Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Happy Unearned Guilt Day: A Christmas Message from Dr. Michael J. Hurd
The Daily Dose of Reason ^ | December 26, 2018 | Dr. Michael J Hurd

Posted on 12/26/2018 3:42:36 PM PST by huckfillary

Pope Francis gave his usual rant yesterday about the evils of capitalism, advanced civilization and material well-being.

“For many people, life’s meaning is found in possessing, in having an excess of material objects. An insatiable greed marks all human history, even today, when, paradoxically, a few dine luxuriantly while all too many go without the daily bread needed to survive,” the Pope said.

Hey Pope Francis: Why don’t you go live in a hut, without heat, air conditioning or comfortable clothes, cars and planes? You hypocritical Communist.

Oh, and by the way: Merry Christmas!

The Pope appeals to the worst within people — the frightened part. The part that feels like, “I’m not good enough to cope and survive. I’m not deserving of happiness.”

You have to wonder: Does somebody who WANTS or NEEDS you to feel that way have your best interests at heart? Or is he more of a psychological sadist?

In the spirit of the opposite of what the Pope has to say, I’d like to wish all decent, well-meaning, self-responsible and productive people Happy Unearned Guilt Day.

Don’t feel regret or remorse for your achievements. Don’t lose sight of what you may yet achieve. Don’t succumb to envy, as the Pope encourages, because envy means hatred of success and achievement. If you train yourself to hate another’s capacity for success, you will ultimately hate your own.

If you respond to the best within yourself, then you’re worthy enough to embrace life fully, experience and accomplish whatever you wish, so long as you respect and honor the equal right of others to do the same. Your property belongs to yourself, you did earn it, you did build it, and nobody has a right to moralize or condemn you for taking pride and ownership of that fact.

People who wish to bring you down psychologically, like Pope Francis, will tell you: “Who are YOU to be happy? Who are YOU to treat your life as the sovereign possession that it is? Self-interest is selfishness, and therefore bad. Don’t be happy; suffer. Go with what I demand of you, not yourself.”

If there’s such a thing as emotional abuse, this is surely it.

Rationally speaking: Your most sacred responsibility is to yourself. After all, you’re all you’ve got. Without you, your life is meaningless and off course. Even if you opt to live for significant others such as your children, or even for society in general, without self-care and self-responsibility nobody will enjoy what you have to offer. It’s totally up to you to make your life purposeful, happy and productive. Nobody else can or will do it for you.

Don’t listen to the Pope or his petty equivalents in your families, local communities, governments or anywhere else. You DO build what’s important in your life — materially and non-materially — and it’s truly yours to celebrate, embrace and enjoy.

Merry Christmas!


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: capitalism; happiness; popefrancis
Make Dr. Hurd's "Daily Dose of Reason" a daily habit.
1 posted on 12/26/2018 3:42:36 PM PST by huckfillary
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: huckfillary

“Productive Christians in an age of Guilt Manipulators” - great book by d Chilton.


2 posted on 12/26/2018 3:47:42 PM PST by Persevero (Democrats haven't been this nutty since we freed their slaves.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: huckfillary

Also when I think of the net worth of the Vatican this crap just blows my mind. Why does anyone listen to this man.


3 posted on 12/26/2018 3:48:43 PM PST by Persevero (Democrats haven't been this nutty since we freed their slaves.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: huckfillary

Your most sacred responsibility is to yourself. After all, you’re all you’ve got.


You might be surprised at how many people think, “I own myself,” is a shocking statement.


4 posted on 12/26/2018 3:51:39 PM PST by sparklite2 (See more at Sparklite Times)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: huckfillary

The bible says: God loves a cheerful giver. This suggests that it shouldn’t ever be forced, but based on the love that God puts in your heart. I knew a fellow who donated half his traditional tithe to the church he attended, and the other half to various charities, which seems to be in the spirit of the act.


5 posted on 12/26/2018 3:51:47 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (May Jesus Christ be praised.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sparklite2

You are a steward of yourself. You are actually owned by God.


6 posted on 12/26/2018 3:52:26 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (May Jesus Christ be praised.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: HiTech RedNeck

As I said, some folks find owning themselves to be a shocking thought.


7 posted on 12/26/2018 3:56:08 PM PST by sparklite2 (See more at Sparklite Times)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: huckfillary

Thank you for this.


8 posted on 12/26/2018 4:06:45 PM PST by RWGinger (Does anyone else really)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sparklite2

God finds it repulsive when applied to any other being. To do otherwise would be to have an idol before Him. Crow with self satisfaction all you wish. You’ll find your “owner” can bestow nothing good on you in the end.


9 posted on 12/26/2018 4:12:46 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (May Jesus Christ be praised.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: RWGinger

You’re welcome....have a blessed and joyous Christmas Season.


10 posted on 12/26/2018 4:20:03 PM PST by huckfillary
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: huckfillary

LOL! I don’t know Dr. Hurd (that is, I’ve never seen anything by him before) but he’s right. I think Francis produced a few gems for what was compiled by somebody as “Francis’ Little Book of Insults.”

The fat, self-righteous, well-off aged leftist from Argentina somehow believes that he and his tired old platitudes are the equivalent of Our Lord’s messages and he himself is in fact the equivalent of Our Lord.

Sorry, Jorge, you fail on both counts.


11 posted on 12/26/2018 5:38:47 PM PST by livius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Persevero

The pope lives in unbelievable luxury and security...typical communist bs...live as I say not as I live


12 posted on 12/26/2018 5:49:14 PM PST by faturism (faturismbut'ty)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Persevero

#3 Vatican assets. Some of them.
https://money.cnn.com/2015/09/24/news/pope-francis-visit-vatican-catholic-church/index.html

List of wealthiest organizations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_organizations


13 posted on 12/26/2018 9:14:03 PM PST by minnesota_bound
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: HiTech RedNeck

That’s right; in the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus holds up the charitable stranger but never recommends the Romans take the “charity” from the others who won’t help (at the point of the sword).


14 posted on 12/27/2018 3:34:19 AM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: huckfillary

Bookmark


15 posted on 12/27/2018 3:39:23 AM PST by SauronOfMordor (Socialists want YOUR wealth redistributed, never THEIRS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kearnyirish2

We can end up seeing the government fill (badly) the gap left when the church gets weak. Eventually the shortcomings of such an approach will become apparent — chiefly among them the tendency to political venality. But the Lord will let it happen as “better than nothing.”

It will take a revival to overcome this sort of folly.


16 posted on 12/27/2018 10:31:34 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (May Jesus Christ be praised.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: HiTech RedNeck

The government has been putting the Church out of business since it launched “The Great Society”; it has removed them from much of the healthcare, education, and charitable works with taxpayer-funded competition in all three.


17 posted on 12/28/2018 4:04:57 AM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson