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Are We Hypocrites?

By       (Page 1 of 1 pages)   5 comments
Message Suzana Megles

 

I hope the Chinese still revere their elders.  I think they believe that many years
on earth give the old much wisdom.  I can't fault that, and I hope that it is true in
my case because of my twenty score years.   At any rate, I personally feel a whole
lot wiser with each passing year.  

Re the crisis in Somalia.  It reminded me of a similar one that happened in Biafra
I think in the 70's.  I believe Bread for the World which I then supported sent
me a large picture of an African lady holding her stricken, bony child.  If I didn't
shed some tears at seeing this, I should have.  It is heart-breaking to see an
innocent child starve to death in front of your eyes.

Now I've seen on TV like pictures of bony, starving children dying in Somalia.
Someone once reminded me that there is also hunger in America.  True - but thank
God, there is no starvation because we do have resources for those people in dire
need. 

Re Somalia, I don't remember when this happened but it was many years ago.
I don't even recall what conflict we were in, but I do vividly recall another haunting
image I saw on TV re a downed American flyer in Somalia.  It was a very sad
picture showing Somalian villagers applauding the dragging through its streets of
a downed American flyer.  You can well imagine that those of us who saw this
image were disgusted and appalled.

How this poor flyer or soldier ended up being captured in Somalia I don't know,
but the image can still be recalled all these many years later.  I only hope that the
flyer was already dead, and I also hope that his family never saw this humiliating
spectacle of their son, brother, or husband being dragged so unceremoniously
through the streets of this Somalian village.  For a long time I hated anything
Somalian, which of course, was probably unfair because there may have been
many others who were probably good people.

Despite this despicable act which happened perhaps during the Vietnam War, I am
able to dismiss it now as I look at the faces of the poor starving children of Somalia.
I have made a couple of small donations to both Catholic Relief Service and another
group in hopes that many more of us are doing so as well.  Certainly the need is so
very  great.  I believe I read that many thousands already have died there from
starvation.

And then I had  a thought.  I hope the Republicans who claim to be the party of
life -I hope they are opening up their pocketbooks and sending more - much more to
the Somalian relief than I can.  Since they don't believe that America needs more
taxes from them to lower our debt, then I hope that they can use some of their money
to help these poor starving people in Somalia. 

Will they open wide their pocketbooks in this regard  or will they be like the people
of Jesus' time? One time He witnessed the donations of the temple- remarking and noting
that a poor widow gave only one small coin to the Temple coffers, but He said that
she was was more generous than the rich because they gave from their largesse, while
the poor widow gave all that she had. 

I love this reflection because it reminds me that being rich is not important, but that
being generous is.  Also, I believe in the Biblical injunction that it is with difficulty that
the rich man will enter the kingdom of heaven.  It is easier for a camel to go through
an eye of a needle than for the rich to enter God's kingdom.  If that's the only criteria,
than I'm a shoo in.  (Re the "eye of a needle" reference, I believe it referred to a very
low gate through which a camel had difficulty going through.)

One other fact re overpopulation - I read that I believe in 2012 the world's population
will have ballooned to 7 billion.  I sent this "fact" to a very devout Right to Life Catholic
and I asked him what are the Catholic Bishops going to do when obviously this will
pose a serious hunger situation.  Never heard a peep from him. 

I have always been against abortion but I believe that contraceptives should have been
approved for use by Catholics by the then reigning Pope Paul VI in the 80's.  Sadly, he
didn't agree and the ban re contraceptive use still stands.  I hope that the church will soon
recognize that if you have a teaching re right to life, then you also have an obligation to
help the innocent lives who are being born in poverty and need. 

I only hope that the Republicans too who say they support right to life and family values
will support a position where they will use some of their assets to assist those born to
poor and needy families.  Is this happening?  No, I don't believe so.  To my knowledge
neither the Catholic Church or the Republicans are helping the needy in this regard. 
Voicing positions is very easy to do, but backing them up monetarily usually proves difficult.

For those of us who say we abhor the way animals are treated in CAFOs, we have shown
that our words are backed up with our actions.  Many of us have become vegan as a
result.  Many of us have become activists re animal rights.  I am glad that I will be
participating in a protest against the eating of cats and dogs in Korea/China where
the animals are cruelly treated before and during the slaughtering.  Anyone in the
Cleveland area who can, please join the protest on Saturday, August 13th at one
o'clock at the West Side Market. 

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I have been concerned about animal suffering ever since
I received my first puppy Peaches in 1975. She made me take a good look at the animal kingdom and I was shocked to see how badly we treat so many animals. At 77, I've been a vegan for the (more...)
 
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