Caritas new slogan unrealistic: Cardinal Sarah

[Monte_RCMS]

I would say that Capitalism can be the most efficient means of distributing material goods and alleviating poverty, but not necessarily so. Like any system, Capitalism can be abused and can lead to a greater discrepency between those with capital and those without. It can also lead to a situation where those with capital have excessive power to influence the world and society, sometimes to the detriment of those who are powerless and have little capital. These flaws need to be guarded against and those who would abuse the Capitalistic system should be held to the rule of a just law.

I would suggest changing the word “distributing” to the word “making” or “manufacturing” or “developing”.

Capitalism in the U.S. lexicon … different cultures use the same words with different meanings … but in the U.S. capitalism means a system of pooled and/or voluntarily shared resources.

You and I each pool our resources and build a device to convert wheat into flour.

Or we devise a very small machine that can “automatically” bake a loaf of bread on our kitchen countertop for much less than the cost of buying bread in a store.

Or to convert natural gas (methane) to a liquid fuel that can be used by automobiles (methanol).

Of course it MIGHT take more than just the resources of two of us.

But the point is that very few, if any, government agencies have ever demonstrated the capability to devise ANY kind of manufacturing process.

But private individuals DO invent airplanes and they DO invent cell phone systems. And the system of sharing the process … the investment, the actual doing, the risks, AND the profits [or, alas, the losses] is capitalism … American-style.

 

[Tsuwano]

I would suggest changing the word “distributing” to the word “making” or “manufacturing” or “developing”.

Capitalism in the U.S. lexicon … different cultures use the same words with different meanings … but in the U.S. capitalism means a system of pooled and/or voluntarily shared resources.

You and I each pool our resources and build a device to convert wheat into flour.

Or we devise a very small machine that can “automatically” bake a loaf of bread on our kitchen countertop for much less than the cost of buying bread in a store.

Or to convert natural gas (methane) to a liquid fuel that can be used by automobiles (methanol).

Of course it MIGHT take more than just the resources of two of us.

But the point is that very few, if any, government agencies have ever demonstrated the capability to devise ANY kind of manufacturing process.

But private individuals DO invent airplanes and they DO invent cell phone systems. And the system of sharing the process … the investment, the actual doing, the risks, AND the profits [or, alas, the losses] is capitalism … American-style.

Yep, good points.

 

[Monte_RCMS]

Yep, good points.

Consider that perhaps the people who focused originally our attention on the distribution aspects [or politically, the “redistribution”] personally lacked the ability to “make” or “manufacture” or “develop”.

In other words, in their “envy” at being unable to even conceptualize or conceive of coming up with something new and useful, they became determined to take away from others who do make or manufacture or develop.

So, they denigrate the work of others by ignoring the making process or the manufacturing process or the development process … and focus their attention on the process of taking what belongs to others and “distributing” it.

Of course, they deny it … but they never never never discuss the amazing process by which other people “create” … *,

So they lump the whole creative/ making/ manufacturing/ development aspect into a new thing they call “distribution” … as if, there was really nothing to the process of creating, making, manufacturing, developing …

Anyway, think about it.*

 

[Brendan]

With all due respect, it is a utopian goal. A goal that flies in the face of our Lord’s words.

I am not really upset; I just think it’s silly.

I would agree. The only possible means of achieving the stated goal is the Second Coming of Christ.

It would follow that the stated mission of Caritas, as it stands today, would be to hasten the End of the World.

Is that really what they are trying to say?

 

[St_Francis]

Rather than say the new slogan of Caritas is unrealistic, perhaps the Cardinal should have said it is hopeful. After all, should we not hope that all poverty will end? Should we not work towards that goal even if it is out of reach? Christ did indeed say that the poor will always be with us, but perhaps that is because he read the human heart and realized that many of us would prefer to see the suffering of the poor rather than work to alleviate that suffering. Sometimes it is best to be hope filled rather than cynically realistic.

I’m sure the cardinal would have given the Good Samaritan a stern talking-to.

Unrealistic, yes; but “One Human Family – Zero Poverty” is a worthy goal.

First off, this slogan does not mention God, Who is not human, and this is very wrong for a Catholic organization.

Secondly, you all admit the goal is unrealistic, but think that’s a good thing? An unrealistic goal causes people to work in the wrong direction and get discouraged.

Moreover, eliminating poverty is not a Catholic goal. A Catholic goal is for all to increase in holiness. We have had many poor saints: poverty does not stop people from becoming holy.

The work of helping the poor is to increase our own reliance on God, not just to decrease oir discomfort at seeing others who have less than we do or to male oirselves feel good about ourselves or to gain worldly power. As a Catholic organization, the slogan of Caritas should reflect the dual goal of almsgiving: mortification of self as well as help for those in need.

