This is from Tom Kratman: it is Sunday in the USA and he has to deal with the cleric who virtue signals. From Facebook, so no link.
This morning, at the early mass, I did walk out after we were intoned to not be afraid of letting in “refugees.” I’m not sure what universe the reader lives in. I am not sure what universe the writer of the request for prayers lives in. In the universe I live in, the real universe, those refugees are mostly – no, _overwhelmingly_ – military age males, from a hostile religion, heavily infiltrated by ISIS/DAESH, a slave trading, raping, fanatical, genocidal, and expanding group of that religion. No, the State Department and DHS cannot filter out the maniacs.
Yes, as a matter of fact I do have quite a bit of experience over there.
I will not welcome them. I will not encourage others to welcome them. And I will not support a church that says we should. They are the enemy. They are the enemy of both civilization and Christianity. They are not an enemy to be turned by turning the other cheek. (Indeed, given the sexual proclivities of the region, it is wise to keep all one’s cheeks far, far from them.) And those who would let them in are working hand in hand with the enemies of civilization and the Church.
It is time for us laymen to school the clerics. Our duty to care has a structure. It goes something like this
- We have a duty to our family. This includes our children, our parents, and our close relatives. The person who cares not for his family is to be accounted as an idolator: the person who does not work should not eat. The church is not responsible when there is family
- We are to care for the brothers and sisters without family or education or resources. This may involve the widows and orphans in our local towns — at present taxes take care of that in NZ, but NZ is fairly unusual in that it has a welfare state and is not going bankrupt — and this may involve setting up structures that help extended families, such as hostels for students from out-of-town, or boarding schools, or hospitals.
- Our next duty is to our brothers overseas. The refugees who are Christian. Post WWI, we set up orphanages in Armenia.. As other countries are less rich, so we should help them.
- Our duty after that is to our neighbour, our city and our nation. To pray for the leaders, to build up, to preserve and not destroy. To conserve the water and land: to maintain the roads and rails and networks, and if needed to defend our borders.
- Then, and only then, should we consider those who are not of the faith and overseas and in travail. And only then in crisis.
There is not an equality in this list, and there cannot be an equality. We should love our children more than those in Eritrea or Zimbabwe (if you live in either, think of Russia. Same point). We should care of those of our faith and our tribe.
God indeed cares for all, but we are not God. We do not have his power or resources. And there are limits we need around us to keep ourselves safe.
As an example, we want fences: so the children and dogs can be safe and kept from traffic. We want neighbours we can trust. And we pray we have enough peace and prosperity to help those in need elsewhere.
To help.
Not to signal virtue, or pray about those things we cannot change, or bring destruction so we can feel righteous. Our feelings and our hearts deceive us. Much better to stay closer to the duties we have. Our tasks in this life are sufficient. We need not any extra burdens from those who will require beyond what is wise so their virtue shines in their own eyes.
very well put.
On this and your previous post I get a bit worked up. When it was apparent that the Middle East Christians [Syraic, Aramaic, Coptic Catholic etc] were literally catching it in the neck from their mahommedan neighbours and enemies, I wrote to NZ’s Minister of Immigration. Reportedly he is Roman Catholic by persuasion. I implored respectfully and politely on behalf of favour for this group as refugees from Iraq and Syria for NZ resettlement. I received in reply some socio-political babble from some spokeshole on behalf of the minister. It was along the lines of ‘We mustn’t discriminate’ and our chosen betters had decided to delegate the selection process to the UNHCR folks who really know what they are doing. [Those views are the work of either a dickhead or a crank.]
I pointed out that discrimination was actually a really good thing, in fact to be discriminating used to be known as a virtue. Also that the whole immigration process is one big official discrimination process, sanctioned under our laws and statutes. The silence since indicates that departmental minions have been hobbled to sending out bog-standard boilerplate initial replies. In my most charitable dreams loomed the hope that behind the scenes the minister would be influential in including a fair tranche of these members of his own faith for NZ resettlement. They qualify twice, as displaced persons, and as persecuted. Their adaptation to NZ would have far, far less cultural hurdles than their islamist former countrymen. For a start they don’t regard the rest of humanity, hosts included, as infidels to used for allah’s purposes, no matter how many teddy bears you give them at the airport.
My hope is still a prayer.
I said the same thing: bring in the Christians. They do and will fit in.
Response: silence.
Agree we need to pray.
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The following advice would seem to guard rather well against such abuses:
“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
“Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”
And abuse is what it is: Give me some extra dopamine (or social status) rewards for muscling your good works.
Well, yes. Parallel text read this week.