No, that’s what you think the government’s job is. The traditional Christian understanding is that the government’s job is to rule the people of that nation in justice according to national law. Of course the government should provide first for its own citizens, but not in ways that involve callousness and cruelty toward others.
This is not the position of the Founding Fathers of the USA. A wise man once said, “what a government gives, it can take away.” We, having the freedom to do so, are to work and provide for ourselves. When we need help, we should look to private sources for it, like a church or charity group, not the government. The first century christians didn’t look to the government for help, for obvious reasons. We should try to follow their example. A nation’s government’s job is not to do what is in the best interest of
all humanity, just what is in the best interest of
that nation. And whether you like it or not,
individual nations exist. Now, individual nations can** try to help out another nation**, and in that way helping out another part of humanity, but that is
not a requirement. Here is what Pope Benedict said, “…For well over a century, **the United States of America has played an important role in the international community. **On …
America has traditionally shown herself generous in meeting immediate human needs, fostering development and offering relief to the victims of natural catastrophes. I am confident that this concern for the greater human family will continue to find expression in support for the patient efforts of **international diplomacy **to resolve conflicts and promote progress. In this way, coming generations will be able to live in a world where truth,
freedom and justice can flourish – a world where the God-given dignity and rights of every man, woman and child are cherished, protected and effectively advanced.”
The Church is a different entity with a different role.
If you separate government’s job from the Christian duty of individuals and the Church, you make government a demonic beast.
I don’t seee how I am doing that.
I won’t speak for penewton (though I agree entirely with his/her posts on this thread insofar as I’ve read them), but historically the rise of the nation state was the death of Catholic Christendom. Good Catholics ought to be at the very least suspicious of nationalism. Unfortunately, many “conservative” Catholics are locked into patterns of interaction with government that were the product of Christendom’s defeat in the Reformation. The Post-Reformation Popes “settled” for an alliance with Catholic rulers that sanctioned their nationalism (and absolutism) in order to preserve the influence of the Church.
This isn’t the ideal Catholic position at all, it seems to me. The great Catholic humanists of the early sixteenth century fought the rise of nationalism and the ensuing breakdown of the unity of Christendom. St. Thomas More is in many ways a martyr to the cause of Catholic “globalism” against the heretical nationalism of King Henry and Cromwell. Perhaps Catholics who support their bishops on this should take him as their patron.
I believe in the separation of church and state, a fundemental American belief. As Catholics, we should know better than to want the oppposite. Yet, the Catechism also suppports it. Here is a quote (from
vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7W.HTM ): “The Church, because of her commission and competence,** is not to be confused in any way with the political community.” ** And here is what the Holy Father said, " (
catholicnewsagency.com/document.php?n=172 ) : “Historically, not only Catholics, but all believers have found here the **freedom to worship God in accordance **
with the dictates of their conscience,”
And one problem I still wrestle with as a Catholic: Its historic opposition to the nation-state and its support for
gloabalism. A global church, yes. A global government, no. Yet, it seems the Church has, if not
changed, at least ***clarified ***its position on this subject. Here is the Catechism’s stance on the concept of “political authorities”: "2239 It is the duty of
citizens to contribute along with the **civil authorities **to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and
freedom. ***the love and service of one’s country ***follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity.
Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community."The Catechsim continuously uses the word “nation,” infering nothing intrinsically wrong with the concept, for example: “Political rights are meant to be exercised for the common good of **the nation **…” And no where does it implies
globalism, that all nations should unite as one.
Edwin
