First off, Liz: fabulous job. Very thorough presentation!
I always knew that Catholicism was large, but I had no idea that it was 1/6 the world’s population. I feel like that makes sense though. I can see even more why Protestants would be a bit nervous about a Catholic president. We are a rather large group to deal with... and only getting larger.
One thing I’ve always liked about the Catholic Church is its consistency with the message about life. I never thought it made sense to be ok with abortion but not capital punishment or the other way around. I like that they vote for life in both areas. I find it consistent. I like consistency.
I liked that Ann (was that who Liz was talking to? Whoever Liz was talking to) mentioned that she didn’t think the abortion protestors were providing many alternatives. I think this is important. You need to have alternatives to issues. You can’t just say, “You shouldn’t do this.” And then leave it at that. Who’s going to listen to you? Really, why should they?
I also think it was interesting that she mentioned that the people of Dubuque haven’t taken that much interest in the things that don’t concern them. I think this is how most people feel. I know I often get this way. It’s probably a reason not as many Catholics are as active as they should be.
I think the Catholic Church has some very nice messages about helping the poor. I think the poor should be helped. I know charity is the most effective immediate way, but sometimes I wonder. Like I mentioned in my first entry, I’ve been working at a homeless shelters since I was seven giving out food to people who needed it. I knew that for some of the people, this was the only way they would get food. Even at seven, I knew that. But sometimes I’m not entirely sure it really is helping them. I watch these same people get food week after week, and I almost feel like I’m doing them a disservice. I’ve sometimes felt like by giving them this food every single week, year in and year out that I’m actually hindering them. I’m providing them with too much to fall back on. They don’t really need to try because I’m just handing it to them. I suppose it would be different if they didn’t come every single time, but they come so often that the nuns know them by name and they know how to get as much food out of each visit as they can. I know it sounds crazy, but I sometimes feel like I’m really making things worse for them. I know some of them really need it, but I sometimes doubt how charitable charity really is. It’s going to sound conservative, I know, but in my experience helping people TOO much actually hurts them. I’m not saying don’t help people, that would never work. I just think handing them too much has always proven to be a bad idea. I do think that the lowest should be looked at first, but I think sometimes we focus so much on the lowest that we neglect EVERYONE else. I would say look at the lowest, but if it’s hurting everyone else it’s not really for the common good.
I thought that Health Care Reform letter was one of the stupidest things I’ve read in a long time. When they wrote, “Decent health care is not a privilege, but a right and a requirement to protect the life and dignity of every person.” I wanted to say, “duh, that’s not the issue at hand.” Every single person in the United States of America, regardless of their legal status, has access to health care. It’s against the law NOT to treat people. If someone goes to the ER, they legally have to be treated. The reform is actually insurance reform. I feel like the letter completely neglected this. It was like, “Yay, flowery sentiments about everyone being treated… OH AND ABORTION IS EVIL.” That section on abortion was so long and became such a focus that it became a joke. I feel very strongly about the health care bill, but I really don’t think the main issue is abortion in this. I expected more about helping people get health care insurance that would protect them or something. I feel like the bishops really dropped the ball on that one.
Yeah, I have a feeling I’m probably going to make some people mad with this entry. Ah well, it’s how I feel.
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I also didn't realize how large the Catholic Church was until I started doing research for this project. Then again, people are always saying that it is a global church.
ReplyDeleteI, like you, also thought that the Catholic Church did a good job of sticking with their "human dignity" them on such issues as abortion and capital punishment. And then I read Kelli's blog. She brings up a really great point about human dignity and homosexuals. The Catholic Church does not allow for homosexuals to practice their homosexuality. How is that protecting their human dignity? I realize that the Catholic Church does literally take the lives of homosexuals, but in some ways denying them to practice and engage in something that is essential to their being is almost denying them a chance to live a happy and dignified life. It makes no sense.
Your point about poverty is great. How much are we helping? Do we provide opportunities for people to eat, find shelter and clothing, and maybe a little happiness? You betcha. (Please forgive me for quoting Sarah Palin, but it fit so well.) However, are we perhaps just making it easier for people to be accountable for their own well-being? It's possible. However, I would rather do that, then let people go hungry. If a few people eat at soup dinners when they could be eating at their own table then so be it. Because for every person who could possibly better their circumstances but chooses not too is another person who really can't better their circumstances and does need our help. Who am I to determine who is who?
I think you make a great point that "healthcare reform" is perhaps not that correct term we've been throwing around. Instead it should be "health insurance reform." I don't know much about health insurance. But from the numerous hostpital television shows I've watched, which are always so factual, I know that I have seen instances where people have been denied procedures because their insurance wouldn't cover it, or else is stuck in massive debt because they had to have the procedure but have no way of paying for it. I agree with you that the bishops letter to congress seemed rather silly at times. This might be a very extreme comment, but sometimes when people are arguing certain points, as soon as they bring up abortion I feel like their legitimacy has gone out the window. I almost feel like this letter would have been much better if the bishops had not mentioned abortion at all and just talked about the dignity of all human life.