The Golden Rule vs. Socialism

It struck me as I was reading that great work of C. S. Lewis, ‘Mere Christianity’ that the Golden Rule, simply stated as, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do to you’, clashes head on with the Godless, Socialist Philosophy. The Golden Rule has many implications, but at least it is a statement of equality of persons. You and I will treat each other as equals; no one of us is superior to the other in the important meaning of life which is as God sees us. Socialism, on the other hand, claims to make us all equal and attempts to accomplish this goal by force and coercion. Its implementation requires the existence of a ruling class, those who are ‘above’ the rest, those who impose their dictates on the rest of us, thereby destroying the very equality they seek to generate. 

Socialism allows no personal desires or aspirations that may generate ‘inequality’. The practice of the Golden Rule allows and even celebrates differences in achievement, wealth, and talent, because these do not violate the equality of persons and therefore also allows every imaginable approach to charity and charitable acts. Under socialism, the instinct to act charitably is suppressed as the rulers confiscate private property and distribute it according to a predetermined formula, for the good of the people of course.

The Founders understood the true meaning of the Golden Rule. They knew that only an honorable and just people could be free. Freedom, including the right to private property, is essential to the full and unimpeded practice of charity. Our country operated in this way for many years. The poor were fed, clothed, and housed by those who were blessed with more, usually through the churches or other charitable organizations, the true path to equality by Americans living the Golden Rule. Then it all began to change, and clearly for the worse. 

The detrimental results of the so-called ‘War on Poverty’, an attempt of a socialist oriented approach to ‘help’ poor black families is just one example of seriously misguided policies. The ‘War on Poverty’ turned out instead to be a war on the black family, decimating its integrity and leading to an illegitimacy rate of nearly 70% and an abortion rate for Black women nearly three times that of whites. Even well intentioned programs of this nature almost always have awful unintended consequences. The targeted population ends up dependent and isolated. They are told over and over again that the wealthier have exploited them and stolen their rightful access to this wealth, and it is fully just and proper to confiscate it because they obtained it through immoral action.

The rejection of socialism is clearly stated in Pope John Paul II’s encyclical “Centesimus Annus" which says, in part:

By intervening directly and depriving society of its responsibility, the social-assistance state leads to a loss of human energies and an inordinate increase of public agencies, which are dominated more by bureaucratic ways of thinking than by concern for serving their clients, and which are accompanied by an enormous increase in spending.

The welfare state is, of course, our limited version of socialism. Here are John Paul's observations about socialism:

Socialism considers the individual person simply as an element, a molecule within the social organism, so that the good of the individual is completely subordinated to the functioning of the socioeconomic mechanism. Socialism likewise maintains that the good of the individual can be realized without reference to his free choice, to the unique and exclusive responsibility which he exercises in the face of good and evil.

In other words socialism sees people as problems to be solved rather than persons to be loved and cherished as under the Golden Rule. Socialism causes great harm and in the end causes untold misery and is destined to fail. 

Contrast this to the truly charitable distribution of goods that, in addition to satisfying the material needs of the less fortunate, takes a personal interest the people being served and their spiritual welfare. The Golden Rule when rightly practiced encompasses all that is good in man. It lifts up those in need, serves their spiritual and well as their material needs, and invites them to be part of a loving community. Is this not the kind of community Christ calls us to nurture? Are not all the principles contained in the beatitudes inherently a part of the Golden Rule? The challenge is to reawaken ourselves and the Nation to the true meaning of freedom and charity, to reject the imposition of imposed practices that waste the wealth of the nation to the detriment of everyone. 

The thesis of this little essay is:  The Culture of Death, so pervasive and still advancing in our society, is the fundamental issue that has brought forth all the major social problems facing us today: The economic recession and, perhaps, the collapse of our economy; the pending denial of health care to the elderly and disabled; the continued increase in sexual permissiveness and the demise of marriage between a man and a woman as the fundamental family unit; and finally, the potential for the rise of socialism in our society.

