The Cult Masters: Misogynists – and More

When Anthony Cekada expounded his views on Schiavo, very few Catholics -- traditional or otherwise – agreed with his monstrous conclusions.¹  Even within the SGG cult center, people were up in arms about it.  One parishioner, a woman, wrote to Erroneous Antonius at the time, asking him to clarify some things that he said (that were obviously WRONG).  But in doing so, she was careful not to offend him; and she showed him the utmost respect and deference possible.  And how did Tony respond?  As you might expect, Arrogant Anthony basically told her to “shut up and obey.”

His reply was vintage “Tony.”  After summarizing (and justifying) his position on Schiavo, he castigated her as follows: “Finally, the larger problem I see is that lay traditionalists like you are trying to turn something into a mortal sin that isn't.  You have no business doing so. You don't have the training in moral theology that priests have, and you certainly don't have the confessional experience we do in applying moral principles.  But this doesn't stop you from boldly expressing your ‘opinion’ on the moral issues in the Schiavo case, because in the practical order you simply cannot accept the fact that a priest probably knows a lot more that you do about certain subjects, chief among them, moral theology.  I am supposed to make the distinctions for you between right and wrong, because I have the training, the sacramental graces and the experience to do so.  But because [you] do not have the humility to recognize this in practice, you will go on endlessly arguing for your ‘opinion,’ rendering exchanges like this a waste of the priest's time, and in the process, I fear, turning traditional Catholics into members of the Church of Lay Opinion.”

She doesn’t have “the training in moral theology that priests have” or “the confessional experience we do in applying moral principles”?  [Well, we certainly hope to God that she doesn’t have Checkie’s “training”!!]  She “cannot accept the fact that a priest probably knows a lot more that [she does] about certain subjects, chief among them, moral theology”?  [Moral theology?  Are you kidding, Tony?  I wouldn’t trust your “moral theology” (or Dannie’s) more than that of the Marquis de Sade’s!]  She doesn’t “have the humility”? [Gulp!!  Tony, are you “for real”??])  Can anyone ever imagine a more condescending and sarcastic collection of dung than this?  What kind of depraved lunatic (other than Big Don’s deranged “prefect”) could come up with such crap?  Tony insinuated that Terri Schiavo was “brain dead” and was “obviously shutting down.”  Tony, it is YOU who are brain dead – or, at least your conscience is dead.

The foregoing excerpt, by the way, was part of several correspondences between this woman and Cekada.  [Click here to get to its beginning, then scroll down to “Fr. Cekada’s (unemotional?) Reply,” and then to point “4” to get to the part that we excerpted.]  As we said, this is vintage “Tony” -- and just one of the many examples of the Cheeseburger’s trademark arrogance.  But it is more than that: it is misogyny.  (That’s undoubtedly why he came out in favor of Michael Schiavo’s “right before God” to starve and dehydrate his wife to death: she was a woman.)  And, although the Checkmeister is arrogant, sarcastic, and condescending with both men and women, he is especially so with the latter.

Of course, Dannie and Big Don are misogynists as well – but their misogyny goes far beyond simply “trash-talking” to women.³   At both cult centers, women are treated like slaves; plus, they are expected to dress like Amish bag ladies -- even at “social” gatherings. At “church picnics,’ for example, the womenfolk (including girls) are expected to wear dresses (not pants or shorts), whereas the men can wear almost anything (including shorts) – but God help the women if they wear shorts or pants.²  It’s also interesting to note that at “summer camp,” the boys play games that are basically recreational, whereas the girls’ “games” are top-heavy with things like sewing, flower arranging, and other tasks that they’ll later be called upon to perform as cult slaves.

Then there’s the workload:  at both SGG and MHT, there’s a small army of women to do the cleaning, cooking, and “sacristan” work.  At SGG, for instance, there were at one time two nuns and one lay woman serving as sacristans.  All three of them quit.  The one nun, the primary sacristan -- habitually overworked (and habitually verbally abused) by Dannie -- left in disgust, while the other had a nervous breakdown.⁴  (Both of them, by the way, have left the religious life altogether, and are now “laity.”)  The other (lay) woman left in disgust too (after seeing how Dannie treated the nuns).  And that’s only the sacristans.  In addition to them, Dannie has a corps of slaves who clean, cook, and iron for him (including church “vestments” and altar linens). ⁵

At both cult centers, too, there’s no “crying room” per se.  At SGG, the mothers must tend to their infants in a vestibule that is unheated in the winter and un-air-conditioned in the summer.  And if they take them back there during the sermon, they’re not allowed to re-enter the church until after the sermon.  (There are no chairs in the vestibule, either – only a hard bench (with no back) – and, behind it, a large picture whose frame jabs the middle of one’s back while sitting.  (It probably came from the local furniture store’s Marquis de Sade collection.)

