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JustFaith OR Just Apostasy
Self | 5 July 2004 | Dr. Thomas

Posted on 07/05/2004 11:51:37 AM PDT by Doctor Thomas II

The JustFaith program is supposed to be a social justice adult ed program based on Catholic social teaching. It is making its rounds in diocese across the country. This program is nothing but a platform for a ultra left wing social, political, and economic agenda, that is NOT in line with Catholic social teaching. As this cancer infects your diocese you might be interested in this review. We have reviewed the texts used in the Just Faith program and have consulted with two persons qwho have attended the entire program. These texts and the observations of the persons who attended form the basis of this review. The Just Faith program is seriously flawed in numerous areas of Catholic doctrine. It is thus our position that this text inexorably leads to the violation of the rights of the faithful under CIC 217. We believe the reason for this is, with two notable exceptions, due to errors of omission or emphasis in making certain points. The purpose of this letter is to delineate the points that are contentious. The text essentially takes certain aspects of Catholic social teaching and either overemphasizes them or takes them out of context to the point that it becomes a platform for a certain secular political and economic agenda. The references are attached to the main body of the letter. The purpose of the references is to show our good faith, i.e. that our intention is not to further our own economic or political point of view but to honestly point out key areas of Catholic social teaching that are omitted from the texts. The specific concerns are as follows:

a. One text, St. Francis and the Foolishness of God, text presents the Church’s doctrine (de fide tenenda) denying ordination to women as a violation of rights and holds open the possibility of this position being reversed in the future. Since the teaching reserving priestly ordination to men only has been “infallibly set forth (infallibitur proposita sit) by the ordinary universal magisterium” (Ref 1), and is to be “definitively held (definitive tenenda) by all the faithful” (Ref 1), we can only conclude that the authors reject this proposition and thus each “sets himself against the teaching of the Catholic Church.” (CIC 750) The ordination of women was not only held open as a possibility but vehemently supported by the program moderators. Another text, The Powers That Be by Walter Wink, member of the Jesus Seminar, actually denies the divinity of Christ, an unarguable de fide credenda teaching. Although in the text the moderators of the program attended did not support this position, although they did agree that Jesus Christ was primarily a social reformer.

NOTE: The remaining teachings in question are tuto doceri non potest.

b. Relevant to this same point, the program’s entire treatment of discrimination against women is entirely based upon the prevalent secular view of this issue. Although there is much in common between this view and the Church’s view, there is absent the Church’s view that the masculization of women to the point of sameness is in fact a violation of women's dignity as women and contrary to the common good. Symptomatic of this is that the program totally ignores the Church's position that women have the right to have their decision to dedicate their lives to the care of children merit equal respect with any other career choice. The program in fact turns the Church's view of equal dignity for womanhood on its head by de facto emphasizing that the path to equality for women is to become like men. (Ref #2) c. The program gives inadequate emphasis to the centrality of the family founded on marriage as being central to the achievement of a just society. The legitimate rights of children, particularly the right to a proper family, are all but ignored. The relationship between the disintegration of family life and endemic poverty as well as a host of other social pathologies is nowhere to be found. The Church on the other hand holds the family as the foundation of a just social order. (Ref. # 3) d. Regarding the situation of those incarcerated, it is again the case that the relation of dysfunctional family situations to criminal behavior is not even alluded to. The statistics on the illegitimacy rate among criminals are overwhelming but apparently deemed irrelevant by the program. If anything would speak for justice demanding better treatment for prisoners this would. Although it is inappropriate to absolve a person of any criminal behavior out of hand, the impact on a person of being deprived of his right to a family (Ref #1) together with the Church's concern in the area of prison life, most certainly should lead us in the direction of rehabilitation rather than outright punishment alone. The text fails to support its point beyond mere platitudes. (Ref #4) e. The entire treatment of caring for and uplifting the poor concentrates solely on "solidarity" and fails to give adequate weight at all to the principle of "subsidiarity", which has been part of church teaching since Rerum Novarum, the term "subsidiarity" itself however not coined until 1931 in Quadragesimo Anno. The social welfare system in the USA has failed to be of help (subsidium) in lifting up the poor but has rather served to keep them poor and, as one black speaker described it, "on the welfare plantation." In terms of subsidiarity, the central role of the family, the basic bottom rung of subsidiarity, is ignored. (Ref #5) f. With regard to problems of economic justice on a world scale, the program gives a view that is almost totally Malthusian in nature. It is based on a zero sum view of the world economy rather than the Catholic view which is Progressio, development. It totally ignores, in both providing necessities to any increasing population and providing protection for the environment, any advances in technology. The current Pontiff's address on the environment is taken totally out of the context of his other teachings while the current secular Malthusian views on resources and environment are taken at face value. The church does not accept these views at face value. (Ref # 6) All this can easily lead to acceptance of immoral means of population control. Furthermore if one takes as fact the stated and implied assumption that the environment can only be protected and the world's resources used to provide all with adequate goods by dividing what we now have, technology standing still as it were, one can expect to achieve economic justice only with a dramatic decrease in living standards in the northern hemisphere. This serves to ultimately make each man his brother's economic enemy. This denies the very term development, progressio, and leaves as the only solution some form of collectivism which the Church has always opposed. (Ref # 7) To encourage us to make sacrifices for our brothers is noble indeed; but to paint a picture so negative in terms of progress that a world of saints is required to achieve justice is not only unworkable by definition but also denies trust in the providence of God. g. A fundamental family right is totally ignored: That of parental rights in education. The obligation to support this right is even contained in the code of canon law CIC #797. We are aware of the efforts of the NCCB in this area and your realization of the impact on long term solutions to endemic poverty in this country. This is a serious omission that is not primarily related to the financial burden of Catholic parents,but more to the situation of the poor. (Ref #8)

