Why are priests and ministers preaching salvation via charity towards the poor? They would probably disagree with my statement but today the message coming across from many Christian churches is one of "love the poor" instead of the traditional message of redemption.
We were trusted by God to learn, to continue creation by innovations, and transform the natural riches into useful tools that would help all mankind. Human beings were created in God's image with free will to make their own decisions. What right does any person have in making decisions for other people "for their own good"? It is just as sinful to enslave the mind/soul as it is to enslave the body. Pope John Paul II spoke against the materialism of Marxism, which sees poverty as the greatest evil. For John Paul the greatest evil was the loss of the soul through coercion and hindrances in the way of people who wish to realize their calling from God.
Not only are church leaders wrong in elevating charity over redemption, but their efforts to alleviate poverty have been counterproductive. We find today social programs being sponsored by church leaders that are part of the Marxist doctrine of Alinsky's community organizing efforts for "social justice." The latest "love the poor" message is being introduced in many Catholic churches here in Florida and elsewhere in our country as a special program to reach out to the poor, one being called Just Faith. What could be wrong with this message? The deeper one researches Just Faith and other similar programs, one finds they are related to the Marxist/Alinsky's message. (Check the links below).
This type of "love the poor" is nothing more than smoke and mirrors for an agenda of power and control over individual liberties. Redistribution of wealth results in poverty for everyone, except those doing the redistribution. This is the reason every country that has had a Marxist government has ended up in poverty for all its citizens except for the government elite. Cuba before Castro had a thriving economy and its per capita income, education and social services ranked among the highest in Latin America. The poor have never nor will they ever be helped by redistribution of wealth, but by a free market system that enables them to learn, work, and prosper. For the first time in history, humanity possesses the knowledge and skill to relieve poverty in the world. The number of poor people in the world felt by half from 1990 to 2010 due mostly to capitalism and free trade (The Economist, June1, 2013).
Why would Christians wish to associate themselves with Marxist tactics in order to help the poor? Is it because they "love the poor'? Either the word love is not being properly used or many have been misguided. I Corinthians 13:3 tells us: "If I gave everything I have to poor people, and if I were burned alive for preaching the gospel but didn't love others, it would be of no value whatever." Giving to the poor is not equivalent with loving the poor. Why would anyone give money or time to someone he/she doesn't love? First, in government redistribution of wealth the money given out belongs to someone else. The "government" is nothing more than a group of bureaucrats who do not produce wealth but instead accumulate money from the working class via legislative means. The less money the working class has, the less they spend and invest, creating less jobs. Why would anyone trust the bureaucracy of government with money? It seems today progressives do because either it is not their money, or they are super wealthy who experience guilt by not making the money in the traditional way (like those in entertainment, sports, inheritance, etc). Where is the love here? Is this love like when we express our satisfaction with something material or something that would make us more popular? Many people who lack self-love and self-respect seek constantly the love and approval of other people; and that is one reason for "loving the poor." If they give money to the poor, then they must be good people and deserve their love. It makes them feel important! They usually are very condescending and self-righteous people.
As a young Cuban refugee many years ago, I experienced that kind of "love the poor" several times from people who did not seem genuine to me. I remember at times feeling bad that I didn't like certain people who were trying hard to "love me." Years later I finally understood why I didn't like them: They were not genuine. They had learned that they had to "love the poor." Was I not poor? In spite of being a political refugee, a 16 year old with no home and no family, somehow I never felt poor. I was raised in a middle class environment; had a loving family, and attended an excellent Catholic school. I didn't have money but I had shelter, enough food, and I was studying in good schools. Why would anyone feel sorry for me? These individuals needed me more than I needed them. The nuns had taught me well; they had even informed me about the evil of atheistic Communism and redistribution of wealth. I understood already how envy and resentment can destroy a country. It had happened in Cuba.
But I digress--getting back to "love the poor" I would like to proclaim my sincere desire to see poverty eradicated from the world. We have indeed the means and the capacity to end poverty as it still exists in many African countries. Church leaders cannot do it by preaching, by collections for the missions, or by Marxist redistribution programs. They should always keep in mind that their first duty is to bring people to God and the redemptive powers of Jesus Christ. The Christian compassion should be for everyone, not only the materially poor, but encompass also the sick, the lonely, the spiritually poor. For a sincere effort to help eradicate poverty, they should get more involved in learning the skills of capitalism, of the free markets, investment, and entrepreneurship to pass them along to those in need. They should also get more involved in learning about issues that affect the economy and job creation. Two current issues that come to mind are Immigration Reform and Climate Change. Both of these issues have been included in The Parish Guide to Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Unfortunately, the Bishops have declared support for the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill and acceptance of the leftist version on Climate Change. I find the inclusion of these positions as guidance to forming citizenship consciences an insult to both the Christian faith and the intelligence of Catholic voters. The Bishops do not include facts or give names of experts in framing their support.
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill that passed the Senate is another monstrosity of a bill, just like Obamacare, which many of the Bishops at first also supported. Have they read this bill? Do they not take into account the American workers? This is another example of "love the poor" mentality that has detrimental effects for the poor. It is just a different form of redistribution scheme where the American taxpayers end up with the bill to cover the costs of illegal immigration. Is it Christian to steal someone else's money? Is it Christian to promote envy among classes? The seventh commandment tells us "Do Not Steal", and the tenth commandment tells us "Do Not Covet Your Neighbor's Goods."
