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Posted on 02/23/2008 3:35:01 AM PST by tcg
The Catholic Church points the way to authentic progress by presenting a vision of the human person, the family, society and the common good that moves us forward and not backward.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholic.org ...
The usual political “labels” have been heard in the debates, in the commercials and in the pontifications of the of the “talking heads” in the chattering class. They have also been discussed by the candidates. Words like “liberal”, “conservative”, “neo-conservative” are all readily mentioned. However, the one being bandied about more often lately, both in a disparaging way and as a sort of badge of pride, is “progressive”.
This latest term, “progressive” is the one I find most intriguing. At its root, it implies progress, moving toward something better.
During the early months of the Democratic primary contest, the then expected nominee of the Party, Hilary Clinton, was asked to define the word "liberal." She surprised her listeners with the following comment:
"It was a word that originally meant that you were for freedom... but it has been turned on its head and made to be a word that describes big government. I prefer the word progressive."
She then proceeded to describe herself in her current term of preference. She now calls herself a “proud modern American progressive."
I take exception to this co-opting of the word “progressive” by Mrs. Clinton. I also have a proposal for those who, like me, have grown increasingly tired of the misuse of all of these labels.
Let’s take the word “progressive” for ourselves. Let’s stake our claim that Catholics and other Christians are the true “progressives” of this and every age because we point the way to an authentic vision of progress for the human person, the family and the social order.
First let’s examine Mrs. Clintons claim as it relates to the current meaning of the word “liberal” in political discourse. Actually, she is correct, at least to a degree. The current use of the word “liberal” and the classical use of the word are at odds with one another.
Even the modern usage has undergone sweeping change in the last fifty years in America. In accepting the nomination of the New York “Liberal Party” in September of 1960, then candidate John F. Kennedy, said:
“...I would like to say what I understand the word "Liberal" to mean and explain in the process why I consider myself to be a "Liberal," and what it means in the presidential election of 1960. ...This is my political credo: I believe in human dignity as the source of national purpose, in human liberty as the source of national action, in the human heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and our ideas. It is, I believe, the faith in our fellow citizens as individuals and as people that lies at the heart of the liberal faith.
For liberalism is not so much a party creed or set of fixed platform promises as it is an attitude of mind and heart, a faith in man's ability through the experiences of his reason and judgment to increase for himself and his fellow men the amount of justice and freedom and brotherhood which all human life deserves.
I believe also in the United States of America, in the promise that it contains and has contained throughout our history of producing a society so abundant and creative and so free and responsible that it cannot only fulfill the aspirations of its citizens, but serve equally well as a beacon for all mankind. I do not believe in a superstate.
I see no magic in tax dollars which are sent to Washington and then returned. I abhor the waste and incompetence of large-scale federal bureaucracies in this administration as well as in others. I do not favor state compulsion when voluntary individual effort can do the job and do it well.
But I believe in a government which acts, which exercises its full powers and full responsibilities. Government is an art and a precious obligation; and when it has a job to do, I believe it should do it. And this requires not only great ends but that we propose concrete means of achieving them.
Our responsibility is not discharged by announcement of virtuous ends. Our responsibility is to achieve these objectives with social invention, with political skill, and executive vigor. I believe for these reasons that liberalism is our best and only hope in the world today. For the liberal society, is a free society, and it is at the same time and for that reason a strong society. Its strength is drawn from the will of free people committed to great ends and peacefully striving to meet them. Only liberalism, in short, can repair our national power, restore our national purpose, and liberate our national energies.”
It is clear that the former Presidents’ definition of “liberalism” certainly did not mean what is meant by politically “liberal” today. The “liberal” political cause in America has been stolen by those who have associated the word ‘liberal’ with unrestricted abortion on demand as a “right” and substituted libertinism for ordered liberty. These contemporary “liberals” often promote a vision of governance which is top down also, proposing increasingly federalized solutions to every social problem and need.
However, I have a deeper concern. I want to contend with the effort by Mrs. Clinton and others to take the word “Progressive” for their own use. I suggest that Catholics and other classical and orthodox Christians who are committed to the dignity of every human life, authentic human and social freedom, marriage and family, and who believe that we owe an obligation in solidarity to one another and, especially to the poor, fight for this word “progressive”.