It is our position that this program is seriously flawed. It contains two errors of an exceedingly grave nature, dissenting from infallible teachings of the Church regarding the reservation of ordination to men only and even the divinity of Christ. In all other areas it contains no specific doctrinal errors as such, but the omissions are so serious as to leave readers with an erroneous impression of Church teaching on social justice. The program reduces the entire matter to a rather specific set of economic and political solutions that are by no means put forth by the Magisterium as solutions, although, with the exception of collectivism, they may not be specifically rejected in their entirety. The program is pervaded by the fundamental flaws in much of liberation theology pointed out by the Magisterium: a lack of emphasis on personal sin as the root cause of social "structures of sin" (Ref # 9) and the reduction of the gospel hermeneutic to a purely earthly one (Ref # 10) The presentation of this program as materials for a parish and/or diocesan education program is a violation of the rights of the faithful. We request that this program be corrected, if possible, or eliminated so as to restore to the faithful their rights under CIC 217. Beyond the issue of canon law, one must question how the faithful can work toward a just socials order in the world after being informed by such a skewed view of Catholic social teaching. Although the vast majority of social teaching is not strictly binding as such, a one sided view stifles exactly the kind of debate required to move toward social justice. There is much room for debate not as to whether social justice is an appropriate goal but as to how to get there.

