always conflict scenes when you didn't know who would win.
But they kept on fighting for the right, even when it was tough to do so.
And yes, the good guys won in the end.

And that's what we have to remember: not the fighting, but the winning.
God really is on our side, and if we stick it out, it will be worth it, in Heaven.
And that's what we work for: not a victory here, but we wait for Christ to appear at last, and get everything sorted out.
And it will be.