Posted on 07/02/2016 3:10:09 PM PDT by marshmallow
This is Part 2 of excerpts from Cardinal Sarah’s book God or Nothing. See Part 1, Cardinal Sarah: ambiguities on doctrine can lead to dangerous opinions .
July 1, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – This is my second article of excerpts from Cardinal Sarah's book because of the excellent teachings for our times that it contains. These are MUST READS as far as I am concerned and provide clear guidance at this time of confusion and distortions of truth.
Poverty is a Christian value
Clearly Cardinal Sarah’s comments here address the very misguided, heavily politicized and ideological efforts of many Catholic international aid agencies as well as government and other agencies that tend to emphasis elimination of the poor through contraception and destroying family cultures.
He says:
p.140 I remember being disgusted when I heard the advertising slogan of a Catholic charitable organization, which was almost insulting to the poor: ”Let us fight for zero poverty” .… not one saint - and God alone knows the tremendous number of saints of charity the church has brought forth in two thousand years - ever dared to speak that way about poverty and poor people.
- Jesus himself had no pretension of the sort. The slogan respects neither the gospel nor Christ. Ever since the Old Testament, God has been with the poor; and Sacred Scripture unceasingly claims “the poor of Yahweh”. A poor person feels dependent on God; this bond is the foundation of spirituality.
- Yes, poverty is a Christian value. The poor person is someone who knows that, by himself, he cannot live. He needs God and other people in order to be, flourish, and grow. On the contrary, rich people expect nothing of anyone. They can provide for their needs without calling either on their neighbors or on God. In this sense......
(Excerpt) Read more at lifesitenews.com ...
Poverty a Christian value? Is he saying Jesus is a “poverty pimp”, like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, the DNC?
Whats a vow of holy poverty anyway? I’d rather have a vow of diligence.
“He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” Proverbs 10:4
I just read “The Man Who Quit Money”, biography of a guy who slowly eradicated money from his life and has had zero income and practically zero possessions for >12 years.
There is a huge difference between economic poverty, spiritual poverty, and work-ethic poverty. The solution to “poverty” isn’t just throwing money at someone, it’s coming to peace with where one’s self is and working to improve the situation.
The excerpts you are mangling with snark miss the point.
To turn the faith into a Marxist/socialist aid society where all programs (Pelosi style) take precedence over the faith, the truth and reality, is what the good Cardinal is recognizing.
When you take up against Sarah, you defend Pelosi style duplicity. She claims the Catholic faith when in truth she is using it to further the Marxist agenda onto the masses.
Cut the crap. Even if this is poorly parsed and written, just a modicum of attention brings you to his point.
Because man possesses reason and is different in kind from other animals,wealth is one of the real goods necessary for health, a greater enjoyment of life, the achievement of values in the physical world, and a good life. Asceticism, which claims to find value in self-denial as an end in itself is the doctrine of the negation of human values and human life.
Re: “Whats a vow of holy poverty anyway?”
That’s when someone takes a vow to own nothing but expects everyone else to take care of them with room and board, travel, etc.
Laughing here. One of the wealthiest organizations on earth, telling us poverty is deeply Christian. When I see an archbishop walking or driving an old beater of a car, an living in a poverty apartment, and eating beans and rice, maybe ill listen to his opinions on poverty being a virtue.
Sarah is a decent enough guy. But this is no good. His position is that even if poverty could be eliminated, we shouldn’t do it.
The writer is not very coherent and doesn’t understand the scripture but I won’t waste my time on that.
God is about justice for the oppressed and He opposes the corrupt including those who’s wealth comes by oppressing the poor ... those without power.
However that is not to be confused with government wealth redistribution and the corruption in the poverty industry and socialism.
There is a great deal of Scripture instructing us who belong to God to help the needy but government wealth redistribution is not for God.
Yes Jesus said we will always have poor among us, because he knows how corrupt human hearts are, he was not endorsing poverty. Those who twist scripture are worse than even the political agenda of the left.
Anyone who doesn’t understand Jesus’ prophecy in Matt 25 on the least of these and his separating the sheep and goats will have a terrible end.
Correction: government wealth redistribution is not from God.
What are you even talking about? How did you get from holy poverty to the DNC? Your obsessive fears that “they” are coming to get your stuff has unhinged you.
Interesting friends you got. Exquisite specimens.
God, send us a pope like Cardinal Sarah, soon. Amen.
This was the Bible verse I was thinking of when I was reading through another thread. We should also keep in mind that He also said this:
“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
He says to give to the poor, but He also seems to say that it is good and right to make yourself more poor by giving to the poor.
It appears being closer to poor gets you closer to the Kingdom of God. Not such a bad thing after all, no?
I thought f John 12:8 first thing also.
I think we need to consider when Jesus means poor in material things, vs poor in spiritual sense.
Many folks poor material because they have poverty mentality, thinking wrong and not trying to improve (i.e.:welfare generational, or thinking they can never move out of “home” area, or don’t seek different employment opportunity etc)
Those who have more and choose to give and live more modest at the inspiration of God to them are doing as God asks.
God may ask others to live a “richer” lifestyle, for a time for His purpose too.
To my thinking, it’s all about what does God ask each person to do from the circumstances He brings them into this world and as they make choices through their years- and does each person listen and obey, or not.
Not listening/obeying God’s prompts can surely lead to poverty spiritually and materially.
***Sarah is a decent enough guy. But this is no good. His position is that even if poverty could be eliminated, we shouldn’t do it.***
That is not even close to what he said. Jesus said the poor will always be with you. Would Jesus lie about that or not?
Jesus also said it was easier for a camel to go through the head of a pin than for a rich man to enter Heaven. That is what Cardinal Sarah is talking about.
I’ll take him over Joel Osteen any day.
This is not their “wealth.” It belongs to the church. Our parish priest just moved into our little modest half brick half siding home that our last priest just moved out of.
Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, John Hagee, etc. live in mansions with their own planes and vacation homes.
***There are certain words which are completely foreign to American congregationalist spirituality......and poverty is definitely one....:-)***
But the prosperity “gospel” on the other hand.......
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.