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Nourishing the Christian Mind, Strengthening the Christian Heart. |
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Eye on the World |
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Living the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church |
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The Scripture and Tradition of the Catholic Church have since its beginning placed a heavy emphasis on love of neighbor. In more recent years, the Church has "formalized" these teachings into themes to better help the faithful understand their call to live as disciples of Christ. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has formulated seven themes that attempt to identify and organize the social teachings of the Church. Though some have created other categories, all attempts to organize are to make the material more clear for those trying to live it in their daily lives.
We are, as disciples of Christ, urged by Scripture and Tradition to extend our hands to clothe the naked, feed the hungry & thirsty, welcome the stranger, care for the ill, and visit the prisoners (Mt 25:35-36). The themes present in the social teaching of the Church identify areas in which people are still today made "the least of these" (Mt 25:40).
These social teachings are to be taken as a whole, and, if we are to be faithful to Scripture and Tradition, cannot be piecemealed to serve our own (or political) interests. Beginning with Life & Dignity of the Human Person, since without life no other rights exist, these themes are developed from papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents which comprise the richness of the social teachings of the modern day Catholic Church. |
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Life & Dignity of the Human Person Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Gen 1:26a
The life of each human person and the dignity of that life lived is the core of the love of neighbor. Without this at our core, no other rights find a foundation. Current Issues*: Abortion, euthanasia, cloning, embryonic stem cell research, death penalty, war... cUd |
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Call to Family, Community and Participation "In the divine image he created him; male and female he created them." Gen 1:27b "God blessed them, saying: 'Be fertile and multiply'" Gen 1:28a
From the beginning, humanity knew itself through participating in the communion of persons, be it family or community. The way in which we organize and govern our communities and families affects the ability we have to protect the dignity of individuals within those structures. Current Issues*: Divorce, sanctity of marriage, contraception, equal access voting... cUd |
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"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." Psalm 31:8
Every human being has the fundamental right to life and to those things that are required to uphold the inherent dignity of that life. Each of us has a responsibility - to each other, our families, our communities and the larger society - to work to preserve that right for all people. Current Issues*: Human trafficking, abortion, forced labor, homelessness... cUd |
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Option for the Poor and Vulnerable "Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Psalm 31:9
In the end, we will be judged by how we treated those who were the most vulnerable among us (Mt 25:35-36). How we care for the most vulnerable is a litmus test of how we are faring as a moral society. Current Issues*: Access to healthcare/education, prostitution, pornography, elderly cUd |
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The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." Genesis 2:15
Perhaps you've heard the question posed, "Do we live to work or work to live?" The Church goes one step further by saying that work is not just a way to make a living. The work we do allows us to continue in the creative spirit of God himself. Every person has a right to be a co-creator in this sense, a co-worker in the vineyard. Current Issues*: living wage, benefits, disparity of wealth, forced labor... cUd |
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"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28
As scripture reminds us, we are one body united in Christ. What affects the smallest member of the body, affects the whole body. The smaller the world becomes, the more responsibility we have in standing with our brothers and sisters in who are suffering and denied their dignity as people created in the image of God. Current issues*: Genocide, war, human trafficking, victims of disaster... cUd |
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"the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground." Genesis 2:7
From the beginning, man and earth are in an intimate relationship, dependent on one another for life. A proper relationship with God's creation is integral to living faithfully by God's Word. To quote the USCCB document, "Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation." Current Issues*: pollution, energy consumption, global warming, recycling, deforestation... cUd |
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*These issues are in no way exhaustive, but are an attempt to illustrate the types of topics that each theme may address. If you have other issues you feel should be mentioned, please email us at info@genesis-minstries.org - there is no guarantee that we will be able to place it on our website, but we will take all suggestions into consideration. |
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