Monday, January 27, 2014

Should I Be Silent ?





There are Christians here in the US and around the world who don't live up to what the Gospels direct us to be. They're called people. We all have failings and struggle to overcome where we see where we've strayed.. All but the most saintly among us fail to see just how jagged our path is or the one pair of footprints in the sand.

But should I be silent ? When those who dare to call themselves Christians turn a blind eye toward those who suffer because of their actions. Should I be silent ? No. The economic violence directed toward the poor, sick and disabled are crimes in the eyes of God.

The Bible is full of chastisements such as this;

Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and who write oppressive decrees,
Depriving the needy of judgment and robbing my people's poor of their rights, Making widows their plunder, and orphans their prey!
What will you do on the day of punishment, when ruin comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealthIsaiah Chapter 10

The evangelical right and fundamentalist conservatives who claim to know the Bible well act as though these teachings are invisible. Catholics should know better, but, despite the teachings of the saints and Pope John Paul II in modern times, our conservatives have often behaved the same. They warmed up to the right-wing of the GOP, because of the single issue of abortion. They've fallen away from the entirety of Catholic Social Teaching in favor of all things belonging to the extremists of the Republican Party.

Seven Themes Of Catholic Social Teaching



With the popularity of our humble Pope Francis, lies hope for more engaged priests, religious and parishioners. And a healthy Church paving the way for a truly compassionate legislature that puts the needs of the poor, sick and disabled ahead of the rich and powerful of the world.

This is long, but, it contains many gems.

The Joy of the Gospel


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