On the surface this premise sounds strange, if not outright ridiculous.  How can the advancing culture of death be the root cause of all the pervasive and difficult issues we face?  I would suggest that there are certain fundamental principles that when violated weave their ugly and destructive tentacles throughout all things.  In my belief, this most fundamental principle is the basic respect for human life.  All societies that deny this right to the most innocent and helpless are heaped on the dustbin of history, or soon will be.  As an example of this, it is commonly understood that Russia is aborting itself to death.  Many other countries of the industrialized world are on the same path.  This increasing disrespect for new human life leads to deep problems and awful social and economic consequences. 

The United States, unlike many countries in the world that have passed the point of no return, has a chance to reverse the death wish that is sending others into historical oblivion.  I believe, however, that our time is short; the devil is at the door.  We reap what we sow.  The instant we decided that our children are a burden rather than a blessing, a liability rather than a legacy; we have sown the seeds of our destruction.

The time of decision is here.  The future of our nation is now balanced on the precipice of history.  Never before, in my opinion, have we approached a tipping point so profound that it may not be long before we have reached the point of no return.  Worldly pressures continue to grease the path to our society's destruction, and they are intense.  The powers of evil are potent.  We have seen ongoing destruction of these sacred values.  The so-called ‘health legislation’ before congress contains publicly funding of abortion.  Abortions are now paid for from public funds in our Nation’s Capital.  Funding for abortion is exported to other countries as a result of the repeal of the Mexico City Policy by President Obama.  The ‘death panels’ remain in the legislation, intent on giving the elderly and ill a sense of being ‘in the way’.  Although same sex ‘marriage’ has been rejected by the public every time it has come to a vote, the Supreme Courts of several states have imposed it on unwilling citizens.  Assisted suicide is now legal in several states.  The current ‘health care bill’ before congress provides millions of dollars to the world’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, who will use this money to sexualize our youngest children in public schools as an investment in its future financial gain.  

But none of these assaults on the sanctity of life, no matter how worldly prevailing or imposing, can overcome the Lord's power over evil.  In Him are the answers, the path back to our fundamental principles.  Since we are His instruments and His hands in this sorry world, the path to rejuvenation must involve us taking action in His name, even as we know that this path is sure to result in suffering and struggle. 

I have often wondered how to reconcile Christ's seemingly contradictory statements: "Take up your cross and follow Me"; and, "My yoke in easy and My burden light."  Maybe this is the time to find out, to see that even in suppression, we can be joyful in following His path. 

If we have reached or are near the tipping point – the point of no return – where are we to go?  What will our path be if we reach the point where two and three year old infants are being killed in post-partum abortion chambers each day, or if three thousand disabled children are killed each day, or three thousand elderly under the ruling that their lives were not worthy to be lived?  This ghastly scenario is not out of the question given the direction our culture is moving with regard to the issue of life.  In the face of this dark vision of the future, it is imperative that we act today as salt and light to restore the sanctity of life to the center of our social consciousness. 