At this point, we’ll stop giving any more specific examples of the cult masters’ misogyny, because we think that we’ve covered enough of that ground.  We’ll just summarize by saying that Dannie and Tony do their utmost to intimidate women, and to make them feel (and be) subservient – almost to an Islamic extent.  Just as Tony contended in Terri Schiavo’s case, it’s the husband who “has the right before God” to determine “what’s “best” for his spouse.   And if a wife complains, then she is “a raging feminist.”  These women-haters have lost all sense of proportion of what women and womanhood are all about.

But the cult masters are not content with just being misogynists, because “it takes more than misogyny to run a cult.”  As cult masters, they must “lord it over” not only women, but everyone.  After all, that’s what cults are all about: making everyone subservient to their will, even to the extent of superseding the authority and autonomy of the family itself – dictating to them what they can and can’t do – even away from the cult center.  And that’s exactly what has happened: according to comments received on Pistrina, the MHT cult forbids TV in peoples’ homes, no going to movie theaters, no internet (unless nuns give permission) – you name it.⁶

Lately, even more comments have been surfacing about MHT; and they paint a dark picture -- a lot like SGG, but perhaps even worse (if one can imagine that!): substandard academics, unqualified teachers, overly strict rules, cruel punishments, etc.⁷   What they say, of course, is not surprising, and only confirms what many have known for years: that both SGG and MHT are incompetently run “mediocrity mills,” staffed by amateurs, and run by self-serving predators. But it is encouraging to see the recent spate of comments, because it is corroboration coming from those inside his cult -- and in writing.  

It’s encouraging because it’s evidence that people in Brooksville are finally starting to wake up.  It’s evidence that Big Don’s stranglehold on the MHT cult is loosening (just as is Dannie’s at SGG).  It is known that people at MHT have for some time been disgruntled.  But now they’re talking.  And they’re leaving.  And all of this is being noticed.  More and more, people are beginning to recognize MHT for what it is -- a CULT -- and are finding the courage to come forward and speak out.  Our hope, of course, is that even more of you find the courage to get out of the cult.  But when you do, you must “not go gently into that good night.”  Be vocal.  Let others know – and why.  Do not “wimp out” and slither away sheepishly and silently, as so many traddies are wont to do (no doubt, out of a false sense of “respect for the clergy” – which only enables these lepers to perpetuate their mischief). Do not jeopardize your souls by staying with them.  Reject them.  Leave them.  You, your souls, and your wallets will be glad you did.   

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¹ Donald Sanborn, MHT’s deranged rector, did, however -- as we reported the other week in our “special edition” article.  (We normally publish only every other week, and last week was an “off” week; but we found a “note” of Big Don’s that had once been included on a website, but which “someone” later erased to “hide his tracks.”  Fortunately, we had copied it before it was erased – so we published it.  Click here to see it.)

² Funny, though: when they’re away from the cult center, the cult masters tolerate “pant suits.”  When Dannie was in Argentina, for instance (doing some unnecessary Confirmations – a pretext to get away from the cold cult center and enjoy the Argentine spring), he had his picture taken in front of a group of women, many of whom were in pant suits.  ((Cick here for that.)  There, where he was “just visiting” (and hence not its “cult master”), there was no need for him to control and manipulate by enforcing his “no pants” rule there.  (On the contrary: he was there to play Santa Claus and to please them.  Therefore, he was not about to do anything to offend them.)

But back home at the cult center, not only must they wear dresses, but dresses that meet SGG’s “modesty” requirements: hemlines well below the knee, collars that hug the neck, and sleeves that are “long enough” – and definitely nothing “sleeveless.”  (That’s too “provocative.”  But boys watching porn on the school computer isn’t: that’s just a case of “boys will be boys”!)  And, of course, opened-toed shoes and “flip-flops” are also verboten, because it would be immodest for a woman to show her “bare feet.”  (Dannie, you’d better cover up the Blessed Mother’s feet on all those statues!  Get the womenfolk to knit her up some socks.)

³ But between the two, we must say Sanborn is more the misogynist, based upon what this Pistrina commenter had to say:  “Every other traditional chapel I've been to has wished the parishioners who are mothers a happy Mother's Day both in the bulletin and from the pulpit during the weekly announcements. Nothing from MHT this morning. Is this indicative of how they feel about mothers?”  Even Dannie -- misogynist that he is -- wishes the women a “Happy Mother’s Day,” because he realizes that it is good “public relations.”  But the depraved wretch in Brooksville can’t even do that.

⁴ The former was made a “novice” nun by Dannie (as if he had the authority to do so!); but he never made her a “full-fledged” nun.  He always had some reason to say that she wasn’t “ready” to take her “final vows,” so he “postponed” them indefinitely.  Although she habitually worked long hours every day as sacristan (and choir director) -- from early in the morning ’til late at night (often past midnight) -- Dannie was never satisfied with her work; and he would verbally berate her on a regular basis. Eventually, after taking this abuse for years, she “had enough,” and quit.   

