Catholic Social Teaching

After reading about Catholic Social Teaching and the Podcast introduction on the mater this past week. Which teaching do you feel is the most important? Give an example of this teaching being lived out in your life and your community. Lastly, how might this teaching be seen as counter-cultural/political, and is that necessarily a bad thing? Why or why not?                                         Reminder: I am looking in your initial reply that it is complete and , in its fullness, also does it engage your peers in further convo. Then, are you able to continue the convo with peers through out.

Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sacramentalists/id1457082281?i=1000509400682

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Part 2

1. I believe that the most important of the teachings discussed is the one referred to as “preferal option for the poor and vulnerable” because it encompasses the idea that humans are meant to benefit the greater good. It challenges us to be mindful of others by using the incentive of “judgement day,” where we are judged by God based on how we treat the poor. This judgement encourages us to treat the poor and vulnerable how we would like to be treated if we were dealt the same hand in life. An example of this in the community is when you are walking into walmart and you see a homeless man sitting on the curb shivering with no food. Would you spare him cash for a jacket or some food? If Jesus’ teachings were applied in this case scenario, one would at the very least give him some money or buy him a coat and food because that one act of kindness contributes to the greater good of humanity as a whole. This act would show that you value other humans over materialistic items such as money, clothing, food, accessories, etc. On Judgement Day, God would praise a good deed such as sparing the extra that you have to the less fortunate. This teaching could be seen as counter-cultural/political because of the divide in parties. One party primarly believes in sharing all of their wealth, while the other values hard work and earning everything you have instead of taking handouts. So, this teaching may be a little counter-political in terms of being independent and self-made. I do not think this is necessarily a bad thing, because obviously those are two very generalized values of the parties. Being financially independent of others does not mean that those individuals would not feel compassionate towards the homeless man on the curb.

It is just as much their responsibility in God’s eyes to spare some of their means to support humanity as a whole. It could be considered “spending” that spare money wisely, which ultimately contributes to the greater good. What would you do if you encountered the man on the curb? Would you spare him some change? Would you buy him a meal or a coat? Why or why not? And do you think that this instance is significant enough to impact humanity as a whole?

2. I feel that the most important of the teachings, which is similar to the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, is “rights and responsibilities. Similarly, this idea emphasizes the rights that all people have who live in this world, and the responsibilities they must uphold to enhance the good in this world. What was discussed was that “everyone has a right to life and to those things necessary for human decency” which seems to be misconstrued with the choices and actions of people in this world. The biggest part of it, which was labeled the fountainhead of all other rights is that everyone has the right to privately or publicly practice ones religion of choice. With the responsibility portion of it, we all have this responsibility to others, especially the people who have less then us. The key word in this sentence is “we” because under this principle of the catholic social teaching, the significance is within the unity of the world and treating everyone the same as a “we”. The problem with this is that a lot of places, especially the United States, it is primarily the focus on “I’ such as what can I do or how can this benefit me instead of what can WE do to help those who need it the most to truly work for the common good of the society and the world as a whole. That can become the counter cultural/political aspect due to the fact that people would rather have the emphasis on the I rather then the we in this world an in our country, and in doing so it violates the inherent rights people have been given. I feel like this teaching is present all around us because there is too much of a discrepancy in this world of who deserves what in this world when realistically we all have been given the same rights, but it is our responsibility to uphold our moral duty to others to become part of the common good. Do you feel that rights and responsibilities are synonymous with each other? Must there be one to have the other? Which should be emphasized more in society?
3. I would say that the most important Catholic social teaching discussed in the podcast is the one that discusses “Sanctity of Human Life and Dignity of the Person.” I agree with the hosts of the podcast when they say that all other social teachings tie back to that one and that it is overarching. I think of it as the roots of the tree in the way that it is the steady foundation that is needed for the other social teachings to be able to be understood and practiced. This teaching helps show why we ought to care for the poor and vulnerable, why solidarity is important, why we should care for God’s creation, and reaches all other aspects. I think a good example of this principle is when people disregard those with mental or physical illnesses and disabilities. Just because somebody may not fit the societal norm does not mean that they are not just as worthy of human life as the next person. Before Covid-19 hit, I was supposed to be working at a camp over the summer that was for those with physical disabilities. Unfortunately, I was not able to due to the circumstances, but I was excited for the opportunity to give those kids and teens in my community a sense of normalcy in a life where they are often not seen as equals. Furthermore, there are plenty of other examples of this social teaching that are seen in our lives. The examples that the podcast gave included abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, war, and others. All of these are seen as negative through the lens of the Catholic church due to not considering life as sacred as it should be. However, some people tend to have differing views. They may support wars and the death penalty but be opposed to abortion and physician-assisted suicide. According to this teaching, all of these ought to be thought of in the same light.

