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Jul 23rd, 2009 by Jim Knutsen
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In his new encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict suggests we will get nowhere on human (and by extension, race) relations if the conversation does not include God.
It is only by “placing [ourselves] in relation with others and with God,” the pope writes, that we will ever understand ”man’s transcendent dignity,” and thus act with justice toward one another.
Do you agree?
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Friday, July 24th 2009 at 12:58 pm |
I’ve been finding myself in conversation a lot lately about the love of people.
I love people, always have, can’t get enough.
When I consider the infinite variables that make up a person: age, race, personality, region of origin, ancestry, family size, birth order, value systems, stage of life, economic and educational experiences, relational experiences, interests, logic set, upbringing, introvert, extrovert, body type, tragedies, triumphs, fears, gifts, core beliefs, current mood, on and on and on.
Again, I can’t get enough. All I see is beauty.
To miss “Man’s transcendent dignity” seems like a lot of work.
To go through life ignoring this gift, is a loss.
“The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity” (and by extension, injustice)
George Bernard Shaw “The Devil’s Disciple” act II
Thursday, July 23rd 2009 at 2:54 pm |
@Bernard,
Pope Benedict is not saying that “simply bringing God into the conversation” will change things.
He’s saying that UNLESS we have a relationship with God, it will be impossible to fully understand our relationship to other people, and unless we can understand one another and recognize the universal dignity that we share as the only beings capable of having a 2-sided relationship with God, we cannot treat each other as justly as we all deserve.
Our natural tendency is to put ourselves first, and when I do that, there can be only one number one: me. If, on the other hand, we put God first, then we must necessarily fall to second place, a position we share with all other people in relation to God.
Jim, did you get through the whole encyclical? I have not. Yet.
Thursday, July 23rd 2009 at 11:34 am |
In the Bible book of Galatians Chapter 5 verses22and23 it list the fruitages of God’s spirit. Love being the first mentioned.(read the chapter and verses for the rest) Just reading about these frutiages however doesn’t do one much good. You have to implement these qualities in your personal character the person you are at your very essence. In order to do this you would have to begin to develop a relationship with The Almighty Himself.
What I find intersting is that many who are racist will claim to belong to a particular religion. What does that say?
Wouldn’t the world be an altogether better and different place if we all practiced and not just \understood\ God’s Love EVERYDAY!
I
Thursday, July 23rd 2009 at 11:25 am |
I agree with the pope’s ideology, but I have heard enough hatred and racism from church pulpits (from leaders supposedly “close to God”) that I doubt that simply bring God “into the conversation” will change a thing. Many wars (where race was a huge factor) have been fought in the name of God.
Thursday, July 23rd 2009 at 11:16 am |
Completely agree. I am reminded of Abraham Lincoln’s famous line in the Gettysburg Address that “…dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” It is only in relation to a Creator that we find equality in human beings.
Thursday, July 23rd 2009 at 9:54 am |
Yes, I agree.