REFERENCES 1. Response To The Dubium Concerning the Apostolic Letter, Ordinatio Sacerdolitatis (His Eminence, Josef Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect, Sacred Congregation For The Doctrine Of FaitRh, Approved in audience by His Holiness John Paul II, 28 October 1985) 2. "Without intending to deal with all the various aspects of the vast and complex theme of the relationships between women and society, and limiting these remarks to a few essential points, one cannot but observe that in the specific area of family life a widespread social and cultural tradition has considered women's role to be exclusively that of wife and mother, without adequate access to public functions which have generally been reserved for men. There is no doubt that the equal dignity and responsibility of men and women fully justifies women's access to public functions. On the other hand the true advancement of women requires that clear recognition be given to the value of their maternal and family role, by comparison with all other public roles and all other professions. Furthermore, these roles and professions should be harmoniously combined, if we wish the evolution of society and culture to be truly and fully human. This will come about more easily if, in accordance with the wishes expressed by the Synod, a renewed "theology of work" can shed light upon and study in depth the meaning of work in the Christian life and determine the fundamental bond between work and the family, and therefore the original and irreplaceable meaning of work in the home and in rearing children.(66) Therefore the Church can and should help modern society by tirelessly insisting that the work of women in the home be recognized and respected by all in its irreplaceable value. This is of particular importance in education: for possible discrimination between the different types of work and professions is eliminated at its very root once it is clear that all people, in every area, are working with equal rights and equal responsibilities. The image of God in man and in woman will thus be seen with added luster. While it must be recognized that women have the same right as men to perform various public functions, society must be structured in such a way that wives and mothers are not in practice compelled to work outside the home, and that their families can live and prosper in a dignified way even when they themselves devote their full time to their own family. "Furthermore, the mentality which honors women more for their work outside the home than for their work within the family must be overcome. This requires that men should truly esteem and love women with total respect for their personal dignity, and that society should create and develop conditions favoring work in the home. "With due respect to the different vocations of men and women, the Church must in her own life promote as far as possible their equality of rights and dignity: and this for the good of all, the family, the Church and society. But clearly all of this does not mean for women a renunciation of their femininity or an imitation of the male role, but the fullness of true feminine humanity which should be expressed in their activity, whether in the family or outside of it, without disregarding the differences of customs and cultures in this sphere." (Familiaris Consortio, Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, 1981) 3. The first and fundamental structure for "human ecology" is the family, in which someone receives his first formative ideas about truth and goodness, and learns what it means to love and to be loved, and thus what it actually means to be a person. Here we mean the family founded on marriage (emphasis in the original text), in which the mutual gift of self by husband and wife creates an environment in which children can be born and develop their potentialities, become aware of their dignity and prepare to face their unique and individual destiny. But it often happens that people are discouraged from creating the proper conditions for human reproduction and are led to consider themselves and their lives as a series of sensations to be experienced rather than as a work to be accomplished. The result is a lack of freedom, which causes a person to reject a commitment to enter into a stable relationship with another person and to bring children into the world, or which leads people to consider children as one of the many "things" which an individual can have or not have, according to taste, and which compete with other possibilities. It is necessary to go back to seeing the family as the sanctuary of life. The family is indeed sacred: it is the place in which life--the gift of God--can be properly welcomed and protected against the many attacks to which it is exposed, and can develop in accordance with what constitutes authentic human growth. In the face of the so-called culture of death, the family is the heart of the culture of life. …………. Following the collapse of Communist totalitarianism and of many other totalitarian and "national security" regimes, today we are witnessing a predominance, not without signs of opposition, of the democratic ideal, together with lively attention to and concern for human rights. But for this very reason it is necessary for peoples in the process of reforming their systems to give democracy an authentic and solid foundation through the explicit recognition of those rights.[96] Among the most important of these rights, mention must be made of the right to life, an integral part of which is the right of the child to develop in the mother's womb from the moment of conception; the right to live in a united family and in a moral environment conducive to the growth of the child's personality; the right to develop one's intelligence and freedom in seeking and knowing the truth; the right to share in the work which makes wise use of the earth's material resources, and to derive from that work the means to support oneself and one's dependents; and the right freely to establish a family, to have and to rear children through the responsible exercise of one's sexuality. In a certain sense, the source and synthesis of these rights is religious freedom, understood as the right to live in the truth of one's faith and in conformity with one's transcendent dignity as a person.