You left out, we gave up on our country and grabbed on to our partisan political views for self interest! ME, ME, ME, that’s all that matters.
For at least two elections, I heard the *Democrats *say that people, esp those of lower income, who voted Republican “voted against their own self-interest.”
I have seen almost an entire US industry disappear, and it will be gone by the next generation, because of federal actions. An entire industry which once supported many people in many communities, many of which are now empty.
When a small business owner votes for less government restriction, he is not voting for his own self-interest. If he was looking out for his own self-interest, he would get rid of his business and get a 9-5 job as a friend of mine recently did.
When a small business owner votes for fewer government restrictions, he is voting for te ability of businesses to afford to hire more people and to expand and hire even more people. He is voting to become more responsible and more worn out.
What happens when those on wepfare vote for tgose who promise peiple on welfare more, more, more? What happens when unions “encourage” their members to vote for those who promise more benefits to union members, not to mention giving hundreds of thousands of dollars from union dues to that party which promises them the most?
Look at these discussions now, social justice; well, let’s see, we have 2000 years of Catholic writings, I’m sure I can find something to support ‘not for the common good, but my own personal good, according to my own views.’
These are matters of prudence. We all know we need to help the poor, and on a private level, conservatives give a higher percentage of their income, volunteer more, and even donate more blood than do liberals.
Social justice is *not *about willy-nilly throwing money at any person who has little money. Socual justice is *not *about bankrupting people, states, and nations for those who for whatever reason have little money. And social justice is *not about crippling people and making it too difficult for them to rise up out of poverty that they remain stuck in their situation.
The Bishops spoke on gun control; well, let’s see, ‘I’m at liberty to disagree.’ Only disagree has become totally ignore. Ignore has gone over to disrespect, ‘well, they have no experience,’ and much worse, that I won’t repeat.
The bishops each have their own opinion. The USCCB has no standing in te Church, there is nothing about a USCCB statement which makes it any more important than anyone else’s statement when it comes to issues like this. The USCCB is simply an organizational tool which has done things like donate hundreds of thousands of Catholics’ donations to abortion- and contraception-supporting organizations for decades.
The list can go on and on.
The fact that a Carholic disagrees with you on how something should be accomplished does not mean that that Catholic does not agree that something should be done. It is not right to try to align Catholic thinking with *either *party.
It’s so wrong, in my opinion, to have politicized our Church, which politicizes Christ. There is a Gospel message, and it was never intended to become litigious. Christ did not command that the Apostles go out and make lawyers of everyone, so they can understand His Gospel. His truth is so that the simplest person can understand it, and hear His voice. Love God, and love one another, even your enemies. Pray for forgiveness, as you forgive. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give shelter to the poor, care for the sick, and visit the imprisoned. No one is left out.
People have confused the differences between Church and state, so that they are now on par with each other in their eyes. We are to give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s. It doesn’t say, take your rights from Caesar, it says give unto God, that which is God’s. That is our total selves.*
