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Faith: A value proposition

Short essays about observed trends in Roman Catholic life - Pastoral trends

One of the distortions that can appear under the capitalist system is to reduce everything to dollars and cents: The worth of something is the same as how much one can be paid for it or its use to make something else for which one will be paid. A similar distortion can appear when people of faith value themselves as ends in themselves rather than as creatures of the Source of all value, God. Consider how those who can afford it spend all they can to keep themselves as alive and youthful as long as possible. Such a faith depreciates beauty and truth and is ultimately idolatrous, a circus mirror of distorted vision and values. Capitalism can sometimes allow for the means to separate people from one another in false, self-satisfied, pseudo-self-sufficiency. Today the worker can be thousands of miles from the manager; economic relations are disembodied. What about the religion of those who live well in their little bubbles, disengaged from real life? Will they be religiously engaged? On the other hand, do those who work and struggle on the margins, far from this fantasy world of self-sufficiency, not have faith? That is one of the challenges for the church in our time: to effectively bridge these worlds. Without such bridging, faith will continue to be badly distorted, loosened, and lost in the global North, certainly among the well-educated and well-paid. Without right relationship, we lose ourselves. © 2012, Bryan Froehle.

Authors Bryan Froehle

capitalism

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Homily stories

19 Sep 2010 - Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

IF THE RECENT economic downturn and the ensuing unemployment trends in the U.S. and around the world have taught us anything, it is that money is an essential resource in our efforts to make this world a better place for all human beings. Although economic disparity is inevitable in our capitalist structure, the fact that businesses grow and people can rise out of poverty is good news that often gets overlooked. In fact, economic growth and the money it generates can be one of the great paths to liberation for people, especially the poor. Although Luke's gospel for this week lends itself to the "money is the root of all evil" reading, perhaps we can use the lessons of the current recession to see the value of economic activity and shift our focus toward ethical business practices rather than condemning riches. Take, for instance, Forbes' list of the "Top 100 Employers to Work For." If, as consumers, we purchase a particular product or service, are we not practicing social justice if we support a company that treats its employees better than its competitors do? Or, if we know a company is harming the environment as a result of its business practices, doesn't our boycotting that company's services eventually lead to a better world? Be trustworthy in small and great matters when it comes to your business practices, and support others who do the same.

Authors Brother Nathaniel Pierce, S.J.C.

recession unemployment money capitalism social justice

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Exploring the word

29 Sep 2019 - Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

The injustice of the world is an inescapable reality. Inescapable, that is, if you are on the nasty side of the equation as one of the have-nots. Those who do not experience the downside of injustice are often not aware that there is a problem, because it’s not a problem for them. Such people are more likely to think the world is basically pretty fair, that people get what they deserve, that justice is more or less served for those who work hard and keep their noses clean. But for those who start out with little or wind up with less, the inherent injustice of the worldly system is pretty obvious. Being born into poverty, a broken family, or a war-torn community provides a whole different perspective that is tough to climb out of, especially when your ladder is composed of a failing school system, a crime-ridden neighborhood, and a nutrition deficit. Try adding in other factors like illness, physical or mental disability, and variables like IQ and natural ability—which are not evenly distributed—and you begin to realize that the chances of us ever living in a just world are seriously doubtful. Injustice is the great chasm that divides our world and creates the impetus for many of society’s most enduring problems. War won’t cease, crime won’t disappear, and violence won’t end so long as some folks have what other folks want. And if we think death is the great and final leveler, guess again. The enduring legacy of sin Even the reign of God doesn’t wipe the legacy of sin off the scales completely. Jesus assures us that, in fact, the coming of the Kingdom reverses the balance so that what was up must come down, and vice versa. We are often told that the last will be first and the first last; the poor will have good things and the rich will go away empty; the blind will see and the lame dance; the barren woman will conceive while the mother of many languishes. Tax collectors and prostitutes will enter, and religious folk will find the way barred. The imbalance of the present world will not be dismissed, but only upended. This one oft-repeated truth about the Kingdom should make most of us who hear it very, very afraid. But it was all too easy for those who reclined on beds of ivory in the days of Amos to ignore his warning about complacency, and it was just as easy for the rich man in the parable to overlook suffering Lazarus at his door. It is not surprising that good, churchgoing folk like ourselves assume this whole conversation is intended for someone else, someone who is clearly doing bad things that merit punishment by the proper authorities. And we further presume that such authorities are already marshaled to hunt these evildoers down. “Inevitable” inequality Besides, won’t there be poor always? That’s what Jesus said, and we are tempted to accept his social commentary as an indictment on the lower classes. For we are quite sure that giving pocket change to a homeless man in front of the liquor store isn’t going to transform his fate, and most organized social programs fail to effect meaningful differences. Most of our charity is siphoned off into the wrong hands anyway, we suspect, and the bottom line for many of us is: Why should we give our money away when we earned it? Shouldn’t there be some relationship between hard work and a fat wallet? Why shouldn’t I have a nice life after everything I’ve done and, to be honest, why should I be responsible for someone else who maybe hasn’t shown the same effort? This is quite simply the righteous mindset of capitalism, and it makes a lot of sense. The fact that Christianity and capitalism are two dramatically different systems has failed to register on we who count ourselves as recipients of both ideologies. Jesus didn’t have to address capitalists per se but he did have a lot to say for the practitioners of blessing theology (you can tell a righteous fellow by the blessings God has given him) and those who believed that sinners are born to suffer (see the story of the man born blind). The distinctions between capitalists and adherents to these two views are often slight. Of course, no homilist in his right mind wants to get up and challenge what is arguably the most profitable economic system in the world. It’s just a pity that the gospel leaves us few honorable alternatives. Applying the word Citizenship in two kingdoms Dorothy Day dealt daily with some of the most unlovable and culpable members of her society. Yet she stressed often to her Catholic Worker community that Christians cannot afford to “adjudicate between the deserving and undeserving poor.” As soon as we begin to distinguish between worthy and unworthy persons, we have crossed the demarcation between Christianity and culture. So long as we remain citizens of two kingdoms, temporal and spiritual, we are forced to acknowledge that our two allegiances are in considerable conflict. We just can’t be spotless capitalists and good Christians. Sooner or later, we are going to have to establish our ultimate loyalty to one camp or the other. If we choose Jesus, and I hope many of us do, that means we have to stop questioning if Lazarus at the gate is an alcoholic or an addict; if he dropped out of school or got his girlfriend pregnant; if he refuses to work because he’s lazy or up to no good; in short, we have to refrain from deciding whether or not he is worthy of our concern. The only reason to open our hearts and share our resources with those in need is because Jesus asked us to. One day, we are assured, the last will be first. It would be good if they remembered us kindly when the chasm is reversed. Related scripture links The first and the last: Matt. 19:30, 20:16, 27; Mark 9:35; Luke 9:48 The poor will have good things: Luke 1:46-55, 4:18-19, 6:20-23 The blind see: Matt. 11:4-5 Surprises in the Kingdom: Matt. 7:13-14, 9:13, 21:31-32, 25:31-45 Are sinners born to suffer?: John 9:1-40

Authors Alice Camille

injustices have-nots inequality capitalism lazarus

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