i'm breaking my promise about no political posts...

[blistermoth]

"My faith, and the faith I have seen in the lives of so many Americans, also teaches me that, “Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me.” That means we have a moral obligation to one another, to the forgotten, and to those who live in the shadows. This is a moral obligation at the heart of all our great religious traditions. It is also the vision of America: “E Pluribus Unum.” The ethical test of a good society is how it treats its most vulnerable members.

Who among us is more vulnerable today than the 8 million Americans who are out of work? Who is more vulnerable than the 45 million Americans without health insurance? Who is more vulnerable than the parents who have to choose between food and medicine for their children? Older Americans – our parents and grandparents – should not have to take bus trips to Canada to afford the medicines they need to live -- and live healthy lives. No mother who gets up and goes to work every day should have to raise her children in poverty. That’s why we have to raise the minimum wage, ensure equal pay, and finish the job of welfare reform, so we can honor work and once again grow the middle class instead of growing the number of people in poverty.

The Bible tells us that in others we encounter the face of God: “I was hungry and you fed me; thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you received me in your homes; naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.” This is the final judgment of who we are and what our life will mean."

find out here: http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2004_1024.html

Comments

[robotcharlie.livejournal.com]

that was a good speech. too bad he didn't start saying stuff like that about six or more months ago.

[blistermoth.livejournal.com]

exactly.

[detroitfather.livejournal.com]

Who among us is more vulnerable today than the 8 million Americans who are out of work?

The 1.5 million unborn babies who are murdered every year by abortion. That's who.

[marketsquare.livejournal.com]

Does the President's record so far suggest to you that he'll be effective in stopping those? If so, what scenario do you see here?

[detroitfather.livejournal.com]

A President's strongest leverage against abortion (leaving aside the question of an Executive Order to stop abortion ... which perhaps someone more conservative than Bush would consider ... but which Kerry certainly will not) is the appointment of Supreme Court Justices who will eventually overrule Roe v. Wade. Bush is much likelier to appoint a strict constructionist to the Court than Kerry.

[blistermoth.livejournal.com]

It sounds like that you consider abortion to be the most important issue in deciding who to vote for. If so, why? Have you thought about other issues in this election? (besides gay marriage and stem-cell research too :))

[detroitfather.livejournal.com]

Not necessarily the most important. I think about all the issues. But I come down far to the right of Bush on all of them, I think.

[banzai.livejournal.com]

Heartily agreed.

[blistermoth.livejournal.com]

Valid point, and for the record, I'm not in favor of Kerry's stand on abortion. I'm just trying to point out that Christians need to consider other issues besides it.

We also have a obligation as a "Christian nation" to provide for the mother and her child when she decides to have the baby.

[detroitfather.livejournal.com]

Certainly, Christians have this obligation. Whether it ought to be done by coercive government measures is up for debate. I say no. But, then, I'd say no to most of what government does is "providing" for us. Those things are not, in my opinion, valid functions of government.

[blistermoth.livejournal.com]

Well the church in general has done a bad job of it. No?

[detroitfather.livejournal.com]

Through the centuries, the church has done a fabulous job of it. Or, at least better than any other institution, bar none.

Now, though, because the "Messianic State" (i.e., our intrusive civil government) has stepped in and said, "This is our job", Christians have a disincentive to do the job twice. I know that my personal almsgiving is much less than it would be if the government were not confiscating large chunks of my income to do the work of charity, which I strongly believe should be local and de-centralised.

So, yes, you are right ... the church has largely abandoned this great mission of hers. But, of course, as Faith-Based Initiatives continue to build momentum (err ... if the right candidate is elected, that is), some of this work gets handed back to its rightful "owners."

[blistermoth.livejournal.com]

"Now, though, because the "Messianic State" (i.e., our intrusive civil government) has stepped in and said, "This is our job","

Would you be referring to the Great Society programs and the like?

[detroitfather.livejournal.com]

Yes, the Great Society, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, all of it. I don't believe the government should be in the business of Charity (a.k.a., forced redistribution of wealth).

Even if the government was good at this sort of thing, it is backward from the Biblical pattern anyway:

"For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." -- Matthew 25:29

[blistermoth.livejournal.com]

So you won't be taking advantage of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid when you're older?

[detroitfather.livejournal.com]

It is and will be taking advantage of me.

Since I am one of the producers of this country, I have been paying tens of thousands of dollars into these programs. I don't expect to get back even 25% of what I put in, correcting for inflation. Of course, I will try to minimize the impact of this theft by collecting what I can.

If you want to call getting a small fraction back of a system I paid into "taking advantage", then, yes, I'll be "taking advantage" of these programs. How I wish I could choose not to have "taken advantage" of them all these years. I could retire much earlier.

Of course, even the small fraction I expect to get back is contigent upon the system not collapsing before I start collecting. Actually, I wish it would.

[chaptal.livejournal.com]

Take care of the living and the number of abortions could diminish greatly.

[banzai.livejournal.com]

The ethical test of a good society...

Ethical tests, global tests...I'm sensing a theme.

Why did you pledge no political posts, anyway? I confess, I don't think I understand that. It seems like politics are very important to you, regardless of whether others agree or not. And personally, I find it easier to respect someone's honest opinion than to hear them mention how they aren't going to write about something (which is, of course, a different thing from just choosing not to write about something and not making a point to mention it).

Of course, it's perfectly OK for me to not understand where you're coming from. ;)

[blistermoth.livejournal.com]

I made the pledge because for awhile I couldn't discuss politics without being disrespectful of those who disagreed with me. I think I'm in a better place now. Plus these arguments (especially on the Internet) get really nasty in a hurry. I'm on a mailing list where people (I'm sad to say Christians) have been tearing each other apart over these same issues.

[banzai.livejournal.com]

Makes perfect sense. I despise mailing lists. I guess I hadn't observed that here in your journal, so I was always perplexed when you made a point of mentioning that you weren't going to post about politics. Glad to hear you've found some firmer footing.

[wednesday]

FILTERS YAY. I made filters and they made me HAPPY! Happy happy happy!

[dondlion.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why Kerry says he can't apply his faith to government in areas like abortion, which he sort of thinks is killing a human (?) but tries to use the Bible against Bush. I wish they'd leave it alone. Of course, early on when Clinton misquoted 'as it says in the bible,"eye hath not seen, nor ear heard what we can do together..."' the bible says something like '...what God hath prepared....' it made me wary of clinton while exposing a certain world view.

they should just leave it alone. i'm not very worried about our election, except for california politics.