Moreover, the continual emphasis on helping the poor from a material standpoint does no one any good in the spiritual realm. It gives people the idea that as long as everyone has a certain standard of living or more, everything is all right. It leads us to neglect those who are poor in other ways: loneliness, illness or disability, lack of education in the basics such as cooking, and the biggest one of all: lack of knowledge of God.

I see Catholic organizations going out to do things for others with no mention of God, no prayers, no visible signs of unity with Christ, not even a sign of solidarity with the poor like voluntary poverty, and a lot of questions are raised in my mind.

Let them pick a slogan which reflects the Church of which they are supposed to be a part, not just an imaginary feel-good statement.

 

[wisdomseeker]

I think this is a good point to consider.

Not just to consider but to ponder upon it. capitalism encourages a false freedom, individualism, riches, advance society, competition, greedy, self indulgence, pluralism and so forth.

this is not what God teaches us. just remember that all these ideas comes from people who rebelled against authority and the True Church.

 

[wisdomseeker]

I would say, rather, many people in our world are infected with the ideology of secular humanism.

Capitalism is the most efficient means of the distribution of material goods.

I remember this priest one time saying about a poor lady in the central America (i believe). She said to the priest, she is not hte poor, the poor is the one who dont accept God. very wise lady indeed.

 

[wisdomseeker]

First off, this slogan does not mention God, Who is not human, and this is very wrong for a Catholic organization.

Secondly, you all admit the goal is unrealistic, but think that’s a good thing? An unrealistic goal causes people to work in the wrong direction and get discouraged.

Moreover, eliminating poverty is not a Catholic goal. A Catholic goal is for all to increase in holiness. We have had many poor saints: poverty does not stop people from becoming holy.

The work of helping the poor is to increase our own reliance on God, not just to decrease oir discomfort at seeing others who have less than we do or to male oirselves feel good about ourselves or to gain worldly power. As a Catholic organization, the slogan of Caritas should reflect the dual goal of almsgiving: mortification of self as well as help for those in need. Moreover, the continual emphasis on helping the poor from a material standpoint does no one any good in the spiritual realm. It gives people the idea that as long as everyone has a certain standard of living or more, everything is all right. It leads us to neglect those who are poor in other ways: loneliness, illness or disability, lack of education in the basics such as cooking, and the biggest one of all: lack of knowledge of God.

I see Catholic organizations going out to do things for others with no mention of God, no prayers, no visible signs of unity with Christ, not even a sign of solidarity with the poor like voluntary poverty, and a lot of questions are raised in my mind.

Let them pick a slogan which reflects the Church of which they are supposed to be a part, not just an imaginary feel-good statement.

Three stars for you brother. very well said, i have not seen such wisdom in a very long time.
the capitalism mentality is that we all should have enough money and no mention of God at all and freedom to believe what ever one wants. Jesus warned us about love of money. today, we learned to look at the poor with a kind of pity as if they were not worthy people. a people that have no pleace in our society. we are a peolple with very poor mentality.

 

[Tigg]

First off, this slogan does not mention God, Who is not human, and this is very wrong for a Catholic organization.

Good post!

The work of helping the poor is to increase our own reliance on God, not just to decrease oir discomfort at seeing others who have less than we do or to male oirselves feel good about ourselves or to gain worldly power. As a Catholic organization, the slogan of Caritas should reflect the dual goal of almsgiving: mortification of self as well as help for those in need.

And those inclined toward the utopian goal of eliminating all poverty don’t seem to realize that in promising the poor “equality” they stir up class envy which helps instill the “entitlement” attitude – the opposite of the beatitude - “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” and is contra to a virtuous and productive life. How many times have I seen posted on this forum the false notion that I gain virtue by eliminating poverty when forced to do so by higher taxes, rather than the heart conviction that I must do so in order to follow Christ’s command. This is a gross distortion of Catholic social justice teaching.

And further, in assuring that equality, it must be necessary to take from one group to give to the other and the blessings God Himself has endowed upon certain people will be forcibly taken away and determined by government. Another distortion that goes hand in hand with the often quoted “preferential option for the poor.”

Moreover, the continual emphasis on helping the poor from a material standpoint does no one any good in the spiritual realm. It gives people the idea that as long as everyone has a certain standard of living or more, everything is all right. It leads us to neglect those who are poor in other ways: loneliness, illness or disability, lack of education in the basics such as cooking, and the biggest one of all: lack of knowledge of God.

Thank you - you expounded on my comment in Post #7.

I see Catholic organizations going out to do things for others with no mention of God, no prayers, no visible signs of unity with Christ, not even a sign of solidarity with the poor like voluntary poverty, and a lot of questions are raised in my mind.

Mine as well. And I think we need to ask ourselves this question. If an organization is not faithful to the Magisterium, just how Catholic are they? How does one successfully accomplish a mission to help the poor when in dissent with basic doctrine? (See previously linked article.)

If this statement is true, “Caritas views the “weak and oppressed” as the potential leaders of a socio-political movement to radically transform societies around the world,” I would say that sounds more like social engineering than a love for the poor.