USCCB Urges Catholics to Lobby on Behalf of Anti-Poverty Programs

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The Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging Catholics to lobby on behalf of anti-poverty programs.

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ACORN of the Catholic Church speaks. Wonder what they plan to gain or lose?

Peace, Graubo
 
Graubo3 said:
ACORN of the Catholic Church speaks. Wonder what they plan to gain or lose?

Peace, Graubo
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I don’t understand what you mean. Are you agreeing or disagreeing with what the bishops are urging Catholics to do?
 
CMatt25 said:
I don’t understand what you mean. Are you agreeing or disagreeing with what the bishops are urging Catholics to do?
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Didn’t see any part of the article cited that stated “the bishops are urging”. Maybe you would care to enlighten me on the organizational breakdown of the USCCB?

Peace, Graubo
 
Graubo3 said:
Didn’t see any part of the article cited that stated “the bishops are urging”. Maybe you would care to enlighten me on the organizational breakdown of the USCCB?
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I’ll be more than happy, this statement is based on this;

“Bishops To Super Committee: Treatment Of Jobless, Hungry And Homeless Is Moral Measure Of Deficit Reduction”
usccb.org/news/2011/11-169.cfm
WASHINGTON—As the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction meets to address the issue of longterm budget deficit reduction, the bishops who lead the international and domestic policy committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) urged them to remember the poor and vulnerable in their deliberations.
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We have a thread about that here;
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=602195&highlight=usccb

God bless our Bishops!
 
SanAgustin said:
I’ll be more than happy, this statement is based on this;

“Bishops To Super Committee: Treatment Of Jobless, Hungry And Homeless Is Moral Measure Of Deficit Reduction”
usccb.org/news/2011/11-169.cfm

We have a thread about that here;
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=602195&highlight=usccb

God bless our Bishops!
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Not part of linked article. My comment on the ACORN of the Catholic Church stands. Wonder what they have to gain or lose?

usccb.org/about/justice-peace-and-human-development/

Peace, Graubo
 
I didn’t see anything that said Bishops were urging Catholics to lobby for government anti-poverty programs.
Why would Bishops be urging Catholics to go against Church teaching on a social issue?
 
Graubo3 said:
ACORN of the Catholic Church speaks. Wonder what they plan to gain or lose?Peace, Graubo
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Just off the top of my head, I would say that the USCCB plans to gain the following:
  • More funds for the neediest of our brothers and sisters;
  • More involvement of the layity in the corporal works of mercy;
  • Favor with the Lord by trying to fulfill the responsibilites of their office.
I would say that the USCCB is not planning to lose anything but is trying not to lose:
  • The sense of responsibility we bear to our less fortunate brothers and sisters;
  • Our call to increase our holiness by good works;
  • Their responsibility to be leaders, teachers and the voice for those who are voiceless.
 
The US Catholic Bishops are urging elected officials, and they’re doing their own lobbying;

usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/economic-justice-economy/upload/letter-to-supercommittee-budget-deficit-2011-08-31.pdf
We understand that the fiscal status quo is unsustainable, with mounting deficits and growing debt for our children. It is essential to set clear priorities and work on a bipartisan basis to reduce future deficits. Growing debt affects all Americans, including those who are poor. Programs that help people meet their basic needs should not be disproportionately targeted for cuts at times of fiscal stress. We also recognize
the economic and moral importance of creating jobs with decent wages and spurring economic growth as essential strategies to improve our economy, decrease poverty and reduce future deficits and debt. The question is how to fulfill the demands of justice and moral obligations to future generations while protecting the lives and dignity of those who are poor and vulnerable
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As teachers, we offer several moral criteria to help guide these difficult decisions:
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  1. Every budget decision should be assessed by whether it protects or threatens human life
    and dignity.
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  1. A central moral measure of any budget proposal is how it affects “the least of these”
    (Matthew 25). The needs of those who are hungry and homeless, without work or in
    poverty should come first
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  1. Government and other institutions have a shared responsibility to promote the common
    good of all, especially ordinary workers and families who struggle to live in dignity in
    difficult economic time
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Based on our Catholic principles and everyday experience, a just framework for future budgets cannot rely on disproportionate cuts in essential services to poor and vulnerable persons. These programs need to be made more effective, efficient and responsive and we should work to strengthen and improve them on an ongoing basis. However, it would be wrong to balance future budgets by hurting those who already hurt the most by cutting programs such as foreign aid, affordable housing programs, child nutrition, or health care. A just framework also requires shared sacrifice by all, including raising adequate revenues, eliminating unnecessary military and other spending, and addressing the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement programs fairly. We fear the human and social costs of substantial cuts to programs that serve families working to make ends meet and escape poverty. These programs include: food and nutrition, child development and education, the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, and affordable housing programs. At a time of record foreclosures, increasing poverty and high unemployment it is not justifiable to weaken the national safety net or to make disproportionate cuts to programs that can help low and moderate income families avert crisis and live in dignity.
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TheDoctor said:
Just off the top of my head, I would say that the USCCB plans to gain the following:
  • More funds for the neediest of our brothers and sisters;
  • More involvement of the layity in the corporal works of mercy;
  • Favor with the Lord by trying to fulfill the responsibilites of their office.
I would say that the USCCB is not planning to lose anything but is trying not to lose:
  • The sense of responsibility we bear to our less fortunate brothers and sisters;
  • Our call to increase our holiness by good works;
  • Their responsibility to be leaders, teachers and the voice for those who are voiceless.
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I would (a) question whether government is the best place to accomplish this and (b) question how government will even be ABLE to accomplish this when (not “if,” the way we are going…) it becomes entirely insolvent, like Greece…

That notwithstanding, how about FIRST urging Catholics to vote PRO-LIFE? Once we can get abortion “off the table” by voting out the politicians who hide their pro-abortion views behind economic policies that seem well-meaning (even if not all that effective), THEN we can go back to discussing what government economic policies would best help the poor.

Just my :twocents: anyhow…
 
Catholic_Press said:
The Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging Catholics to lobby on behalf of anti-poverty programs.
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If there were any doubts about the USCCB being just another political action committee, this action should eliminate them. “Do the right thing” is a moral imperative; “Support Program X” is a political exhortation.

Ender
 
Graubo3 said:
ACORN of the Catholic Church speaks. Wonder what they plan to gain or lose?

Peace, Graubo
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Somehow everybody is running after money. The mindset of today be rich or be worthless. Our Lord said, blessed are the poor.

We should be more concern about pleasing God and not this world. The world cares more about money than God. I am not following this trend of going after money.

This world is the battlefield for the souls of man. Money is not going to take anyone to Heaven.
 
Graubo3 said:
Yep. Two Catholic bishops, Blaire and Hubbard, of the ACORN wing, speak collegially for all U.S. bishops:thumbsup:. Wonder what the ACORN wing has to gain or lose?
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What does this incoherent terminology mean, and are you saying the Bishops dont represent the Catholic Church in the United States?

Some of this rhetoric reminds me of what the pro government establishment in el Salvador would accuse bishop Romero doing. Very disturbing, specially coming for Catholics.
 
SanAgustin said:
What does this incoherent terminology mean, and are you saying the Bishops dont represent the Catholic Church in the United States?
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I think he’s saying that in this instance the political opinions expressed by those two bishops do not represent Church teaching. And if he’s not saying it, I will.

Ender
 
Ender said:
I think he’s saying that in this instance the political opinions expressed by those two bishops do not represent Church teaching. And if he’s not saying it, I will.

Ender
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I’m glad you just came out and said it without using incoherent terminology (ACORN???). So you think these two bishops went “rogue”, because this statement represents the USCCB as a whole not the opinion of two of its members.

Also the statement contains zero political opinions, if you see any that says more about the reader than the USCCB.

I see no political statement in the letter, all I see is bishops fulfilling their duty to give moral guidance in full accordance with the Catholic Church.
 
We live in a chaotice world. The poor live a simple life. Leave them alone. We should mirror their lives and not trying to bring them into a chaotic world where money is their god.
 
It never fails to stun me how many Christians on these kind of boards express no heart when it comes to compassion and care for the poor, it is as though they would rather toss them aside as inconvenient and disturbers of their comfortable peace,their comfort zones.🤷
Peace, Carlan
 
Carlan said:
It never fails to stun me how many Christians on these kind of boards express no heart when it comes to compassion and care for the poor
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Unfortunately, a lot of Christians sound more like Ayn Rand followers than of Jesus.
 
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