Good Works

[bkropp]

I just got back from a homily from my priest who is considered to be pretty liberal.
He did give a thought provocking homily.
Why do we as Christians spend so much time and and energy about public symbols being represented. The whole this is a Christian nation so we should worry about preserving Christian symbols mentality. And of course the keep Christ in Christmas movement.
If we were to put all that energy into feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and in our age praying for an end to abortion would that not be such a more effective means for exulting the cross? Do we really think that God cares if our dollar bill says In God We Trust?

 

[GAHere]

I just got back from a homily from my priest who is considered to be pretty liberal.
He did give a thought provocking homily.
Why do we as Christians spend so much time and and energy about public symbols being represented. The whole this is a Christian nation so we should worry about preserving Christian symbols mentality. And of course the keep Christ in Christmas movement.
If we were to put all that energy into feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and in our age praying for an end to abortion would that not be such a more effective means for exulting the cross? Do we really think that God cares if our dollar bill says In God We Trust?

It seems to me that the Christians of this nation are putting their energies into those issues already, and that it’s the rest of the nation that is expending their energies trying to stop us from doing so.

Does God care if our dollar bill says In God We Trust? God cares that his people acknowledge him and keep his commandments. If, as a nation, we really did that, then there would be no debate about God being on our currency. The fact that we are having the debate is a reflection of the reality that the people in this nation are refusing to give God his due respect, and that, I believe, does matter to him.

 

[brigid12]

I just got back from a homily from my priest who is considered to be pretty liberal.
He did give a thought provocking homily.
Why do we as Christians spend so much time and and energy about public symbols being represented. The whole this is a Christian nation so we should worry about preserving Christian symbols mentality. And of course the keep Christ in Christmas movement.
If we were to put all that energy into feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and in our age praying for an end to abortion would that not be such a more effective means for exulting the cross? Do we really think that God cares if our dollar bill says In God We Trust?

I can agree with what you say, in part, except that human beings have the need to learn spirituality via material things. This is something Our Lord recognized in giving us the Eucharist.

 

[Andruschak]

I just got back from a homily from my priest who is considered to be pretty liberal.
He did give a thought provocking homily.
Why do we as Christians spend so much time and and energy about public symbols being represented. The whole this is a Christian nation so we should worry about preserving Christian symbols mentality. And of course the keep Christ in Christmas movement.
If we were to put all that energy into feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and in our age praying for an end to abortion would that not be such a more effective means for exulting the cross? Do we really think that God cares if our dollar bill says In God We Trust?

For me, sober 24 years in Alcoholics Anonymous, my 12th step work is where I reach out to those Jesus wanted us to help

 

[bpbasilphx]

Do we really think that God cares if our dollar bill says In God We Trust?

**That’s been only since 1957 or so. (For that matter, “under God” was put in the Pledge of Allegiance only in 1954.)

When there was a movement to do so back in the days of bully Teddy Roosevelt, he was against it. He said that such words as “In God We Trust” should be spoken only with the utmost in gravity and reverence. Putting them on items of common use, such as money, only cheapened their effect.

Compare this with what’s called “bumper sticker theology” that inoculates people with little bits and pieces of the Gospel, making it that much more difficult to catch the real thing!**

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

I just got back from a homily from my priest who is considered to be pretty liberal.
He did give a thought provocking homily.
Why do we as Christians spend so much time and and energy about public symbols being represented. The whole this is a Christian nation so we should worry about preserving Christian symbols mentality. And of course the keep Christ in Christmas movement.
If we were to put all that energy into feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and in our age praying for an end to abortion would that not be such a more effective means for exulting the cross? Do we really think that God cares if our dollar bill says In God We Trust?

Actually the Untied States’ government was not designed to be religious, Christian or otherwise, it was never founded that way.

Symbology as you probably know has its positives and negatives. It can be inspirational but can easily cross a line into idol worship.

Feeding the poor, and other social justice matters goes beyond any type of formal religious philosophy to the raw human interactions between people. That is humanity looking or for each other which includes religious philosophies at times but is not limited to it.

In the Catholic Benedictine spirituality and if you work with people down on their luck, you need a balance of spirituality renewal to help recharge you when you get your hands dirty helping people. This can include attending mass, and other spiritual retreats/renewal approaches (depending on the person). Also in Benedictine spirituality work is prayer. All forms of work can incorporate a form of prayer, including helping others.

While symbols can be important, they are just that symbols, it is what is done to the least of people is that truley what matters beyond sayings on money.

 

[bkropp]

I can agree with what you say, in part, except that human beings have the need to learn spirituality via material things. This is something Our Lord recognized in giving us the Eucharist.

And there are certainly many opportunities to learn spiritually through material things within The Roman Catholic Church. And I certainly don’t want to come across as discouraging these. Personally I wear a cross and carry a rosary at most times.

The example my priest used was a controversy on the Arizona State Campus several years ago in which people were arguing about whether or not a cross should be kept on the top of a chapel at a public university. The priest was discouraging putting much effort into caring about issues such as these. He started the homily by giving an example of a priest who was helping someone in tremendous need. The person in this case was shocked that Christianity was such an old religion and apparently stated," Where have you people been?"

I don’t know if I agree with my priest or not. But it is definately worth a thought. What are our values as a Christian people? If you look at the Gospel, God makes it quite clear what they should be!!