About a week ago, there was another thread in which the OP seemed to be saying we should not participate in society because it is corrupt. I wonder, in that case, are we supposed to drop out, quit our jobs, take vows of poverty, grow our own food, and live as hermits or in a religious commune?
I don’t agree with that at all. If you don’t mind, I’ll just rehash parts of two of my previous post on the subject:
Many times, and in many ways, Jesus taught how we can participate in society – not only that, but how we can make things better here on earth: caring for the needy, caring for children, forgiving one another seventy times seven times, loving your enemy, not serving mammon, and more. The good news of the Gospel concerns both earthly and eternal life.
Jesus instructs and commands us to work in the world and in society, associating with sinners, as he did, doing what we can to make the world more peaceful and more virtuous.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
and this:
Our society is a mixture of good and bad… Look for the good in our society, work on the side of good, be a good influence in our society (shining a light in the darkness). If you participate in that way in our good-and-bad society, you are not consenting to the evil, you are not promoting evil, and you do not share culpability for the evils of society. For all you know, you might save another soul (1 Corinthians 7:16).
