Do Catholics support the re-building of Iraq?

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Do Catholics support the re-building of Iraq? Why give money to build a foreign nation full of people following an entirely different religion which also persecutes Catholics?
 
Taoist said:
Do Catholics support the re-building of Iraq? Why give money to build a foreign nation full of people following an entirely different religion which also persecutes Catholics?
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We follow Jesus’ teaching “Go and do likewise”

Please see Luke 10:29-37 [The Parable of the Good Samaritan]
 
Water, you made a very good reply. I would have used more words and not said it nearly as well. 👍
 
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Taoist said:
Do Catholics support the re-building of Iraq? Why give money to build a foreign nation full of people following an entirely different religion which also persecutes Catholics?
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for one thing, we would be making the country safe for the Christian minority there. they have suffered disproportionately from the destruction ensuing from the war and counter-insurgency there.
 
water said:
We follow Jesus’ teaching “Go and do likewise”

Please see Luke 10:29-37 [The Parable of the Good Samaritan]
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I don’t understand this. How can it be called “helping” when the Iraqis clearly don’t want it? The good Samaritan’s help was wanted, so that comparison doesn’t work.
 
Taoist… read the whole parable. It is about having compassion and helping others even if they are different than you. As a Catholic and as an American I believe that the best thing we can do is give these people hope. Islam doesn’t engender hope in a person. Maybe if we help them see how they can have enough food and water and electricity, they can feel secure. Maybe this will give them hope. Whether they recognize it as the US helping them or not, God recognizes that we helped those in need of his love and mercy. People that have hope and security don’t start wars as quickly or easily as those who don’t and feel they have nothing to lose…
 
Taoist said:
How can it be called “helping” when the Iraqis clearly don’t want it?
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How sure are we of this? And do they mean any kind of help, or specific kinds of help? Anyway, we are not necessarily obligated to blackball a country that persecutes Catholics. It is a matter of prudence rather than moral obligation. As far as I can tell, a Catholic can support a complete bailout or the opposite in good conscience.

Scott
 
Did you really read the verses I gave you? Did you know the men was half-dead? Did you know the Iraq innocent people are half dead too?

In this world, there are such people who are just worried for their own life. They define love within their own family without a little stretch to reach to his neighbor next door.

When someone was trying to help others, they become involved - not giving a hand but trying to stop the help.

How sad!
 
We have an obligation to help not because they hate us and not because we have any expectation to convert them, and even if they do not want our help. We have an obligation in spite of all this.

They are also children of God who are suffering and dying and and that alone is enough of a reason to help.
 
I’m glad to hear everyone being so charitable towards the Iraqis. Has anyone who answered considered going to Iraq and establish or join a charity mission there? Or are prayers and/or financial donations enough to satisfy your moral obiligation?
 
Taoist,
I served in the US Air Force. I volunteered to go to Iraq. At my deployment physical I found out I was pregnant and couldn’t go. As a mom, right now my children need me more than the Iraqi’s do. But is the situation ever came up in the future where I could go and didn’t have obligations here…you bet I would go!
 
I have considered going, but my wife won’t let me enlist. Anyway, I am all for helping rebuild Iraq. My best friend and my cousin have both had multiple tours. They both say the media has not presented the Iraqi’s lack of support accurately. My cousin said that people in the Iraqi communities were inviting him over to dinner every week in his two tours over there, and he is JEWISH! My best friend said it is not nearly as bad as the media portrays over there. He stated they are making progress daily and he is politically LIBERAL! Finally, if we leave Iraq now, there is no question that it would be worse than when we originally got there.
 
I don’t consider the military a charity mission.

wcknight said Catholics may be charitable but not insane (and I agree), then this contradicts the good reports from Redbandito, so which one do I believe?

Redbandito is using his wife as an excuse to avoid his moral calling. What are her suggestions to help?

Of course you support the re-building of Iraq, but only on your terms. Putting yourself before the sevice of others doesn’t sound very charitable to me. Confucius said, “Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage.” (Analects 2:24)

How about asking the Iraqis what they want, and I don’t mean the Iraqi government huddled in the safety of the Green Zone.
 
water said:
Taoist, what do you consider as a charity?
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The Jesuit priests taught me that charity is serving others. I serve with all my heart when asked, but without guns or any other kind of force.

My Jesuit high school is the only charity to which I will donate, and I’m not Catholic. The fathers taught first service to others, then gave me a strong academic education based in the liberal arts and sciences, an education which has dispelled all my fears, and I am forever grateful to their service to me.
 
Taoist said:
The Jesuit priests taught me that charity is serving others. I serve with all my heart when asked, but without guns or any other kind of force.
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And that is exactly we do - we support physical needs such as clothes, food, money…- we also support them indirectly through our daily praying. We pray for peace among men.

We also show them that we love them despite some of them hate Christians.
 
Given the circumstances, I think Americas response to Iraq is as charitable and as reasonable as the situation allows.

Since there is open hatred and targeting of Americans, it is unreasonable and absolutely stupid and foolish for American civilians to go out and try to do any sort of charity work there. Sending food or aid however both fullfills our Christian obligation and does so without placeing individuals at risk.

That is a wise, prudent and appropriate response. Should the situation change to where Americans are safe, then a more hands on approach can be taken. But as long as there are insurgents and nutcases out to specifically kidnap and behead Americans this is not practical.

Catholicism does not call for us to be stupid.
 
wcknight said:
Given the circumstances, I think Americas response to Iraq is as charitable and as reasonable as the situation allows.

Since there is open hatred and targeting of Americans, it is unreasonable and absolutely stupid and foolish for American civilians to go out and try to do any sort of charity work there. Sending food or aid however both fullfills our Christian obligation and does so without placeing individuals at risk.

That is a wise, prudent and appropriate response. Should the situation change to where Americans are safe, then a more hands on approach can be taken. But as long as there are insurgents and nutcases out to specifically kidnap and behead Americans this is not practical.

Catholicism does not call for us to be stupid.
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you said it. We have to make sure we can deliver the charity safely. It is much better to currently support the organisation trying to rebuild the country, than to actually physically pay to fly over there and risk our own deaths.
 
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