Posted on 12/04/2012 4:55:11 AM PST by publius1
The precarious economic situation of so many people and so many families calls for examination of U.S. economic arrangements. Christian conviction and the American promise of liberty and justice for all give the poor and the vulnerable a special claim on the nation's concern. They also challenge all members of the Church to help build a more just society. 20. The investment of human creativity and material resources in the production of the weapons of war makes these economic problems even more difficult to solve.
(Excerpt) Read more at usccb.org ...
I picked a small quote but there are tons and tons of things like this in the letter. I realize that this was 25 years ago, but the bishops almost just did another letter. It's no wonder that so many Catholics like myself ignore them.
Christ made it abundantly plain that his followers are to be generous to the poor.But He didn’t say that it had to be compelled by “government”.
The Church’s redistribution of wealth is one reason I no longer give to the Archbishops appeal.
This is 25 years ago, when we had some of the worst, most leftist, Vatican II bishops in charge. The NCCB doesn’t even exist anymore, and neither do most of these bishops.
And when is the encyclical coming out on the responsibility of the poor? If the poor have food, shelter, transport, cell phones, medical care and education paid for...what exactly is the appropriate response which the rest of society can expect from them? Functioning adults not only pay for the poor to have these items, but they pay for the ranks of government administrators who run the programs behind the distribution of products distributed to the poor.
That’s just it.
Faith and morals is the territory of clergy. Not economics.
They have consistently been wrong about socialism.
There is no perfect system that is going to bring utopia on earth.
Capitalism isn’t perfect - but so far it allows for the greatest amount of freedom to create wealth.
From there - people can choose to exercise christian values of charity - or not.
Even if they do not - the wealthy are still creating jobs.
Sure miss Bishop Sheen..
What about people whose only "participation" in society, is to sit at home and collect a government paycheck?
Even scripture tells of three sons who were supposed to go out into the world, and make the most of their gifts, regardless of their size. The first two went out, invested well; i.e., participated in the economy, and returned a profit to their father.
The third son, having the smallest gifts, chose to ride it out. He did nothing...did not participate in the economy. He collected a "paycheck," but chose not to participate. While not described as slovenly as some of the "Obama phone" cases, he had access to, but chose NOT to participate in the economy. We have no problem in helping the poor and disabled, but what does the church--what does the Bible say about those who choose not to work?
He who does not work, neither shall he eat
They have consistently been wrong about socialism.
Too general. The AMERICAN Catholic bishops have been a major disappointment, sure. However, there are multiple Papal Encyclicals back to the 1800s warning of the evils of Socialism. Here is a link to Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII for an example.
“..Papal Encyclicals ... warning of the evils of Socialism...”
Yes - more Catholics (and everyone) need to be reminded of this. It is only relatively recently that the democrat Bishops who started advocating for “social justice” with their hands out for government money came into power. True Catholics know that personal almsgiving and works of charity are requisites for salvation.
The poor we shall always have with us said Jesus in his own words - meaning that poverty isn’t solvable via the collective, because this world is no longer in a state of original justice.
Of course, as pointed out in the Beatitudes, the Good Samaritan story, etc., Our Lord expected people to help the down trodden individually. The Church used to teach this and it was a recognized piece of the whole cloth of Church teaching.
For example, look at the success of Father Baker in Buffalo with his Our Lady of Victory ministries funded mostly on the completely voluntary donations of blue collar workingmen catholics without a penny of gov’t money.
As you point out - the Church always used to be aware of the evils of socialism, communism, modernistic secular atheism, etc. This is a new and very mistaken movement within the Church.
This letter was the brainchild of noted sodomite and embezzler, Rembert Weakland.
Thank you. It’s nice to see there are some with common sense.
Social justice is pretty popular in my neck of the woods.
Thank you. It’s nice to see there are some with common sense.
Social justice is pretty popular in my neck of the woods.
“The investment of human creativity and material resources in the production of the weapons of war makes these economic problems even more difficult to solve.”
The Catholic Bishops were at the time heavily invested in the Marxists’ agenda against Ronald Reagan, as to his military buildup and his nuclear weapons programs & and anti-missile programs vis-a-vis western Europe. Many Catholic organizations participated in the Marxist organized and run “anti-nuke” mass protest marches, here and in Europe against Reagan.
Reagan ignored them and helped bring the Soviet Empire to an end.
The denial of the right of ownership to a man is a denial of his basic freedom: freedom without property is always incomplete. To be “secured” – but with no accompanying responsibility – is to be the slave of whatever group provides the security.A democracy flirts with the danger of becoming a slave in direct ratio to the numbers of its citizens who work, but do not own / or who own, but do not work; or who distribute, as politicians do, but do not produce. The danger of the “slave state” disappears in ratio to the numbers of people who own property and admit its attendant responsibilities under God. They can call their souls their own because they own and administer something other than their souls. Thus they are free.
What brainpower?
They have no business wasting time, money and paper like this because they obviously don’t comprehend either finance or politics. Apparently getting had in glowing color on national TV over the health insurance fiasco wasn’t enough to teach them a lesson? Earth to USCCB, come in, USCCB.
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