Pages

Sunday, January 31, 2010

A Mixture of Religion and Politics

I find it heartening to see religious people of different denominations in this country lay down sectarian sniping to make common cause on important social and moral issues.  

Mike Potemra plumbs a little-explored area of the Scott Brown phenomenon:  His ecumenism.  Brown is a Protestant but enjoys hearty Catholic support.  They don't agree on every issue, but he doesn't pander and they don't stomp their feed insisting that he toe the line.  Refreshing.

Embedded in his interesting and short article, I  found this gem that reminds us that we are in no danger of a theocratic takeover:
As my friend Paul Mankowski, S.J., once remarked, the Catholic Church’s moral agenda would be much advanced if every Catholic in Congress was replaced with a Mormon or a Muslim. (First Things - Joseph Bottums)
Catholic Politicians can't even get it right on Social Programs
What about individual almsgiving and acts of personal charity—concepts that greatly predate the existence of the modern welfare state? Indeed, the seven corporal works of mercy, which are included in the Catechism, are directed toward individuals, not governments.

We’re not saying that there shouldn’t be any government programs, but, at the same time, we recognize that the Church is open to different means on how to achieve important goals for alleviating human suffering.
As Doctor Tom Coburn, Republican Senator from Oklahoma has observed, "spending other people's money is not compassionate."

8 comments:

Christopher said...

Silverfiddle,

I being a person of Christian Faith but not connected to any man-made religion understand dropping the sectarian sniping.

That said I am confused as to the quote not being considered as such.

Was that your intent? Or am I missing the point?

Silverfiddle said...

Yes. But I am sniping my own side.

I am one of the millions of Catholics who are horrified at what Catholics in government say and do. Pelosi actually had the balls to say that abortion is not a settled issue in the church.

She's either willfully ignorant or purposely spreading lies.

Christopher said...

Understood and Thank You.

I was brought up in the Roman Catholic tradition so I am well aware of Catholic catechism and the failure of Pelosi,Biden and others who claim to be Catholic.

I am being too generous with the word "failure", it is better described as HERESY.

Silverfiddle said...

Heresy indeed.

And less anyone accuse us of intolerance, this is a free country. You can be as ignorant as you want to be without fear of a Torqemada dragging you off to the torture chambers.

They are free to completely distort church teachings, and we are completely free to call them stupid.

Christopher said...

I do not view it at all as being intolerant nor should anyone else. Either you are a Catholic or you are not,it is just that simple.

It is however consistent with liberals, hypocrisy;

"Jesus indicated that those who practiced hypocrisy would be sent to hell, indicating that they were really non-believers. In other books of the New Testament, the writers associate hypocrisy with such things as evil, lying, perverting the gospel, envy and slander, and jealousy and selfish ambition"

Source:
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/why_are_christians_hypocrites.html#Auc7p0XGqZGh

LSP said...

What a difference it would make if the huge numbers of catholics in our country would stand up for the Faith of the Church. Perhaps things are beginning to move in that direction as the secularists become more brazenly anti-christian.

Silverfiddle said...

Yes. When people are that in-your-face, it really leaves you no choice but to fight back.

TKZ said...

Agreed!! I'll snipe my own side for a minute and point out that Harry Reid says he's a Mormon. It would be nice if Pelosi and Reid understood their own doctrines and actually cared to agree with them.

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.