What is the Societies' responsibility in dealing with world poverty?

[Robert_Sock]

How should government implement humanitarian values within very greedy societies if not through subsidies?

I personally believe that when charity is lacking, we must look to government to provide those subsidies. Should we, as Catholics, just let the poverty to continue and look the other way?

 

[Catya]

Catholic social policy is awesome. If it were implemented worldwide, there would be no hunger. As I’m just beginning to study it, so I don’t feel qualified to comment in detail, but perhaps someone else can?

 

[Jozefo]

How should government implement humanitarian values within very greedy societies if not through subsidies?

I personally believe that when charity is lacking, we must look to government to provide those subsidies. Should we, as Catholics, just let the poverty to continue and look the other way?

Why look the other way? Love your neighbor.

But I think using the secular government to promote Christian charity is dropping the ball, especially in democratic style governments. What harmony does Christ have with Belial?

 

[Robert_Sock]

Why look the other way? Love your neighbor.

But I think using the secular government to promote Christian charity is dropping the ball, especially in democratic style governments. What harmony does Christ have with Belial?

It’s not just Christian charity, but the responsibility of government to step in and provide for the needy worldwide when charity itself is not sufficient.

 

[Jozefo]

It’s not just Christian charity, but the responsibility of government to step in and provide for the needy worldwide when charity itself is not sufficient.

What determines sufficiency? By what standard?

 

[Robert_Sock]

What determines sufficiency? By what standard?

Not sure of the fine lines that determine ‘sufficiency,’ but I would leave that up to the Vatican. What would make you think that the homeless aren’t being unfairly oppressed?

 

[Jozefo]

Not sure of the fine lines that determine ‘sufficiency,’ but I would leave that up to the Vatican. What would make you think that the homeless aren’t being unfairly oppressed?

Okay, it sounds like you would want the Vatican to determine public policy for the US regarding the homeless.

You’re question is interesting to me, because in reviewing the thread, I don’t see where oppression is a topic, unless you think that if someone is homeless, they’re being oppressed.

Personally, I don’t think being homeless is being oppressed. In my own experience, there was a time when I chose to be homeless. I would do it again, were it not for my family responsibilities.

If it were up to the Vatican to create public policy for the US, I think a lot of people would have a very serious problem with that. I might have a problem with it too, depending on the policies that were created. I certainly would object to taxing people in order to forcefully collect revenue to be used in implementing public policy.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Okay, it sounds like you would want the Vatican to determine public policy for the US regarding the homeless.

You’re question is interesting to me, because in reviewing the thread, I don’t see where oppression is a topic, unless you think that if someone is homeless, they’re being oppressed.

Personally, I don’t think being homeless is being oppressed. In my own experience, there was a time when I chose to be homeless. I would do it again, were it not for my family responsibilities.

If it were up to the Vatican to create public policy for the US, I think a lot of people would have a very serious problem with that. I might have a problem with it too, depending on the policies that were created. I certainly would object to taxing people in order to forcefully collect revenue to be used in implementing public policy.

I’m saying that the Vatican needs to create policies for us Catholics to follow. I’m sure your choosing to be homeless is not consistent with those who are homeless due to circumstances beyond their control. Blame the victim!

oppress /ə-presˈ/
transitive verb
To distress
To lie heavy upon
To treat with tyrannical cruelty or injustice
To load with heavy burdens, troubles, etc
To press against or upon
To crush (obsolete)
To smother (obsolete)
To overwhelm
To take by surprise (obsolete)
To ravish (obsolete)

 

[Jozefo]

I’m saying that the Vatican needs to create policies for us Catholics to follow. I’m sure your choosing to be homeless is not consistent with those who are homeless due to circumstances beyond their control. Blame the victim!

oppress /ə-presˈ/
transitive verb
To distress
To lie heavy upon
To treat with tyrannical cruelty or injustice
To load with heavy burdens, troubles, etc
To press against or upon
To crush (obsolete)
To smother (obsolete)
To overwhelm
To take by surprise (obsolete)
To ravish (obsolete)

With all due respect, that’s not what you said in your original posting. But anyway, now I’m understanding you to say that if someone is homeless and not by choice, they are being oppressed.

Now I’m wondering who you think is oppressing the poor and homeless.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Now I’m wondering who you think is oppressing the poor and homeless.

Our very greedy society. Government has an obligation to cater to the needs of the homeless just like it’s obligated to cater to the basic needs of all its citizens, like the elderly.

 

[SamH]

Our very greedy society. Government has an obligation to cater to the needs of the homeless just like it’s obligated to cater to the basic needs of all its citizens, like the elderly.

Again - what makes you think that the “greedy” are a distinct group from the what some people call the “needy”?

 

[Jozefo]

Our very greedy society. Government has an obligation to cater to the needs of the homeless just like it’s obligated to cater to the basic needs of all its citizens, like the elderly.

I’m assuming you mean the national government for the United States, in which case I disagree. According to the US Constitution, government’s job is to promote the general welfare, and not to cater to anyone in particular.

 

[Robert_Sock]

I’m assuming you mean the national government for the United States, in which case I disagree. According to the US Constitution, government’s job is to promote the general welfare, and not to cater to anyone in particular.

I guess we need to agree to disagree.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Please help the needy!

 

[Jozefo]

I guess we need to agree to disagree.

Surely, if that’s what you want.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Surely, if that’s what you want.

I never said that the government needs to cater to anyone in particular, but to cater to the basic needs of groups of individuals, such as the homeless and the elderly.

 

[Jozefo]

I never said that the government needs to cater to anyone in particular, but to cater to the basic needs of groups of individuals, such as the homeless and the elderly.

Well, if I misunderstood I apologize. I still don’t see a difference, though. Selecting certain groups and catering to them is not promoting the general welfare. It’s catering to specific groups.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Well, if I misunderstood I apologize. I still don’t see a difference, though. Selecting certain groups and catering to them is not promoting the general welfare. It’s catering to specific groups.

We’re catering to the basic needs of oppressed groups. The oppression needs to stop.

 

[Jozefo]

We’re catering to the basic needs of oppressed groups. The oppression needs to stop.

I’m not doing that. And I still see no one particular group being oppressed. I see the general population being oppressed by democratic secular government.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”