   WE ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND ARE BARELY SURVIVING. HATRED IS BEING BRED BY THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TOWARDS BUSINESS OWNERS. JEALOUSY AND HATRED. THAT IS WHAT THEY DO IN COMMUNIST COUNTRIES. THE BOSS IS THE BAD GUY. YET, AS SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, WE HAD TO TAKE OUT LOANS TO START OUR BUSINESS AND RECENTLY A SECOND MORTGAGE TO KEEP IT GOING. IN OUR BEGINNING YEARS WE WERE ELIGIBLE FOR FOOD STAMPS YET WE DID NOT TAKE THEM. WE WEREN'T STARVING. WE DON'T BELIEVE IN USING OTHER PEOPLES HARD EARNED MONEY VIA TAXES THROUGH FOOD STAMPS. WE STARTED OUT LIVING IN APARTMENTS, THEN A TRAILER, THEN A TOWNHOME. NOW WE LIVE IN A MODEST HOME WITH A YARD AND POOL THAT MY HUSBAND PUT IN. LAST YEAR WE LOST CLOSE TO $200,OOO.00 TRYING TO KEEP THE BUSINESS GOING. WE PAID 2O EMPLOYEES WITH OUR RETIREMENT MONEY AND WE DID NOT PAY OURSELVES. MY HUSBAND IS A GENEROUS AND HONEST EMPLOYER. WHEN ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEES GOT CANCER SEVERAL YEARS AGO HE PAID HIM THE WHOLE YEAR THAT HE DID NOT WORK. THAT IS THE TYPE OF GUY HE IS. WE DO NOT GET UNEMPLOYMENT AS BUSINESS OWNERS. OUR BUSINESS IS FOUNDATIONS AND FLATWORK. WE HIRE LEGAL CITIZENS AND PAY WELL. ONE OF THE REASONS WE ARE IN SUCH A STRUGGLE IS THAT ILLEGALS START UP BUSINESSES AND DO EVERYTHING UNDER THE TABLE. THEY DO NOT PAY TAXES, WORK COMP, GENERAL LIABILITY, SOCIAL SECURITY, ANYTHING. THEN THEY BID THE JOBS SO LOW THAT IF MY HUSBAND TRIED TO COMPETE HE WOULD LOSE MORE MONEY. (ONE YEAR GENERAL LIABILITY WANTED $60,000.00 UP FRONT. WE FINALLY FOUND A COMPANY THAT ONLY WANTED $35,000.00 UP FRONT. THESE ARE THE TYPE OF EXPENSES THAT HONEST BUSINESS OWNERS MUST COME UP WITH TO RUN A BUSINESS)

The thesis of this little essay is:  The Culture of Death, so pervasive and still advancing in our society, is the fundamental issue that has brought forth all the major social problems facing us today: The economic recession and, perhaps, the collapse of our economy; the pending denial of health care to the elderly and disabled; the continued increase in sexual permissiveness and the demise of marriage between a man and a woman as the fundamental family unit; and finally, the potential for the rise of socialism in our society.

On the surface this premise sounds strange, if not outright ridiculous.  How can the advancing culture of death be the root cause of all the pervasive and difficult issues we face?  I would suggest that there are certain fundamental principles that when violated weave their ugly and destructive tentacles throughout all things.  In my belief, this most fundamental principle is the basic respect for human life.  All societies that deny this right to the most innocent and helpless are heaped on the dustbin of history, or soon will be.  As an example of this, it is commonly understood that Russia is aborting itself to death.  Many other countries of the industrialized world are on the same path.  This increasing disrespect for new human life leads to deep problems and awful social and economic consequences. 

The United States, unlike many countries in the world that have passed the point of no return, has a chance to reverse the death wish that is sending others into historical oblivion.  I believe, however, that our time is short; the devil is at the door.  We reap what we sow.  The instant we decided that our children are a burden rather than a blessing, a liability rather than a legacy; we have sown the seeds of our destruction.

The time of decision is here.  The future of our nation is now balanced on the precipice of history.  Never before, in my opinion, have we approached a tipping point so profound that it may not be long before we have reached the point of no return.  Worldly pressures continue to grease the path to our society's destruction, and they are intense.  The powers of evil are potent.  We have seen ongoing destruction of these sacred values.  The so-called ‘health legislation’ before congress contains publicly funding of abortion.  Abortions are now paid for from public funds in our Nation’s Capital.  Funding for abortion is exported to other countries as a result of the repeal of the Mexico City Policy by President Obama.  The ‘death panels’ remain in the legislation, intent on giving the elderly and ill a sense of being ‘in the way’.  Although same sex ‘marriage’ has been rejected by the public every time it has come to a vote, the Supreme Courts of several states have imposed it on unwilling citizens.  Assisted suicide is now legal in several states.  The current ‘health care bill’ before congress provides millions of dollars to the world’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, who will use this money to sexualize our youngest children in public schools as an investment in its future financial gain.  

But none of these assaults on the sanctity of life, no matter how worldly prevailing or imposing, can overcome the Lord's power over evil.  In Him are the answers, the path back to our fundamental principles.  Since we are His instruments and His hands in this sorry world, the path to rejuvenation must involve us taking action in His name, even as we know that this path is sure to result in suffering and struggle. 

