[stfassisi]

Look,dear friend, I was being very vague and a little cynical in my responses. I thought you might have picked up om that.

I guess I need to explain further.

There is goodness in many people ,not just Americans. Many have been brainwashed into thinking that just giving to charities and the other things you mentioned are somehow better than the person who gives a cool glass of water to a thirsty beggar on the street.

It’s not the amount given,it’s the intent of genuine love for others. I believe it was Saint Francis Xavier who said “we should serve the poor as if we are their slaves”

People like Soros give large amounts of money away, but it’s to fit his personal agenda and not for love of others

As for material things and technology... these things are good as long as they don’t become materialism,consumerism and lead us cherish these things and become golden calf’s in our life.

You’re correct when you say that things don’t have to be the way they are right now but the reality is that there is so much divisiveness in the world right now that working towards common good seems unachievable since people don’t even have a clue what authentic common good towards love is and confuse it with socialism ,gay rights,and all the other moral atrocities etc..

St. Clement of Alexandria said the following...

A person does good through love.

His actions are not motivated by desire for personal benefit, so he does not have personal advantage as his aim. But as soon as he has realized the beauty of doing good, he does it with all his energies and in all that he does.

He is not interested in fame, or a good reputation, or a human or divine reward.

The rule of life for a perfect person is to be in the image and likeness of God.

—St. Clement of Alexandria

[DoughtyOne]

Look,dear friend, I was being very vague and a little cynical in my responses. I thought you might have picked up om that.  Not trying to be difficult here, but did you expect me to let your comments stand without responding?  How am I supposed to know where your vagueness and cyncism start and leave off.  I tried to respond in generic terms, not trying to be confrontational.

I guess I need to explain further.  Okay...

There is goodness in many people ,not just Americans.   This is a commonly held view, and to a point it is accurate.  Still, in overall terms, it's a misleading statement.  One would have us believe that the people in the U.S. give no more than the people of other nations do, but that isn't the case.

Q. Are Americans more or less charitable than citizens of other countries?

A. No developed country approaches American giving. For example, in 1995 (the most recent year for which data are available), Americans gave, per capita, three and a half times as much to causes and charities as the French, seven times as much as the Germans, and 14 times as much as the Italians. Similarly, in 1998, Americans were 15 percent more likely to volunteer their time than the Dutch, 21 percent more likely than the Swiss, and 32 percent more likely than the Germans. These differences are not attributable to demographic characteristics such as education, income, age, sex, or marital status. On the contrary, if we look at two people who are identical in all these ways except that one is European and the other American, the probability is still far lower that the European will volunteer than the American.

LINK

Many have been brainwashed into thinking that just giving to charities and the other things you mentioned are somehow better than the person who gives a cool glass of water to a thirsty beggar on the street.

Please note the part of the above clipping in red.  Americans do voluteer their time, and at rates far in excess of people in other nations.

It’s not the amount given,it’s the intent of genuine love for others. I believe it was Saint Francis Xavier who said “we should serve the poor as if we are their slaves”

That's a very nice well intended comment.  I do not however think that as a father or mother, people should be serving the poor as if they were their slaves.  Charitable giving in reasoned amounts is good.  Volunteering is fine.  So is supporting your family through attendence in their efforts.  So is sitting on your posterior and clearing your mind during the week.  Keeping in close contact with your children's activities, whether it be studies or extra-curricular activites is also serving the Lord.  Spending time with the family in other ways is also healthy.

People like Soros give large amounts of money away, but it’s to fit his personal agenda and not for love of others

Soros gives money away to his tax deductable non-profits.  It isn't charitable giving.  Whether he claims his donations on his tax returns or not, it is agenda driven.  It's not to help the poor, and more often than not it's focused on toppling reasoned Western governments, as opposed to socialist totalitarian ones.

As for material things and technology... these things are good as long as they don’t become materialism,consumerism and lead us cherish these things and become golden calf’s in our life.

Okay, well, I am willing to concede that these things can become a golden calf in our life, but it's a real slipery slope when folks start talking about materalism and consumerism.  People create products.  Consumers buy them.  This employs people and allows us not only to free up more time to spend with family or volunteer, it can also lead us to have enriched lives.  Some folks think of television as a materialst consumer item.  It's also a very educational device.  It can also provide a few hours for folks to relax in the evening.  Who is to judge this?

You’re correct when you say that things don’t have to be the way they are right now but the reality is that there is so much divisiveness in the world right now that working towards common good seems unachievable since people don’t even have a clue what authentic common good towards love is and confuse it with socialism ,gay rights,and all the other moral atrocities etc..

Well, I agree with this in part.  I do however think the vast majority realizes that closing banks, shutting down Wall Street, disolving corporations, and talking away 75% of a working man's salary is a very poor plan for the future.  Now, do we turn the reigns of our nation over to a small contingent of rabble-rousers?  Do we let them make all the decisions for our future?  This isn't even close to a gray area issue.

St. Clement of Alexandria said the following...  You actually put me in an awkward position here, because I don't have a penchant for taking these individuals to task.  I still think there is plenty of reason to object to some of these simplistic platitudes.

A person does good through love.  A person can also do good out of respect.  A person can do good out of personal responsibility, sans love.   I don't believe that people can only do good out of or through love.

His actions are not motivated by desire for personal benefit, so he does not have personal advantage as his aim.  While this sounds good on the face of it, it is patently irrational bordering on the absurd.

What is the general obligation of an adult?  Isn't it to grow up to be a good person, develop a relationship with someone of the opposite sex, get married, establish a home with them, bring forth children into this world, raise them to be good citizens to replace us, and eventually die when our righteous life is spent?  It's my take that a Christ centered life should be part of this.  It's my take that we should share our success with our church, our community, our government, and a cross section of charitable organizations.  Personal advantage is a part of this equasion.  Joseph worked to put a roof over his family's head.  He provided for them.  He did not completely remove personal benefit from his life.

It is also a fact that the more successful we are, the more we can monetarily support good causes.  And while it is true that wealthy people pay less as a percentage than people who make less, it also amounts to more money.  It is not a sign of sin for people to seek to achieve success.

But as soon as he has realized the beauty of doing good, he does it with all his energies and in all that he does.

I'm not going to argue with this, but I will state that I don't think charity becomes our primary motivating goal that drives everything else we do.

He is not interested in fame, or a good reputation, or a human or divine reward.  LOL, so the good man is not supposed to care if his character is viewed favorably by the community or not.  He is not supposed to care if his activities will represent Christianity in a good light.  He is not supposed to care if he will go to heaven or not.  Wow, good to know.

The rule of life for a perfect person is to be in the image and likeness of God.

So we should all wear robes, walk everywhere we go, live only at the largess of others, never earn an income, never have any posessions...  Is this really what you think God wants every Christian to live like?  I don't think so.

—St. Clement of Alexandria