Fixing America's Blindspot

[chicago]

suntimes.com/lifestyles/religion/117885,CST-NWS-CARD31.article

“The world distrusts us not because we are rich and free. Many of us are not rich and some of us aren’t especially free. They distrust us because we are deaf and blind, because too often we don’t understand and make no effort to understand,” he said.

“We have this cultural proclivity that says, ‘We know what is best and if we truly want to do something, whether in church or in society, no one has the right to tell us no.’ That cultural proclivity, which defines us in many ways, has to be surrendered, or we will never be part of God’s kingdom.”

Fixing America’s blind spot is an enormous undertaking, George said.

“Conversion of an entire culture is far more difficult than personal conversion,” the cardinal said. "But we know it is necessary. . . .

“There is always a need for something more, not only more, but radically different. And it won’t come unless we ask [God] for it as a gift. We cannot achieve it ourselves.”

 

[chicago]

Here’s the homily:

suntimes.com/lifestyles/religion/117886,CST-NWS-cardtranscript3.article

 

[OriginalJS]

This seems like the ramblings of a Miss America winner who gushes that the world would be a better place if we would all just love one another. If to be part of God’s kingdom we have to convert our culture to be acceptable to all other cultures in the world, we are never going to make it.

 

[DonProfondo]

This seems like the ramblings of a Miss America winner who gushes that the world would be a better place if we would all just love one another. If to be part of God’s kingdom we have to convert our culture to be acceptable to all other cultures in the world, we are never going to make it.

Pathetic.

 

[Dale_M]

"The world distrusts us not because we are rich and free. Many of us are not rich and some of us aren’t especially free. They distrust us because we are deaf and blind, because too often we don’t understand and make no effort to understand; because we know what is best

I don’t have the Cardinal’s education or life experiences to draw upon, but one of the comments I hear from Europeans from time to time is that they admire America’s self-confident “can do” optimism. When faced with problems, we (supposedly) assume we can overcome any problem with the right combination of hardwork and ingenuity. This is has been said to be a defining characteristic of American culture.

What Cardinal George mentions may be the flip side to that defining characteristic. Because we “know” how to fix a problem, we tend to dismiss those who get in the way - that is to say, those who don’t see things the way we do. This comes off as arrogance at times, and at times, keeps us from getting badly needed advice and perspective.

But how do we become more open to other perspectives without becoming dilatory and ineffective? Do we want to lose our self-confidence and optimism?

 

[chicago]

When faced with problems, we (supposedly) assume we can overcome any problem with the right combination of hardwork and ingenuity. This is has been said to be a defining characteristic of American culture.

The cardinal is quite critical of American culture’s Calvinistic influences. Perhaps it could be said that this “defining characteristic” is potentially, in his opinion, part of the problem if it draws it’s inspiration from that.

It seems to me that what he desires is not so much for us to simply aquiesce to a sort of relativistic multiculturalism, but to tranform all cultures with the leaven of the Gospel and a certain Catholic ethos.

 

[Steven_Merten]

Hello Chicago,

I volunteered for St. Vincent Depaul. We went on calls in downtown Seattle from the those who were in desperate need.

The lead volenteer came in and started handing out State assistance pamplets. Here is how the Catholic Church cared for the poor in Seattle, “Here is a pamplet instructing you on how to get thousands of dollars from America in welfare support. Here is a pamphlet on how to get thousands of dollars in American State support for your childrens health care. Here is a phamplet on how to get hundreds of dollars to get support to have your heat and electric payed for by America. ect. ect. ect. Our bishop has worked hard to see that these State welfare programs remain available to you.”

Then the lead St. Vincent Depaul volunteer said to the person in need of help, “And here (from the heart of the Church of Jesus Christ of 1.1 billion Catholics commanded by God to care for the poor or burn in hell) is a twenty dollar voucher. The poor just laughed at the Catholic Church “blind spot” as to caring for the poor. The poor responded, “Yes we have applied for state welfare, but we need support now to help us until State welfare support kicks in”. I am sorry but this twenty dollar voucher (from the “charity” of 1.1 billion Catholics) is all we have to offer”, said the St. Vincent Depaul lead voulenteer.