I have often wondered how to reconcile Christ's seemingly contradictory statements: "Take up your cross and follow Me"; and, "My yoke in easy and My burden light."  Maybe this is the time to find out, to see that even in suppression, we can be joyful in following His path. 

If we have reached or are near the tipping point – the point of no return – where are we to go?  What will our path be if we reach the point where two and three year old infants are being killed in post-partum abortion chambers each day, or if three thousand disabled children are killed each day, or three thousand elderly under the ruling that their lives were not worthy to be lived?  This ghastly scenario is not out of the question given the direction our culture is moving with regard to the issue of life.  In the face of this dark vision of the future, it is imperative that we act today as salt and light to restore the sanctity of life to the center of our social consciousness.  

 

A Presidential five year plan to eliminate poverty and provide needed services for all.

As President of the United States, I put forth the following plan that will eliminate poverty, establish justice with respect to the poor, and provide education and health care access for all.   Further, this plan will achieve these results without government funding, interference, or power grabs. It does, however, involve two aspects of government action: One, government cooperation with private charitable and religious communities during the five year transition period; and two, tax relief and incentives to achieve these goals. In two previous articles published here (http://www.centerforajustsociety.org/) the philosophical underpinning and a suggested practical approach to this effort was put forth.

First some background. There is substantial and irrefutable evidence that government welfare and assistance programs have had the exact opposite effect than that desired. These policies have decimated moral norms and have had a seriously deleterious effect on families and children. The sum of these effects indicate that these type of government programs, no matter how well intentioned, always yield more negative effects than were ever anticipated when put into practice because these efforts inherently see the ‘target population’ as a problem to be solved rather than human beings to be loved and cherished.

One profound example serves to highlight this theory. In the so-called "War on Poverty" initiated by the Johnson administration, the goal was to elevate the poor to a higher monetary status, with particular emphasis being placed on the Afro-American family. We now know this effort was a resounding failure. In 1940, 86 percent of black children were born inside marriage, with an illegitimacy rate of only about 15 percent. Today, only 35 percent of black children are born inside marriage, with the illegitimacy rate hovering around 70 percent. This breakdown of the Afro-American family structure is unprecedented in modern society, and it began with the War on Poverty that considered the African-American male to be unnecessary as far as family life was concerned. Also, recent data from the Centers for Disease Control indicate that the abortion rate (the number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 per year) for Afro-American women is 2.9 times that of White women. For every thousand African-American women, 32 have abortions, as compared with 11 for every thousand White women. This adds up to more than total failure of government controlled programs—it represents a profoundly negative impact on all Americans and indicts government's imposition of these programs at all levels of society.

We could get into a discussion of the racist policies of pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood, but that has been fully documented elsewhere. The objective here is to show that the true solution to all these issues lies in the generosity and involvement of the American people.

The transition from government control to full involvement of the Charitable and Christian community will take five years. The initial transition plan encompasses the philosophy of the Bush administration in their effort to fund Faith-Based Community Initiatives (FBCI). Although largely unsuccessful due to resistance of the Legislature, the funding, albeit meager, of the FBCIs and the primary emphasis on expanded participation of faith-based and community organizations provides a model for the beginning of the transition to full community leadership in these most important areas of human need.

The reduction of taxes on a schedule consistent with the transition to the public sector will provide the necessary monetary availability to that segment of society called on to shoulder this opportunity, as they will not be funded publicly. All options will be consistent with the sacredness of human life from conception to natural death and will emphasize this most important concept. (Here is a perfect example of a doctor who is a Good Samaritan for our time http://www.tepeyacfamilycenter.com. I know there are many more doctors and health care providers that understand their calling and are doing great good.) These initiatives will result in the transfer of the care of those in need from a cold, remote government to the caring, generous, and capable part of our society made ready to take over this most important task. The intent is to bring to fruition in our nation the lesson contained in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The final effect will be to bring the poor into our shelter and provide to them the necessities of life, health care, job opportunities, friendship, and perhaps most importantly, invitations to be part of the body of Christ.

 

A Presidential five year plan to eliminate poverty and provide needed services for all.

