Is it possible for a True Catholic to be a Liberal

[qfnol31]

Hey, does anyone know if the poverty level is unique to each state or region or if it's federal?

That makes a huge difference!

[qfnol31]

[quote name='Paphnutius' date='Jan 11 2006, 02:27 PM']I have a quick question for you qfnol, do you believe that it is in the state's duty to assist the poor of its own domain?
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Not sure, but I honestly think it'd be better than the national government...I'm kinda scared of what we've done to our national government.

[Paphnutius]

[quote name='qfnol31' date='Jan 11 2006, 01:28 PM']Not sure, but I honestly think it'd be better than the national government...I'm kinda scared of what we've done to our national government.
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Lol...sorry when I say state I mean the central form of government of a nation, country, whatever form a place might have. Sorry for being ambigious.

A gree with both you and Era. The gov't or state cannot be wholly trusted, but do we honestly have a choice?

[Jaime]

[quote name='qfnol31' date='Jan 11 2006, 02:27 PM']Hey, does anyone know if the poverty level is unique to each state or region or if it's federal?

That makes a huge difference!
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Its measured both ways. There are charts that show the poverty level state by state.

How does that make a huge difference?

[Sojourner]

[quote name='qfnol31' date='Jan 11 2006, 03:24 PM']This sounds a lot like a Robin-Hood school-funding plan we had in place here.  It in a nutshell redistributed all money from the richer districts and moved it to the poorer.

Also, as regards your specific example, I believe the cost of living is at least three or four times higher in New York than it is in Mississippi.

I used to live in Georgia, where honestly there isn't much.  But there it was easier to help people because the cost of living is much lower.
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I see nothing wrong with Robin-Hood school funding. I think it's wrong that a child should be deprived of a decent education simply because he's born in an inner-city ghetto rather than a rich suburb.


[quote name='qfnol31' date='Jan 11 2006, 03:25 PM']Nope, I haven't said that.    I just said it's easier one-on-one than going through a middle person.

Think of arguing with Mrs. Bro. Adam or anyone else in this thread through me.  That would be painful (though maybe funny!)

J/K.   
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No offense but I think that's totally ludicrous.

I have better things to do with my time than try to make good determinations about what individuals will benefit the most from my aid money. Life is way too short.

[quote name='qfnol31' date='Jan 11 2006, 03:27 PM']And here, I think, is a good reason for us Catholics to take these matters into our own hands. 
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How, exactly, would you propose to do this? There are 1 million people in Indiana alone served by our Family and Social Services Agency, the state agency that administers federal poor assistance dollars.

[quote name='qfnol31' date='Jan 11 2006, 03:27 PM']Hey, does anyone know if the poverty level is unique to each state or region or if it's federal?

That makes a huge difference!
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On the federal level, there's one guideline for the lower 48 and separate guidelines for Alaska and Hawaii.

[Carrie]

Just as an aside:

There [b]are[/b] medical programs for people whose salaries are above the poverty line, but cannot afford health insurance. Many of these programs are free or very low cost, depending on your state. Also, if you or your spouse is in college, you can often receive cheap medical insurance through your college. You just need to ask someone for an application. My point is, even if you are not below the poverty line, there are options to pursue for medical coverage.

With that said, I fully support Abby on this debate. While there are people who abuse the welfare system, many of the people on the program do need it as a stepping stone. Also, welfare is not the only program that people abuse: every program in every state has people abusing them.

Mrs. Bro Adam, I think it is unfair of you to generalize that many people on welfare are lazy and abusing the system based on a small amount of people you know in person. As Abby stated, people on welfare need to show proof that they are actively seeking employment. Also, there is the Welfare to Work program. This program gives welfare assistance while providing employment that can help build skills required to getting a job themselves. While the system is not perfect, there needs to be some sort of government support for people who need it.

Just my .02 cents.

[qfnol31]

[quote name='Paphnutius' date='Jan 11 2006, 02:27 PM']I have a quick question for you qfnol, do you believe that it is in the state's duty to assist the poor of its own domain?
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Paphnutius, I actually have a second response reminded to me by a friend.

I think that first and foremost it is the Church's responsibility as a whole, and She has been able to help out much before.

[Era Might]

[quote name='qfnol31' date='Jan 11 2006, 03:27 PM']And here, I think, is a good reason for us Catholics to take these matters into our own hands. 
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Amen. As Catholics, we can do a lot, and we provide more than just social assistance (see, for example, the Missionaries of Charity). But we can't cut off our nose to spite our face, you feel me? We have to work with the government, because we can do more with them, never overestimating their ability, of course.

And I think orthodox Christian believers need to look at ourselves, and perhaps question if we can better incorporate the Church's preference for the poor in our lives. I think both self-identified conservative Christians and self-identified liberal Christians have an important emphasis, but it tends to be overdone. Conservatives tend to be very concerned with questions of Truth, and this is very good, just as the liberal concern with Charity is very good. But I think this manifests itself a lot of times in an unhealthy way, where the legitimate emphasis on Truth becomes an enclosed ivory tower reaction to those (eg, Liberals) who don't fully appreciate Christian Truth, and the legitimate emphasis on charity becomes a humanistic endeavor divorced from any truth, because Truth is seen as a dividing concept, and hence, a hindrance to charity.

We need an orthodox Christian march against poverty just as much as we need the march for life. I've been thinking about this a lot, personally, questioning whether I am really concerned enough with true charity from the heart, so that it goes beyond words and arguments, and becomes a living revolution.

Edited January 11, 2006 by Era Might