Prayers to St. Thomas More asking for counsel on which political circles to associate with

[joshrp]

Hi,

I am deciding to get involved politically somehow, and I wanted to ask all of you to pray for the intercession of St. Thomas More, patron of politicians and statesman, to ask the Holy Spirit to give me counsel, understanding, knowledge, and wisdom to discern which political circles I should associate with, and what subjects I should get involved in.

Thank you for any prayers. PM me if you have any suggestions. I live in Massachusetts, and am a registered Republican (in the tradition of Abraham Lincoln), who was formerly registered as a Democrat from a staunch Democratic family, but I’ve become disgusted with the immorality of that party’s platforms. Abraham Lincoln is my favorite President, and was the first Republican president, so I have no problem with the party he helped start, but I am aware that the modern Republican party has become ignorant of the platform that party promoted at the time, especially on economics. And I think the two parties have pitted against each other a false dichotomy of economics vs. morality when they are both ignorant of the American economic tradition, which is passed down to us primarily from Hamilton through the Whig party, to Abraham Lincoln’s Republican party, or being lied to about it. So most of the knowledge is either lost or intentionally obscured because people don’t study the economic writings of Hamilton, Lincoln, Henry Carey, etc. which were the cornerstone of the philosophy which built this nation, and will build it again when those ideas are recovered and restored.

But please pray for my discernment on what God wants my involvement to be.

God bless you all,
Joshua

 

[Bartolome_Casas]

Abraham Lincoln is my favorite President,…And I think the two parties have pitted against each other a false dichotomy of economics vs. morality when they are both ignorant of the American economic tradition, which is passed down to us primarily from Hamilton through the Whig party, to Abraham Lincoln’s Republican party, or being lied to about it.

Abraham Lincoln is my favorite president too. I constantly study everything he wrote. Though not a Christian, he seems to have been some sort of naturally just and loving man.

But, as far as I can see, there is no one like Lincoln today in America in politics. Not even close.

I somewhat disagree with your idea of restoring the true “American economic tradition.”

For one thing, slavery was a major part of the American economic tradition from 1619 to 1865. To restore the “American economic tradition,” we’d have have to reinstate slavery. Slavery was a huge factor in the prosperity of both North and South.

For another thing, developments in technology have radically changed the nature of economies. In earlier times in America, most Americans lived on farms they owned and could raise or harvest most of their own food, clothing and shelter materials. That just isn’t the case anymore. In former times in America, the population was small and good land was plentiful and cheap. But those days are gone, and that changes everything.

Jefferson said that democracy was possible only if most people lived on small farms that they owned and worked themselves, and that democracy in America would fail if ever Americans crowded into large cities as in Europe. Well, we know what has happened.

There are things to learn from Lincoln and the founders, but the rise of industrial and post-industrial economics, and global economics, really changes the game. We can’t just go back to how things were in 1776 or 1800 or 1850 or 1880, or whatever.

If you really want a better America and a better world, skip politics entirely, and instead promote the love of God and love of neighbor through some ministry with the Catholic Church.

If you really investigate deeply any of the current political movements and organizations, I think you will find endless lies, greed, lust, everything else that is dark and feckless.

Take note that Jesus and his apostles were NEVER active in politics, nor did the recommend that any Christian ever get involved in politics. It’s all in the New Testament.

P.S. Before he was persecuted himself for his faith, Thomas More himself was active in persecuting religious dissidents. That was not included in the bio-pic “Man for All Seasons.” His position as a defender of the rights of conscience really makes no sense from the modern point of view.

 

[ready]

May our Lord grant you wisdom and discernment as you seek out which political circles to associate with. Amen.

 

[St_Francis]

The Church teaches that Catholics should be involved in politics, both because it is their civic duty and because it is the layperson’s task to be in the world and do things there, so I applaud your decision to be involved.

I would suggest looking into Distributism and their principles It took me several years of off and on learning about it to understand what they were up to, but it was through re-reading Rerum Novarum for the severalth time that I got it.

May God guide you through these treacherous spaces!

 

[Bartolome_Casas]

The Church teaches that Catholics should be involved in politics, both because it is their civic duty and because it is the layperson’s task to be in the world and do things there…

Correct. Good point.

But even so, I think it is still correct that the Church teaches us that we should not put too much hope in the what the secular governments can do for humankind, but rather, we should put the bulk of our hope and faith in the government of God, also known as the Kingdom of God. Christ is the “president” of the Government of God.

The Kingdom of God subsists in the Catholic Church.

No matter what pundits on the radio or TV may say, no one is saved through politics, whether liberal or conservative politics.

Politics should, at most, be a minor thing to the Christian.

The Church and its ministries should be a major thing to a Christian.

The Heathens put all their faith and hope in the secular governments, because it all that they have.