We also have to prepare to engage all comers on what progress really means.
The dictionary defines "progressive" as an adjective, meaning "Moving forward; advancing." That is why we need to oppose the latest political effort to steal the word. We have experienced word games too many times in the last few decades. Let me use myself as an example for my readers.
As a Catholic Christian, I have sought to inform my political, economic and social participation by the values derived from my faith. I try to live a unity of life. I am pro-life, pro-family, pro-freedom, pro-peace and pro-poor.
I oppose the killing of innocent children in the womb, which is always and everywhere wrong because it is the taking of innocent life. I oppose euthanasia, no matter how it is disguised, because it is never compassionate to kill someone. These pro-life positions have led some to attempt label me "conservative", and then to try to marginalize me further by connecting me with the "religious right."
However, not so fast!
I also oppose Capital Punishment. I was a Prosecutor for years and experienced the risk of wrongful convictions. I could never accept the idea that the taking of life by the State had remedial or protective value. I align myself with the clear teaching of the Catholic Catechism and the recent Popes that capital punishment is no longer necessary because bloodless means are available to punish the malefactor, to defend society and to serve the common good.
I opposed the initial foray into Iraq as morally wrong, believing that a war of so called “pre-emption” could not be justified under any interpretation of the "Just War" Theory. That alienated my former “neo-conservative” friends. Now, like most Americans, I am deeply concerned for what could occur in the aftermath of a precipitous withdrawal and am evaluating the best prudential path toward peace.
I have written extensively about our obligations in solidarity to the poor, calling for economic reform including a family wage. I believe that the market economy must always first be at the service of the person, the family and the common good.
In taking many of these public policy positions publicly, even some who agreed with my unqualifiedly pro-life bona fides began to intimate that I was a "liberal". Some used the term "left" in reference to some articles I wrote.
That is why I have called for moving beyond "liberal" and "conservative", insisting that faithful Catholics who understand, believe in and seek to apply the full palate of Catholic Social teaching, in order to effect genuine social justice, are not "left" or "right", "liberal" or "conservative".
The growing misuse of the word "progressive" is an example of what the late, great C.S. Lewis, in his "Studies in Words" called "verbicide." Progress is threatened by allowing this word to be co-opted by those who hold positions which actually undermine authentic progress.
The failure to hear the cry of the poorest of the poor in the womb is not progressive. There is simply nothing progressive about consigning an entire class of persons, our youngest neighbors,to the status of property. Under the so called “abortion right” these children are able to be killed by those who are more powerful with no due process afforded to them.
From its birth, the Church has been sent into cultures and societies filled with people who thought they were "advanced" in light of the arts and sciences of their day. Some of the most barbarous of peoples and Nations saw themselves as "progressive." They resented the Christian teaching because it challenged their claim and upset the social order.
The early Christians went into a world enslaved. Many of those cultures, like contemporary western culture, practiced primitive forms of abortion and even "exposure", a practice of leaving unwanted children on rocks to be eaten by birds of prey or picked up by slave traders.
To those folks, as to their modern counterparts "freedom" meant having power over others who were weaker. They were threatened by those who kept them from doing whatever it was that they wanted to do by challenging their claims of "progress".
One has only to read the ancient Christian manuscripts such as the Didache (the Teaching of the Twelve) or the accounts of Justin Martyr or other early historic sources to read of cultures not unlike the one in which we live today, cultures of "use" where people were treated as property - cultures of excess where "freedom" was perceived as a power over others and unrestrained license masqueraded as liberty.
The word "pagan" was not used as a disparaging term in those accounts, but actually represented a pseudo-"religious" worldview. I use it the same way in referring to our contemporary age as increasingly pagan and not “progressive” at all.
Many of the "gods" and goddesses" of this pre-Christian worldview promoted lifestyles of selfish excess, homosexual practices, and hedonism masquerading as freedom. The myths concerning them had them acting in much the same way. Their lies have simply been reintroduced today, only the myths and statues are different. They still purport to be "progressive" when, in reality, they are regressive.