When Pope John Paul II was concerned about the dire needs of third world nations, it was the secular world, not the Catholic Church, that he called upon to pay off third world debt. Catholic (1.1 billion Catholics) tithing or paying a proper donation to care for the poor is almost non-existant compared for what the secular world tax payers, in America alone, do to care for the poor through domestic welfare and through foreign aid. It has gotten to the point where Catholic leaders do not even consider asking or demanding that 1.1 billion Catholics come up with finatial support for the poor domestically or in the world in general.

Jesus never promised eternal life to American tax payers supporting the poor. Jesus did promis eternal life to 1.1 billion Catholics supporting the poor. Yet it is the secular tax payer, not Christ’s Church, who are imenslly supporting the poor and not Christ’s 1.1 billion Catholics. The Catholic Church, 1.1 billion Catholics, give an abominational little to care for the poor compared to the secular world American tax payers. Let us tell Catholic leaders to focus on the filthy abomination of the Catholic Church’s “blind spot” in which 1.1 billion Catholics do not even consider tithing or paying a tithe to keep the poor from dying as part of being faithful to Jesus Christ.

NAB MAT 25:41

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

 

[Jeffrey]

I agree.

This seems like the ramblings of a Miss America winner who gushes that the world would be a better place if we would all just love one another. If to be part of God’s kingdom we have to convert our culture to be acceptable to all other cultures in the world, we are never going to make it.

 

[Jeffrey]

:tsktsk:

Pathetic.

 

[Jeanette_L]

Hello Chicago,

I volunteered for St. Vincent Depaul. We went on calls in downtown Seattle from the those who were in desperate need.

The lead volenteer came in and started handing out State assistance pamplets. Here is how the Catholic Church cared for the poor in Seattle, “Here is a pamplet instructing you on how to get thousands of dollars from America in welfare support. Here is a pamphlet on how to get thousands of dollars in American State support for your childrens health care. Here is a phamplet on how to get hundreds of dollars to get support to have your heat and electric payed for by America. ect. ect. ect. Our bishop has worked hard to see that these State welfare programs remain available to you.”

Then the lead St. Vincent Depaul volunteer said to the person in need of help, “And here (from the heart of the Church of Jesus Christ of 1.1 billion Catholics commanded by God to care for the poor or burn in hell) is a twenty dollar voucher. The poor just laughed at the Catholic Church “blind spot” as to caring for the poor. The poor responded, “Yes we have applied for state welfare, but we need support now to help us until State welfare support kicks in”. I am sorry but this twenty dollar voucher (from the “charity” of 1.1 billion Catholics) is all we have to offer”, said the St. Vincent Depaul lead voulenteer.

When Pope John Paul II was concerned about the dire needs of third world nations, it was the secular world, not the Catholic Church, that he called upon to pay off third world debt. Catholic (1.1 billion Catholics) tithing or paying a proper donation to care for the poor is almost non-existant compared for what the secular world tax payers, in America alone, do to care for the poor through domestic welfare and through foreign aid. It has gotten to the point where Catholic leaders do not even consider asking or demanding that 1.1 billion Catholics come up with finatial support for the poor domestically or in the world in general.

Jesus never promised eternal life to American tax payers supporting the poor. Jesus did promis eternal life to 1.1 billion Catholics supporting the poor. Yet it is the secular tax payer, not Christ’s Church, who are imenslly supporting the poor and not Christ’s 1.1 billion Catholics. The Catholic Church, 1.1 billion Catholics, give an abominational little to care for the poor compared to the secular world American tax payers. Let us tell Catholic leaders to focus on the filthy abomination of the Catholic Church’s “blind spot” in which 1.1 billion Catholics do not even consider tithing or paying a tithe to keep the poor from dying as part of being faithful to Jesus Christ.

NAB MAT 25:41

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Just how many of those 1.1 billion Catholics are the world’s hungry and poor? It seems you think that all Catholics in this world are in the same financial position as the Americans, I venture to say this isn’t so, but the majority of the Catholic population in the world are the very poor you are expecting them also to support.

Just a thought.