This also can appear in a negative light for those that have a more individualistic view of their life, where they should be able to determine their own fate instead of being told what to do. This conflict between societal views and the Catholic social teachings can cause a divide between the church and others, so I would say that there is a negative side to it. How do you see the divide between issues that fall into this social teaching? Is there some way to find a solution to it? Have you ever considered somebody that goes against your opinion morally wrong when discussing these topics? And finally, when you meet somebody with a sort of disability, have you ever found yourself with a preconceived notion about their worth and ability?

4. I feel that the most important teaching would be dignity or rights and responsibilities. Ultimately, it is important to treat others with respect and value as an important human being and therefore receiving respect and value from other people. This supports the dignity of being a valued human being.  Supporting our neighbors and members of our community ethically and morally will help create a flourishing society of rightful human spirit. The rights and responsibilities that each community member serves gives them the option to be moral and ethical rather then unfair and bias.  Rights and responsibilities can pertain to the catholic church, students in school, specific relationships, etc.  For example, having the opportunity to pray and go to church every Sunday, be able to go to school and have the opportunity to learn, and having communication and listening skill with two or more people in a relationship or group.  Specifically, in a friendship you can not be the only one that makes the decisions and chooses what the other person does.  Each individual is still there own person and there should be an equal measure of the rights and responsibilities of the friendship.  Providing equal love, support, communication, and listening skills will allow the rights and responsivities to create dignity in each individual.  The teachings of dignity and rights and responsibilities may be counter-cultural/political but I believe that dignity and the responsibilities of each community member should be valued.  If they are unethical or unmoral I believe that there can be contrast and disagreement, especially for people of different beliefs, culture, or political views.  Overall,  there can always be someone who disagrees with the specific values and beliefs that your community supports but having dignity, rights, and responsibilities that pertain to your specific community is important and valuable.
5. I too feel that the most important Catholic Social Teaching is the idea of dignity or rights and responsibilities. This idea is reinforced through all the other social teachings as well. For example, with what Ali said about the “option for the poor and vulnerable” if one looks at it as being a responsibility to take care of the poor and vulnerable we would treat them in the same way by offering them money or a jacket. The idea of dignity can encompass all other teachings discussed throughout the class. If one follows the rights and responsibilities set out by God, then one is also living for the greater good. I believe this idea provides a basis for Catholicism as a whole which is why I feel it is most important as well. With dignity, each person has a right to be respected for their own sake. This respect means that each person is valued and treated fairly because they are created in the likeness of God. This teaching plays itself out in my life similarly to what Jared had said about those with disabilities should be treated with the same respect as those who do not and that they are just as worthy of human life because God created them, too. My brother was born with a rare genetic disease and is 1 of 600 cases worldwide. As a result, I often volunteered to coach youth sports year round for children with disabilities so they could play the same sports as those who were more able.

It was important for all of us volunteers to treat each child with the same respect and value them the same as if they were not disabled to ensure they had the best experience possible. This volunteer program was ran through a nearby Catholic High School in the area and we were reminded that God created everyone in his image and therefore everyone deserved to be valued the same. The idea of human dignity can be seen as counter-cultural/ political in everyday life. Pressing examples include abortion, euthanasia/ assisted suicide, embryonic cell research and cloning. Another way this is seen today, especially in my major, is with the idea of the death penalty. According to Christian Tradition and the idea of dignity, all of these are wrong, however in today’s society people’s opinions can change. Some in the community even support some of the ideas but not others. I do not necessarily believe it is a bad thing because these ideas were not around when these teachings originated and it was not something that could have been planned for. However, this can be seen as a bad thing because going strictly off of traditional teachings only provides one way of looking at these situations. Similar to the example starting chapter 2 in the textbook by Rae, there are many different ways of looking at the situation of the morality surrounding physician-assisted suicide. I believe it can be seen as a bad thing because it can be a very narrow way of looking at these topics that are more relevant to todays society.

With the death penalty concerning the Catholic social teaching of dignity some argue it is wrong for that reason and others argue for it claiming a separation of church and state. This too is a reason that this idea of human rights and responsibilities can be seen as a bad thing when it comes to political terms because often I feel like the church and state are grouped together and seen as one which makes it even more difficult to debate these topics. I am most curious to hear if anyone else has issues like this in their majors? Especially for science majors are there more instances where these Catholic teachings contradict other ideas that have been emerging in your field? Do you believe these contradictions hold back potential progress that could be made otherwise?