The nuns, by the way, were housed off-site.  An on-site convent was presumably built for them (or, at least, that’s what Dannie told his parishioners); but after it was built, it was used instead to house priests.  The nuns had to drive to SGG everyday from this off-site convent -- a small, inferior rented facility – adding “commute time” to an already long day.  The “sacristan” nun once told of a instance when she was so tired when she got home from working at the church, that she fell asleep in her car.  (And, by the way, she – not “the parish” -- paid for the car.)

We might also add that there was at one time a third nun, Sr. Gerard Vincent (an older nun, who taught at the school), who died previously.   She fell and broke her hip.  But, after a too brief recuperation period, she was “pressed back into service” – and fell again.  This time, she didn’t recover.  Shortly afterward, she died.  Meanwhile, when Dannie had “sinus trouble” (that he didn’t want to put up with), he got himself operated on (followed by a leisurely “convalescence” at the Bishop’s Lodge in sunny Santa Fe, New Mexico).  Nothing, it seems, was too good for Dannie.  (The operation, by the way, didn’t help – another waste of parishioners’ money.)

⁵ One parishioner’s wife was once talked into “helping out” with the ironing.  She was given an altar linen (that was soaking wet) to iron.  She started to “wring it out,” but was told that it had to be ironed “wet.”  She asked why, but was told, “that’s the way it has to be done.”  She then asked if she could take the work home with her, but was told, “No, it has to be done here.”  As one might expect, she quit.  The cult masters make sure that the work is as “labor intensive” as possible (and that the slaves are given no latitude in making it easier on themselves).  The emphasis is not on how efficiently a task can be done, but on maximizing its degree of oppressiveness.

During Holy Week, especially, the tasks were “make work” projects.  The Altar of Repose had to be different every year, and required the work of several people for almost a week to build.  (The nun in charge of it worked past midnight most of the week to finish it – only to see it used for one day and then torn down the next.  She, by the way, was the one who “left in disgust.”)  Another “make work” task was stripping leaves (which were very “sticky”) from eucalyptus branches, to be scattered on the floor during one of the processions – then to be quickly swept up before the following service, so that Dannie wouldn’t get any of them “stuck” on his shoes.  Adults and kids alike were “recruited” to do this task.  Holy Week (as usual) was one long, exhaustive ordeal.

⁶ A recent Pistrina article has reprinted some of the insane rules at MHT (from an old Christ or Chaos article), which bear out what recent commenters have had to say.  (Click here to see article.)

⁷ Here’s what one had to say: “The little children that attend Mass on Sunday's at MHT are like nothing I've ever seen before. Even kids as little as one, two, and three are expected to sit/kneel, stand still, and assist at Mass like the adults. Not even a religious book to keep their attention. If they so much as try to turn around one little bit, the parents are all over them. It's crazy! Kids that small can't be expected to sit perfectly still and not be distracted by things going on around them. I'm all for kids assisting respectfully at Mass, but the behavior I see there is just not normal! It's weird!”

And here’s what another had to say: “We are parents who just had issues with Queen of All Saints and MHT with Sandborn and Selway. .. they are nothing but a pharasiac bunch of uncharitable, controlling freaks.  We had our children in their school over the last two years after long years of Catholic homeschooling...the last two tears was a parent's worst nightmare...they try to usurp all parental authority...We rejected their cultish school and church; they do nothing to help these poor children to practice the 12 Catholic virtues but teach them,materialism, and all sort of nonsense...Sandborn is the meanest arrogant man and Selway has temper and denial issues....The vice principal is like Lady Macbeth" -- look like an innocent flower but be a serpent under it"  Most of the false nuns are there...mean and controlling and spoiled. The whole thing is a joke.

Will write a whole article about them soon. They are not Catholic period. Sandborn hates children and indoctrinated the 5 main,families him,and Selway control.  Selway told us that only those obeying Sandborn will go to heaven. That includes the family clique and his own.  How presumptuous!!!  Selway would lie to your face all,the time...he favors his family. He is a pathetic daddy's boy who never left his family. So are the false nuns there. They squeeze all the money from good working families to ndulge into luxuries...so fake!!! Selway only drink perrier water! They have no proper school building, labs, gym, etc, no qualified teachers since, yet they charged tons of money for their controlling uncharitable family run school. Glad and thankful to God to be out of the evil cult!!”  

No doubt, Big Don (and his hard-core bootlickers) will reject both of these comments as “scurrilous lies” and “slander” – especially the latter, whose spelling and grammar they’ll criticize as well.  But, regardless of that, the input is genuine – and true.  Plus, there were several others who mirrored the sentiments of these three.  So, Big Don might get away with dismissing one of them – but not all of them.  There are just too many for him to play the “denial” game – and there will be more.  (Actually, in the past, there have been many who have quitted the MHT cult center; it’s just that now they are becoming more vocal about it.)  So, Donnie, as your buddy, Tasteless Tony, might put it, “You’re toast!”