The illegal aliens in our country who cross the border come mostly from Mexico. Crossing the border illegally is against the law, and so is obtaining false documents. By standing with the illegal aliens, these Bishops support breaking the laws of our nation. In addition, they support taking the money from working Americans to pay for the benefits of foreigners who broke our laws. Mexico is a wealthy country that could well afford taking care of all its citizens. But Mexico has a corrupt socialist government that does not allow capitalism to flourish and provide jobs for its citizens. If the Bishops are truly concerned for these poor Mexicans, they should face the Mexican government and demand it takes proper care of its citizens. Instead, they take the easy way out: Love the poor with someone else's money! I am sure the Bishops understand that politicians care only about themselves and their friends. They also should know that the Democrats want the votes of Hispanic aliens after they grant them citizenship, while the Republicans want cheap labor to please their big money donors. In other words, the illegal aliens are used as pawns in a political game--a new form of slavery. Is this what the Bishops want also? Do they think these Hispanics are good Catholics that will fill their churches? Think again. "Nearly half of the children born to Hispanic mothers in the U.S. are born out of wedlock, a proportion that has been increasing rapidly with no signs of slowing down--the Hispanic baby boom is certain to produce more juvenile delinquents, more school failure, more welfare use, and more teen pregnancy in the future." Hispanic women have the highest unmarried birthrate in the country—over three times that of whites and Asians, and nearly one and a half times that of black women, according to the Centers for Disease Control." (Hispanic Family Values? Heather MacDonald, City Journal, Fall 2006).
As for the Climate Change issue, our western civilization has been sold the biggest lie in the history of the world. The same wealthy globalists that have exploited our economies have also taken advantage of the scientific ignorance of our populations. When was Science changed to a democratic vote by the majority? The science that currently is taught in schools comes from politicians and the media reliance on junk science, like Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth. A large number of scientists have been skeptical about global warming for years, and with good reason. CO2 levels on earth have in the past been four to eighteen times the current readings. Global climate has warmed since the Little Ice Age (1400 to 1700 AD). The first occurred between 1900 and 1945, and the second in 1975 until 1998, and then stopped and began falling again after reaching a high of 1.16ºF above the average global mean temperature. There hasn’t been any warming since then. In addition, we must keep in mind that all the information from the IPCC reports (United Nations) comes from computer models. The actual temperatures measured by both satellite data and independent balloon data show a near zero trend from 1979-1997.
Does loving the poor include making earth our god? The environmental regulations that our EPA considers beneficial will cause more unemployment and poverty. Read the following excerpts from Climate Depot, The Environmental Case for Fossil Fuels:
"The United States has the best air, water, indoor temperature, crops, sanitation, water supplies, storm-protection, disease-prevention, sanitation, and overall environmental quality in human history–while others are plagued by heat waves, cold snaps, drought, storms, crop failures, malaria and dozens of other dread diseases, filth, dung-burning fires, lack of clean drinking water. The reason for this is development–the improvement of nature to meet human needs. Every aspect of development has one common requirement: cheap, plentiful, reliable energy. "And we would not have cheap, plentiful, reliable energy without the fossil fuel industry." And when you hear heartbreaking stories of children with diseases that we once had but no longer do–malaria, tuberculosis, even the plague–you should commit yourself to bringing about a world that produces more energy."
The Bishops are correct in saying that the environmental issue is a moral issue, but their problem is that they have sided with the immoral elitists. How is it moral to deny cheap energy for the poorest people on earth so that the elitists can enjoy nature at their pleasure? How is it moral Christian teaching to place the earth above human beings? Genesis 1:27-28: "God created man in his image, in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds on the air, and all the living things that move on earth."
Without cheap energy millions cannot provide food and clean water for their families. Why should the poor in Africa have no right to the development that energy has brought to the West? Reduction of carbon emissions would bring disaster to the poorest people on earth, the ones Christians are supposed to love. A 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 would only reduce global average temperature in 2100 by an inconsequential 0.07C. Even an elimination of all CO2 emissions by the United States would prevent only 0.17C of warming." (Climate Depot: Does Caring for “the Least of These” Demand Fighting Global Warming?).
We don't need to lower carbon dioxide emissions to protect nature, after all it is an essential gas for life. How ignorant have we become that we can be so easily deceived? The only reason global elitists fight for environmental regulations like Cap and Trade is to expand their control over the world economy and impose their political and social views. Are we not seeing enough already of how well they have managed the world so far? What we need is moral courage to stand for the Judeo/Christian values and the principles that made the United States an exceptional country. This is the only way to really love the poor.
justfaith.org;
johntwo24-25.net;
catholicmediacoalition.org;
8thdaycenter.org;
catholicculture.org;
laycatholics.org;
laycatholics.orgElvira Fernandez Hasty——
Bio and Archives
Elvira Fernandez Hasty was born in La Habana, Cuba, to immigrants from Spain. She attended a private Catholic school for women, French Dominicans School, until the age of fifteen. At that time, the Castro regime militia invaded her home one night in order to question her 20 year old sister, Rose, about her involvement in “counter-revolution” at the University. After some months of anguish, my father arranged for Rose to obtain diplomatic protection from the country of Honduras, and the decision was also made to send me away before confiscation of private schools by the communist government. My sister flew to Honduras under the protection of the Ambassador on January 24, 1961, while I left the country for Florida the next day via the Pedro Pan organization that was formed to protect Cuban children from Marxist indoctrination.
After finishing high school in Florida and working at an electric company billing department, Elvira continued her studies at St. Mary College in Kansas. She graduated cum laude with a BS in Chemistry and later received her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana, IL. Dr. Hasty spent twenty years in college teaching and research, becoming Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chairperson at Mundelein College in Chicago.
In 1997, Elvira and her husband James, moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where she currently resides. She has been politically active since then, first in the Republican Party and lately in her own conservative organization, Ponte Vedra Conservative Women, a group of conservative women concerned about the future of our country. We are united by our common desire to preserve our Constitution, the principles of our Founding Fathers, and our Judeo/Christian values.
