Time For Divorce Reform

While the battle rages to protect society and the institution of marriage (and the children!) from the political movement for “Gay” Marriage legalization. It is certainly time for Traditional Marriage advocates to look at various strategies for strengthening the marriages between “One Man and One Woman”.  It looks like the organization Americans for Divorce Reform http://www.divorcereform.org/index.html is working hard to get some good things accomplished.

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The Authoritative Character of Catholic Social Teaching

On the eve before what no doubt will be a significant election for Americans, I think it would be appropriate to think once more about the binding nature of the fundamental principles of Catholic social teaching and their immediate implications for political and economic realities. Pope Benedict XVI’s most recent encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, would make for good meditation before heading out to vote tomorrow.

We often hear this notion of “prudential judgment” tossed around haphazardly, usually by those who search for an excuse to disregard some principle or implication of Catholic social doctrine. While very specific, concrete policy decisions like setting speed limits or requiring possession of specific resident documentation (e.g., state ID cards) are, indeed, underdetermined by Catholic social doctrine and are, therefore, up to prudential judgment, the bulk of what the Church teaches in social matters is binding on the faithful. But why should I, as a Catholic, care about what Pope Benedict XVI or, for that matter, what any pope or council has to say about political ideologies, human development, distributive justice, and economic life? The simple answer is, if you accept the doctrinal authority of the Church, then it follows that you will accept Catholic social teaching, for to reject a substantive part of the latter is to reject the former. The history of papal social teaching certainly confirms this.

In his 1912 encyclical, Singulari Quadam, Pope St. Pius X declared that the Church’s teaching authority extends beyond the exclusive domain of faith and into the domain of socio-economic affairs:

Government is Not the Problem- Corruption and Excessive Bureaucratization to Blame

 (goodgovernmentga.blogspot.com)

In the effort to provide some counterbalance to prevailing opinion in this here “conservative” territory- I find much food for thought in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.  This Authoritative source is most important in discerning the Church’s mind in interpreting the signs of our times- the time corresponding to our personal watch.

Remuneration for Domestic Work of Stay-at-Home Moms (or dad?)- Let’s Go For It!

 

There has been a lot of chatter at American Catholic as to what priests from the 1800’s :} thought was a just wage for families. (http://the-american-catholic.com/2010/07/12/just-how-much-is-a-just-wage/) I think it is appropriate to update things with a little authoritative input from Mama Church- from the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church- under the all important subject of families- there is this to consider:

Why I am Filing for Separation from the Democratic Party

I have decided to take some time away from my Democratic Party membership- this includes resigning as Vice President of Florida Democrats for Life. I have been a Democrat in spirit from the age of 13, when I took the initiative to volunteer many hours for the 1976 Jimmy Carter presidential campaign.This decision is not a flippant one. I will not trade one major party for another, I am going in an Independent direction and would like to found an American-version, Common Good Party, when time permits.

Set Me Free (From Ideologies) Part 3

The Catholic Church is the biggest defender and promoter of the large traditional family. This endorsement of large families is something that tests the loyalties of ideologues because the Church doesn’t conform to liberal or conservative political pressures.  The more-or-less typical liberal ideologue seems to take on the ideal of saving the global environment by way of discouraging the Church’s teachings on Life and Family issues.  The more-or-less conservative ideologue often takes on the approach to economic theory that goes something like- “you breed em’ you feed em'”. I don’t find much support for either of these hard positions in the actual teachings and guidance given us via Christ’s Church.

Set Me Free (From Ideologies) Part 1

“22. Today the picture of development has many overlapping layers. The actors and the causes in both underdevelopment and development are manifold, the faults and the merits are differentiated. This fact should prompt us to liberate ourselves from ideologies, which often oversimplify reality in artificial ways, and it should lead us to examine objectively the full human dimension of the problems.”  Pope Benedict XVI  Caritas in Veritate