The struggle we are engaged in today concerns a clash of worldviews and competing definitions of human freedom, human flourishing, social justice and progress. In the circle of some contemporary cultural and social revolutionaries who like to call themselves "progressive", the positions being espoused and lifestyles being affirmed as "progressive" are anything but. They will turn the clock back.
The Catholic Church in her social teaching points the way to authentic progress. It presents a vision for the human person, the family, society and the common good that moves us forward and not backward. Catholics and other Christians are the true progressives of this age.
From now on, call me a “progressive”.
Huh?
A recipe for more pain and suffering.
A “Progressive” by any other name... still smells of socialism/communism.
Sorry; but true.
Hoss
Thought you might want to get in on this
This Catholic doesn't resemble that definition in the least. What gave you the idea Catholics are for illegal immigration and income redistribution?
A little essay on “progressives” that doesn’t contain the word “socialist?” What a useful idiot.
The Catholic Church in her social teaching points
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Catholic “social teaching”?
I have a name for it: Liberation Theology.
I think “leftists” is really the only descriptive label for them:
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Let’s start using the word that truly fits: Marxist!
We are in a philosophical civil war fighting for the hearts and mind of current voters and the next generation now in the government indoctrination camps ( “schools”). Freedom will not win unless we call the enemy what it is: Marxism!
Progressive Catholic or Cafeteria Catholic. The anti abortion issue must outweigh the other issues or else is is just a walk in the middle of the road.
I prefer to go by “Conservative Catholic Capitalist”
One of the problems that I philosophically have with my Catholic relatives and friends is that abortion seems to be their only focus. They are like one note piano players constantly banging the same key.
If they were to fully preach the **entire** Gospel of Jesus Christ, (especially repentance, His forgiveness, eternal salvation, and redemption), the weeping wound of abortion would be healed along with the rest of society’s pathologies.
Now that would be true progress!
Oh,,,and, by the way, I don’t recall Jesus advocating that Roman guards take money from the producers of the time and distributing it to the poor. He never said anything about Rome mandating a “family” wage, either.
Sure, there are lots of leftists who openly admire Marx’s rantings, and many others are probably Marxist in their beliefs without even knowing it. But if you used “Marxist” in reference to them, they would wonder who you’re talking about.
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This is merely a reflection of the sorry state of education in the U.S. today.
I thought I was the only Catholic who saw the danger in the Catholic “progressive” movement. There is another movement similar to this, and that is called “distributionism”, and it’s exactly the same as the Socialist/Communist belief in “from each according to his ability - to each according to his need”. Does the Church really believe in this, or are these people just using the Church to convince people that they are right?
There’s a book out published by IHS Press called “Beyond Capitalism and Socialism” and it’s about Distributism. It’s the same old Socialist nonsense, but very disturbing.
The Catholic Church will never rise to the leadership role it once had until the current crop of Hierarchs including the present Pope, Bene XVI, truly admits to the horror of the Homosexual abuse Holocaust.
The Church must purge itself of Thousands of Homosexual priests get rid of Bishops like Roger Mahony and install strong courageous men whose life is centered on Christ.
If anything, the church, is in a moribund condition continuuing to lose followers by the thousands.
Forget Labels, Example is the only way to lead people to a wholesome Christlike life in the Catholic Church.
The sorry state of education in the U.S. today is because of what you said yourself: public schools being used as government indoctrination camps. History is being politically corrected so that no one is offended no matter where they come from (except if it’s the South). When history is changed, it’s not really possible to learn from it anymore.
I couldn’t agree with you more!
What is needed here is the preaching of the **entire** gospel of Jesus Christ, and strong men and women totally dedicated to Christ and His message. Do that and the Catholic Church will recover.
By the way, I was educated for 10 in Philadelphia parochial schools, and I am a graduate of Villanova University. I have not been a member of the Catholic Church for 25 years.
A return to true Catholicism, based on the whole gospel of Jesus Christ is what is needed to revive the Church.
I’ve read the 4 Gospels many times and I do not recall Jesus calling for government forced redistribution of wealth by Roman guards. His message ( among many) was that of personal compassion and charity.
Please read message #15.
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