Posted on 01/13/2009 2:19:26 PM PST by ikeonic
Refuting liberal Catholics who use Scripture to justify higher taxes
First, an example of a liberal Catholic. I offer up Joe Biden, who appointed himself an expert on Catholic social doctrine.
Says Joe:
“Catholic social doctrine as I was taught it is, you take care of people who need the help the most,” he said [in defense of his proposal to hike taxes on the wealthy by calling it patriotic]
The subtle word there is Y-O-U. Joe is correct, Catholics are taught to be charitable, give generously and care for the poor and vulnerable among us. However, I completely disagree with him that this is a teaching for Catholics to use as justification to use the power of government to forcibly take from the rich and give to the poor.
Or in the brilliant words of Ed Morrisey at HotAir:
Catholics are taught to act as individuals to assist the poor. Nowhere in Catholic doctrine (the catechism) can one find the notion that taxes are required for this purpose. ...
There is a moral duty to pay taxes as residents of a nation, but nothing is ever said in doctrine that insists on paying more, or hiking taxes, or in satisfying the need to assist the poor by forcing others to pay more in taxes.
So, to review, the difference between a liberal and a conservative Catholic is:
Liberals believe they are helping to fulfill their duty to be charitable by forcibly taxing their neighbor (a unique way to love thy neighbor) and giving the confiscated funds to the poor and vulnerable.
Conservatives believe that charity must be freely given (a choice and not coerced!) by rich and poor alike. All must give generously and the rich are called to give most generously of all, but it is a calling and therefore a choice and not by coercion. We believe in using love, reason and the Word of God to persuade our friends and neighbors to give generously. Love must always be freely given and can never be coerced.
In closing, I give you two things to think about.
First, when you go to mass at a Catholic church today, there is no "tax" for attending. The collection basket is passed around and the faithful are asked to freely give. If you give nothing, there is no punishment or tax levied, only the knowledge in your heart of what you did or didn't give. Ultimately, we all answer to God.
Second, the Gospel is quite clear with regard to what our individual responsibility is for charitable giving. From Mark 12:41-44:
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
Liberals are like the rich people in this story who gave freely but held back much while yet believing that their good deeds were sufficient to gain them entrance into heaven. Building a welfare state based on taxation does not excuse Catholics who hold back much of their wealth and possessions and still fall far short of the poor widow's example.
Conservative Catholics know that no matter how much we give (in taxes or in voluntary charity) almost all of us will fall short of the example of the poor widow. I certainly fall far short myself as I am painfully aware. But I am thankful for the scripture that reminds me of my own shortcomings and keeps me humbly and painfully aware of just how much more I should be giving.
But the story of the poor widow further emphasizes the point... she gave freely (all that she had!) of her own heart and her own free will. It was not coerced. The poor widow has set the bar high for all of us, liberal and conservative alike.
A “liberal Catholic,” in the popular sense of the term “liberal,” is one who isn’t paying attention.
The “conservative Catholics” actually believe in G-d!
Encyclical of Pope John XXIII, On Establishing Universal Peace In Truth, Justice, Charity, And Liberty, April 11, 1963 Excerpts:
“Man’s personal dignity requires besides that he enjoy freedom and be able to make up his own mind when he acts.
In his association with his fellows, therefore, there is every reason why his recognition of rights, observance of duties, and many-sided collaboration with other men, should be primarily a matter of his own personal decision.
Each man should act on his own initiative, conviction, and sense of responsibility, not under the constant pressure of external coercion or enticement.
There is nothing human about a society that is welded together by force.
Far from encouraging, as it should, the attainment of man’s progress and perfection, it is merely an obstacle to his freedom.”
“Hence, a regime which governs solely or mainly by means of threats and intimidation or promises of reward, provides men with no effective incentive to work for the common good.
And even if it did, it would certainly be offensive to the dignity of free and rational human beings.”
“Consequently, laws and decrees passed in contravention of the moral order, and hence of the divine will, can have no binding force in conscience, since ‘it is right to obey God rather than men.’”
Norman Rockwell, the talented American artist, painted four pictures in 1943 titled Freedom From Fear, Freedom From Want, Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of Worship.
The painting Freedom of Worship contained the logo “EACH ACCORDING TO THE DICTATES OF HIS OWN CONSCIENCE. The phrase “according to the dictates of his own concience” has a colorful history itself (see, eg. http://www2.pitnet.net/primarysources/bayle.html), but Rockwell juxtiposed it into public consciousness against the thrust of non-American social propaganda during the second world war.
Thanks for posting those words by Pope John XXIII. So appropriate in 1963 and so appropriate today. Timeless words of wisdom.
Well done. May I add, however, that in my opinion, because government “does” so much these days for the “poor” that we are not as conscious as we ought to be of their existence. I have been a volunteer at times where we find that our services are pre-empted by some government program or are supplemented in some way so as to lessen both the impact of the voluntarism and the motivation for volunteering. I wish the Church would take back more of this work from the State—and too often, the Church has been anxious itself to benefit from government handouts, which has diminished its capacity to help.
I couldn’t agree more.
It is incumbent upon the Church to do more, much more. We do much already but it is never enough and our work is never done.
The difference is that the Church is an all volunteer effort based on love and the State uses coercion to achieve its means. Well, in Biden’s words, it’s not coercion, it’s a patriotic duty... a very clever way to justify a welfare state built on coercion.
You’re welcome! I agree.
CINO
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