As President of the United States, I put forth the following plan that will eliminate poverty, establish justice with respect to the poor, and provide education and health care access for all.   Further, this plan will achieve these results without government funding, interference, or power grabs. It does, however, involve two aspects of government action: One, government cooperation with private charitable and religious communities during the five year transition period; and two, tax relief and incentives to achieve these goals. In two previous articles published here (http://www.centerforajustsociety.org/) the philosophical underpinning and a suggested practical approach to this effort was put forth.

First some background. There is substantial and irrefutable evidence that government welfare and assistance programs have had the exact opposite effect than that desired. These policies have decimated moral norms and have had a seriously deleterious effect on families and children. The sum of these effects indicate that these type of government programs, no matter how well intentioned, always yield more negative effects than were ever anticipated when put into practice because these efforts inherently see the ‘target population’ as a problem to be solved rather than human beings to be loved and cherished.

One profound example serves to highlight this theory. In the so-called "War on Poverty" initiated by the Johnson administration, the goal was to elevate the poor to a higher monetary status, with particular emphasis being placed on the Afro-American family. We now know this effort was a resounding failure. In 1940, 86 percent of black children were born inside marriage, with an illegitimacy rate of only about 15 percent. Today, only 35 percent of black children are born inside marriage, with the illegitimacy rate hovering around 70 percent. This breakdown of the Afro-American family structure is unprecedented in modern society, and it began with the War on Poverty that considered the African-American male to be unnecessary as far as family life was concerned. Also, recent data from the Centers for Disease Control indicate that the abortion rate (the number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 per year) for Afro-American women is 2.9 times that of White women. For every thousand African-American women, 32 have abortions, as compared with 11 for every thousand White women. This adds up to more than total failure of government controlled programs—it represents a profoundly negative impact on all Americans and indicts government's imposition of these programs at all levels of society.

We could get into a discussion of the racist policies of pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood, but that has been fully documented elsewhere. The objective here is to show that the true solution to all these issues lies in the generosity and involvement of the American people.

The transition from government control to full involvement of the Charitable and Christian community will take five years. The initial transition plan encompasses the philosophy of the Bush administration in their effort to fund Faith-Based Community Initiatives (FBCI). Although largely unsuccessful due to resistance of the Legislature, the funding, albeit meager, of the FBCIs and the primary emphasis on expanded participation of faith-based and community organizations provides a model for the beginning of the transition to full community leadership in these most important areas of human need.

The reduction of taxes on a schedule consistent with the transition to the public sector will provide the necessary monetary availability to that segment of society called on to shoulder this opportunity, as they will not be funded publicly. All options will be consistent with the sacredness of human life from conception to natural death and will emphasize this most important concept. (Here is a perfect example of a doctor who is a Good Samaritan for our time http://www.tepeyacfamilycenter.com. I know there are many more doctors and health care providers that understand their calling and are doing great good.) These initiatives will result in the transfer of the care of those in need from a cold, remote government to the caring, generous, and capable part of our society made ready to take over this most important task. The intent is to bring to fruition in our nation the lesson contained in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The final effect will be to bring the poor into our shelter and provide to them the necessities of life, health care, job opportunities, friendship, and perhaps most importantly, invitations to be part of the body of Christ.

 

On Voting and the Message of Dt 30:15-20

This chapter of Deuteronomy says in part: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live …” To all pro-life people this statement is a profound admonition that goes to the very core of our being, to the heart of how we endeavor to lead our lives.

To think about in the most literal way, abortion, that invasion in the womb that leads to the curse, stops the beating heart of a human person. But it does much more than that. It robs the potential posterity of that little baby and his/her parents forever. The entire family line of this person has been forever erased. There is no going back, no reversal, no second chance. 