[97] (Centessimus Annus # 39, # 47, The Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum, Supreme Roman Pontiff, John Paul II, 1991) 4. ”In fact, who can ignore the beneficial influence which over the centuries the Gospel message has had in promoting greater respect for the human dignity of the incarcerated, whose rights to an equitable treatment, open to the possibility of reinsertion into society, were often so unjustly violated? Much progress has been made in this field, but there is certainly much more to be done. As interpreter of Christ's message, the Church appreciates and encourages the efforts of those who strive to make the prison evolve towards a situation of always full respect for the rights and dignity of the individual.” (His Holiness Pope John Paul II, Homily, 27 December 1983) See Reference #1 with regard to socialization within the family, " the right (of the child) to live in a united family and in a moral environment conducive to the growth of the child's personality." (Centessimus Annus # 47, The Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum, Supreme Roman Pontiff, John Paul II, 1991) 5. "In recent years the range of such intervention has vastly expanded, to the point of creating a new type of state, the so-called "Welfare State." This has happened in some countries in order to respond better to many needs and demands, by remedying forms of poverty and deprivation unworthy of the human person. However, excesses and abuses, especially in recent years, have provoked very harsh criticisms of the Welfare State, dubbed the "Social Assistance State." Malfunctions and defects in the Social Assistance State are the result of an inadequate understanding of the tasks proper to the State. Here again the principle of subsidiarity must be respected: a community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should support it in case of need and help to coordinate its activity with the activities of the rest of society, always with a view to the common good.[100] By intervening directly and depriving society of its responsibility, the Social Assistance State leads to a loss of human energies and an inordinate increase of public agencies, which are dominated more by bureaucratic ways of thinking than by concern for serving their clients, and which are accompanied by an enormous increase in spending. In fact, it would appear that needs are best understood and satisfied by people who are closest to them and who act as neighbors to those in need. It should be added that certain kinds of demands often call for a response which is not simply material but which is capable of perceiving the deeper human need. One thinks of the condition of refugees, immigrants, the elderly, the sick, and all those in circumstances which call for assistance, such as drug abusers: all these people can be helped effectively only by those who offer them genuine fraternal support, in addition to the necessary care." (Supreme Roman Pontiff, John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, #48, Hundedth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum, 1991) 6. " 188. Truth to tell, we do not seem to be faced with any immediate or imminent world problem arising from the disproportion between the increase of population and the supply of food. Arguments to this effect are based on such unreliable and controversial data that they can only be of very uncertain validity. 189. Besides, the resources which God in His goodness and wisdom has implanted in Nature are well-nigh inexhaustible, and He has at the same time given man the intelligence to discover ways and means of exploiting these resources for his own advantage and his own livelihood. Hence, the real solution of the problem is not to be found in expedients which offend against the divinely established moral order and which attack human life at its very source, ....................... 190. As for the problems which face the poorer nations in various parts of the world, We realize, of course, that these are very real. They are caused, more often than not, by a deficient economic and social organization, which does not offer living conditions proportionate to the increase in population. They are caused, also, by the lack of effective solidarity among such peoples. 191. But granting this, We must nevertheless state most emphatically that no statement of the problem and no solution to it is acceptable which does violence to man's essential dignity; those who propose such solutions base them on an utterly materialistic conception of man himself and his life. ............................... 193. We must solemnly proclaim (Here His Holiness clearly indicates a switch to a matter of faith and morals) that human life is transmitted by means of the family, and the family is based upon a marriage which is one and indissoluble and, with respect to Christians, raised to the dignity of a sacrament. The transmission of human life is the result of a personal and conscious act, and, as such, is subject to the all-holy, inviolable and immutable laws of God, which no man may ignore or disobey. He is not therefore permitted to use certain ways and means which are allowable in the propagation of plant and animal life." (Mater et Magistra, Christianity and Social Progress, His Holiness Pope John XXIII, 15 May 1961) Forty years later Pope John Paul II has this to say: "25. At this point something must be said about the demographic problem and the way it is spoken of today, following what Paul VI said in his Encyclical[45] and what I myself stated at length in the Apostolic Exhortation "Familiaris Consortio."