Alan: I just returned from two weeks in the Yucatan where I lived with friends Lino and Cecilia in their windowless, un-wired Quintana Roo home.
As always, I return to these "United" States with the firm belief that American conservatives would benefit from less pontification and more "live-in" experience with the poor.
Unless we get down and dirty, Yeshua is nor much interested in "mere mouth movement" proclaiming him "Lord and Savior!"
Matthew 7:21-23
New International Version (NIV)
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Matthew 7:21-23
The Message (MSG)
21-23 “Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’
Vignette: Imagine every American conservative showering from a bucket of cold water and being grateful for that incalculable gift.
Who knows? Deep immersion in "the preferential option for the poor" might enable Christian conservatives to "save their own souls"... and not just yours.
"Preferential Option for The Poor"
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'God would not dare appear to a starving person except in the form of bread.'
Gandhi paraphrase
"A full belly does not believe in hunger."
Italian proverb
Like their secular kin, conservative Christians insist that morality depends on individual conscience and that any admission of collective political responsibility for "structural sin" (or "structural wrongdoing") is itself sinful and wrong.
This tooth-and-nail resistance to the enactment of structural solutions through The Body Politic's collective action is also revealed in global warming denial and opposition to universal healthcare.
"What The Catholic Church Teaches On Healthcare Reform"
Notre Dame theologian, Fr. Michael O'Brien
From the traditional conservative vantage, resistance to collective structural solutions is conceived as the cornerstone of theo-philosophical survival.
But now that Obamacare is an established improvement over the status quo ante, all other oppositional dominoes will fall.
"Where's The Train Wreck?"
Lest we forget...
Social Security and Medicare are collective, structural solutions enacted by The Body Politic.
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"American Conservatives and Oppostional Defiant Disorder"
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"Early Christian Communism"
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/12/early-christian-communism.html
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"Were The Early Christians Communist?"American Society for The Defense of Traditionhttp://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/12/were-early-christians-communist.html
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"Ayn Rand: Atheist Cornerstone Of Republican Economics"http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/03/mediocre-philosophy-sells-it-makes-half.html
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Fox News: "Pope Francis Should Stick To Doctrine, Stay Away From Economic Redistribution"
Pope Francis has spent a year on the Throne of Peter. In that time, his modest style and high-minded ideals have ignited a new optimism and fervor among Roman Catholics, including those who left because of disagreements with some of its teachings.
Francis has gone out of his way to voice support for the world’s poorest citizens, rightly noting that their plight is too often ignored or brushed aside. Until this week, his statements have called for voluntary action by wealthier countries and individuals as the right way to relieve economic inequality. He appealed to our better selves, and in so doing, made us all ask if we could be kinder and more generous. The answer, of course, is yes.
On Friday, however, Francis chose a meeting with – of all people -- officials of the United Nations to endorse what he called “the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the state, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society.”
By appearing to sanction what amounts to forced redistribution, Francis grievously exceeded his authority and became what amounts to a robe-wearing politician.
By appearing to sanction what amounts to forced redistribution, Francis grievously exceeded his authority and became what amounts to a robe-wearing politician. He also exposed his Church, one of the wealthiest institutions in the world, to inevitable charges of hypocrisy. And he put himself in a position of having to back up his frothy talk with ruinous action.
Let’s see: for starters, perhaps the Catholic Church and its affiliated non-profit organizations should start voluntarily paying income and real estate tax in the United States, from which it has traditionally been exempt.
There is no doubt that the addition of tax revenue from the Church would be considerable, if hard to estimate. The 17,000-plus parishes may not all measure up to architectural wonders like St. Patrick’s in New York or the newer Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. But few Catholic churches have absolutely no value. What would 39.5% of all that be?
How could Francis, or his subordinates in the United States object to voluntarily turning over part of their vast revenue?
The notion of the church paying taxes is certainly not heretical. Italy – which surrounds Vatican City where the pope lives – began taxing Catholic Church property last year as a way of helping to relieve its enormous economic problems. At last check, St. Peter’s was still standing.
Further, Francis might consider selling off the artworks stored at the Vatican museum and in churches throughout the world, and the thousands upon thousands of ancient books and manuscripts in its library. The Pietá, for instance, should fetch a pretty penny, especially if the buyer is, say, a backer of Al Qaeda who can afford to smash it to pieces as soon as it is acquired.
"Conservatives Scare More Easily Than Liberals"
The pope is the head of the Church. He is the Vicar of Christ and is infallible on matters of doctrine.
When it comes to economics, however, Francis should stick to making suggestions for how to voluntarily reduce economic inequality and leave tax policy to the politicians. Perhaps he can help by offering a prayer for them. God knows, they need it.
John Moody is Executive Vice President, Executive Editor for Fox News. A former Vatican correspondent and Rome bureau chief for Time magazine, he is the author of four books, including "Pope John Paul II : Biography."
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