What, exactly, has this to do with voting? Well, clearly, the election of one who supports abortion and imposes his philosophy on public policy, leads to the killing of the innocent. (One example of this imposition is the public funding of Planned Parenthood, the institution responsible for killing millions of children.) And as we see from Deuteronomy, abortion (the choice of death) has weighty effects upon the next generation and the one after that, into all times. The killing of the innocent person in abortion is an awful act, but taken in the perspective that it is really the erasing of an entire family line, it takes on a whole new and terrible aspect. We remember from many stories in the bible, great nations and great peoples were begun from one individual. Many of them conceived and born under stressful and difficult conditions: from aging parents, from women who were single, poor, used as concubines, or from individuals conceived in adultery.

Each and every one of these situations (and many others) is given as a ‘reason’ to abort an innocent child. The pro-death candidate apparently sees these acts as a positive good, as solutions to an immediate ‘issue’ of pressure, trauma, poverty, fear, or despair, but without any insight into the future. So selecting candidates to run for office, perhaps because of the larger meaning of the individual, takes on a new a new and profound significance. By ‘larger meaning of the individual’ we refer to the aborted person, certainly, but also to the progeny of this person who can, in a fundamental sense, be considered to be aborted as well.

The realization that came to us, upon meditating on this passage in Deuteronomy, that these long term  effects have a profound influence on the way we view our public responsibility as pro-life people. The abortion mentality, immersed in immediacy and steeped in a short sited view of the future, has cost us 50 million individual lives, and much, much more. It has cost us those who are aborted, their children, and their children’s children. 

The self evident truths that human life is sacred, has been supplanted by the notion that no such truths exist. Human life, as seen in our secular society, is expendable even at its initial and most vulnerable stages, and now expendable as well at the end of life. The values we hold dear are not those that enrich us financially, or give us power over others. They are rooted in much deeper values that provide the basis for a loving and compassionate society that sees the beauty in all human life, especially in those whose difficulties require our continued assistance and sacrifice. They're the values upon which we were founded. They're the values that are sparking a renewal of fundamental engagement in our most profound values around the country and around the world. They're the values that are inspiring men and women to ask themselves what they can do -- even beyond raising the next generation to believe these things are worth respecting and fighting for, to ensure that they exist beyond their and our own lifetimes.

Written by Dasve and Leslie Hanks - draft 

On Voting and the Message of Dt 30:15-20

This chapter of Deuteronomy says in part: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live …” To all pro-life people this statement is a profound admonition that goes to the very core of our being, to the heart of how we endeavor to lead our lives.

To think about in the most literal way, abortion, that invasion in the womb that leads to the curse, stops the beating heart of a human person. But it does much more than that. It robs the potential posterity of that little baby and his/her parents forever. The entire family line of this person has been forever erased. There is no going back, no reversal, no second chance. 

What, exactly, has this to do with voting? Well, clearly, the election of one who supports abortion and imposes his philosophy on public policy, leads to the killing of the innocent. (One example of this imposition is the public funding of Planned Parenthood, the institution r3esponsible for killing millions of children.) And as we see from Deuteronomy, abortion has weighty effects upon the next generation and the one after that, into all times. The killing of the innocent person in abortion is an awful act, but taken in the perspective that it is really the erasing of an entire family line, it takes on a whole new and terrible aspect. We remember from many stories in the bible, great nations and great peoples were begun from one individual. Many of them conceived and born under stressful and difficult conditions: from aging parents, from women who were single, poor, used as concubines, or from individuals conceived in adultery. (more examples??)

Each and every one of these situations (and many others) is given as a ‘reason’ to abort an innocent child. The pro-death candidate apparently sees these acts as a positive good, as solutions to an immediate ‘issue’ of pressure, trauma, poverty, fear, or despair, but without any insight into the future. So selecting candidates to run for office, perhaps because of the larger meaning of the individual, takes on a new a new and profound significance. By ‘larger meaning of the individual’ we refer to the aborted person, certainly, but also to the progeny of this person who can, in a fundamental sense, be considered to be aborted as well.

The realization that came to us, upon meditating on this passage in Deuteronomy, that these long term  effects have a profound influence on the way we view our public responsibility as pro-life people. The abortion mentality, immersed in immediacy and steeped in a short sited view of the future, has cost us 50 million individual lives, and much, much more. It has cost us those who are aborted, their children, and their children’s children.