Posted on 10/11/2004 9:39:17 AM PDT by dukeman
Jesus said that a person can demonstrate no greater love than when he lays down his life for a friend. I suggest we ask those risking their lives for friends in Iraq, Afghanistan, the US, and other places around the world to tell us why they do so. It seems that they are the only experts on the question of moral hierarchies.
This is the key difference between Believers who are Republican versus Believers who are Democrats. Republicans understand that Yeshua's words apply to individuals. Yeshua never said, "Demand that your government take care of the poor." He told them to take care of the poor, as individuals and as representatives of Him.
Since our society has pushed this task on the govenment, two things have happened:
1. Our society has de-personalized and de-humanized those most vulnerable people. If we see people homeless on the street, we wonder why they haven't taken advantage of government welfare and look down on them for not doing so. If they freeze to death on the streets, we blame them for not getting into a government shelter, when our churches should be offering shelter.
2. Our churches have also fallen into the trap of referring the poor to public services rather than taking care of these people ourselves. We no longer see these people as G-d's children in need of their Messiah, we see them as someone to pass off on the government. Now our churches want the government to pay them to take care of the poor. Yeshua never told His people to ask the government to pay us to take care of the poor, hungry and abandonned but that is what many churches are demanding now.
And we wonder why our society (and the chruch) is such a mess?!
This business about taking care of the poor is a red herring. Taking care of the poor is not the highest good. Granted that it is important for us to do so. The question in my mind is can I trust my government to do so. My government is so corrupt that it advocates abortion; some go so far as to advocate the growing of humans for the purpose of experimentation. The implications of an attempt to subjugate the preservation of life to the preservation of the poor is disgusting.
As a catholic high school seinor currently looking at different universities, the Dean's exclamation of his support for Kerry is distressing. However, as an institution, Notre Dame seems to embrace its catholic heritage more than any of the Jesuit institutions i have visited. Both Boston College and Georgetown seem to run away from thier Catholic roots by downplaying the influence of faith in student life. From my own observations, Notre Dame appears to value thier Catholic heritage, as well as its influence on the student body. On a whole, the left wing trend of the Roman Catholic Church's beaurocracy is nothing new...just look at the Vatican's dennunciation of the War in Iraq. These "pacifists" blow the turn the other cheek doctrine way out of proportion and have a hard time advocating millitary action in any situation. Furthermore, regardless of the genocide in the middle east and third world, there is the genocide of innocent unborn children murdered by progressive postmodernists.
No need to worry. Kerry won't win because Hillary Clinton has her eye on the White House in 2008. A Kerry win would set her back ;-D.
so you won't force a 3rd gen Italian American to immigrate BACK to the village of Syracusa on Sicilly.
You may want to reconsider this idea. Italians adopted a more 'communist' approach to life back in the 70's. They have so successfully reduced their own population that certain towns in Italy are now paying families $35,000 when they give birth and remain in that town Italian town where the mayor pays you to have a baby . In the meantime, the well educated Italians shun menial labor, thus forcing the Italian Gov't to open the doors to immigrants. Yes ... the immigrants are Muslims and they are reproducing like rabbits.
You might do your ancestors a great service by returning to Syracusa and helping to repopulate that town. (I spent many years commuting back and forth to Italy and witnessed this trend first hand. This is not an attack on the Italians; rather it is a cry for help!)
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