[46] One cannot deny the existence, especially in the southern hemisphere, of a demographic problem which creates difficulties for development. One must immediately add that in the northern hemisphere the nature of this problem is reversed: here, the cause for concern is the drop in the birthrate, with repercussions on the aging of the population, unable even to renew itself biologically. In itself, this is a phenomenon capable of hindering development. Just as it is incorrect to say that such difficulties stem solely from demographic growth, neither is it proved that all demographic growth is incompatible with orderly development. On the other hand, it is very alarming to see governments in many countries launching systematic campaigns against birth, contrary not only to the cultural and religious identity of the countries themselves but also contrary to the nature of true development. It often happens that these campaigns are the result of pressure and financing coming from abroad, and in some cases they are made a condition for the granting of financial and economic aid and assistance. In any event, there is an absolute lack of respect for the freedom of choice of the parties involved, men and women often subjected to intolerable pressures, including economic ones, in order to force them to submit to this new form of oppression. It is the poorest populations which suffer such mistreatment, and this sometimes leads to a tendency towards a form of racism, or the promotion of certain equally racist forms of eugenics. This fact too, which deserves the most forceful condemnation, is a sign of an erroneous and perverse idea of true human development." (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, On Social Concerns, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, 1987) 7. Fundamental Principles: 73. The supreme commandment of love leads to the full recognition of the dignity of each individual, created in God's image. From this dignity flow natural rights and duties. In the light of the image of God, freedom, which is the essential prerogative of the human person, is manifested in all its depth. Persons are the active and responsible subjects of social life. (109) Intimately linked to the foundation, which is man's dignity, are the principle of solidarity and the principle of subsidiarity. By virtue of the first, man with his brothers is obliged to contribute to the common good of society at all its levels. (110) Hence the Church's doctrine is opposed to all the forms of social or political individualism. By virtue of the second, neither the state nor any society must ever substitute itself for the initiative and responsibility of individuals and of intermediate communities at the level on which they can function, nor must they take away the room necessary for their freedom. (111) Hence the Church's social doctrine is opposed to all forms of collectivism." (Libertatis Conscientia, Instruction on Christian Freedom and Liberation, His Eminence Josef Ratzinger, Cardinal Prefect, SCDF, Approved in Audience by His Holiness Pope John Paul II, 22 March 1986) 8. "The right of parents to choose an education in conformity with their religious faith must be absolutely guaranteed. ..................those in society who are in charge of schools must never forget that the parents have been appointed by God Himself as the first and principle educators of their children and that this right is completely inalienable." (Familiaris Consortio, Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, 199?) 9. In this consists the difference between sociopolitical analysis and formal reference to "sin" and the "structures of sin." According to this latter viewpoint, there enter in the will of the Triune God, his plan for humanity, his justice and his mercy. The God who is rich in mercy, the Redeemer of man, the Lord and giver of life, requires from people clear cut attitudes which express themselves also in actions or omissions toward one's neighbor. We have here a reference to the "second tablet" of the Ten Commandments (cf. Ex 20:12-17; Dt 5:16-21). Not to observe these is to offend God and hurt one's neighbor, and to introduce into the world influences and obstacles which go far beyond the actions and brief life span of an individual. This also involves interference in the process of the development of peoples, the delay or slowness of which must be judged also in this light. This general analysis, which is religious in nature, can be supplemented by a number of particular considerations to demonstrate that among the actions and attitudes opposed to the will of God, the good of neighbor and the "structures" created by them, two are very typical: on the one hand, the all-consuming desire for profit, and on the other, the thirst for power, with the intention of imposing one's will upon others. In order to characterize better each of these attitudes, one can add the expression: "at any price." In other words, we are faced with the absolutizing of human attitudes with all its possible consequences. (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, No. 36-37, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, 1987) 10. "3. The feeling of anguish at the urgency of the problems (of relieving poverty) cannot make us lose sight of what is essential and forget the reply of Jesus to the Tempter: 'It is not on bread alone that man lives, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God' (Mt 4:4; cf. Dt 8:3). Faced with the urgency of sharing bread, some are tempted to put evangelization into parentheses, as it were, and postpone it until tomorrow: first the bread, then the Word of the Lord. It is a fatal error to separate these two and even worse to oppose the one to the other. In fact, the Christian perspective shows they have a great deal to do with one another." (His Eminence, Josef Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect, Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, Libertatis Nuncius, Instruction on Certain Aspects of Liberation Theology, Approved in Audience by the Roman Pontiff, John Paul II, 6 August,1984)


TOPICS: Catholic; Moral Issues
KEYWORDS: jezreel; justfaith; liberationtheology; socialjustice

1 posted on 07/05/2004 11:51:38 AM PDT by Doctor Thomas II
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To: Doctor Thomas II


Doctor Thomas II
Since Jun 26, 2004

Welcome, newbie!


2 posted on 07/05/2004 11:58:28 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Doctor Thomas II

I have never heard of this program. Thanks for the heads up. The Call to Action folks constantly reinvent themselves, don't they?


3 posted on 07/05/2004 2:35:55 PM PDT by Canticle_of_Deborah
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To: Doctor Thomas II
Paragraphs, paragraphs, paragraphs.

Eye-yi-yi!

4 posted on 07/05/2004 2:43:45 PM PDT by sinkspur (There's no problem on the inside of a kid that the outside of a dog can't cure.)
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To: Doctor Thomas II; sinkspur

I read through the website, I didnt see any of this. Do yuo have a reference?


5 posted on 07/05/2004 5:11:20 PM PDT by Dominick ("Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." - JP II)
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