Tuesday Conference

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Theology e-magazine

To make humanity united in worshipping God

Is Christianity a political religion? Our Heavenly Patron

Tuesday Conference r each es its 12th issue titled Is
Christianity a political religion? This is the continuation of
our 10th issue where we discussed a few chapters of DOCAT. Now
we bring before you the remaining part of the document.
319. Can I become active in a political party even if its
positions do not always agree with those of Christian doctrine?
Yes. As Cath olics w e have th e m ission of
transforming society into a civilization of love. When we become
active in political parties, we take in hand the means with which
to prove our solidarity with the weak. There will be scarcely any
parties in which Christians doctrine is reflected 100
percent, since a Chr istian platfor m is often connected
with inconvenient positions.

Go into politics, too, and fight for justice and

human dignity, especially for the poorest of the
poor. All of you are the church. Pope Fr an cis

Page - 02

Wherever the powerful suppress justice, Christians

must be in the first row of protestors.

12 Love in Action
Do as God did:
become a Man!
Bp.Franz
Kamphaus
German diocese
of Limburg.

When you are

thirsty, it is
already too late
to dig a well
-Proverb

322
Should
Christians
participate
in
public
demonstrations?
It goes without saying that Christians should go out into
streets more frequently than in the past and not just when their
own concerns are at stake. We must demonstrate with others to
protect hatred and violence, degrading work conditions, the
withholding of their just wagesthey must learn that in order to
create political awareness, they too must go the streets to defend
the human life.

320 Should I become active in non-Christian unions,

associations, and organizations?
Yes. Christians must not retreat into ghetto of like-minded
people. There are three prerequisites for such involvement:

not to collaborate in anything that contradicts the dignity of

my Christians Vocations,

not to hinder me in the expression of my faith

my involvement must not be misused ideologically.
Whenever
you
find
yourself on the side of the
majority, it is time to pause
and reflect.
-Mark Twain
305. Is being Christian a private manner?
No one can be a Christian merely for his own benefit. All of us are messengers and
witness of the Gospel.

Future project for the Church: Give globalization a soul. Rem ond Page - 03
306. Why must a Christian become socially involved?
God is love and Charity is at the heart of the
Churchs social doctrine. Being Christians means more
than adopting particular values and convictions. At its
core, being a Christian is an encounter with the person of
Christ, also in the least of our brothers.

Jesus himself is the social agenda of the

Church.
8 Political Community
207. Is Christianity a political religion?
At no time did Jesus allow himself to be politically co-opted. He was
concerned about the fundamental restoration of man in his relation to his Creator.
His Good news was more than politics, although it has eminently political
implications for the individual as well as for society. The distinction between
religion and politics was difficult for the ancient world to understand and put into
practice and it still is today for broad sectors of the Muslim world.
219 Can one be a politician and at the same time a
Christian?
It is an honour for any Christian to serve society by
becoming involved in politics. There are decisions for
which a Christian politician, for reasons of conscience
definitely cannot share responsibility.

Only live fish can swim against the current.

Politics are
220 Must the Church agree with
always about
all democratic decisions?
The Churchs option in favour of what is feasible.
Christian
democracy does not mean that she
also must agree with all decisions that politicians should
a democratic society makes. In her not be blamed if
they have to
ethical judgment she often takes a
engage in
stand opposed to the decisions of
compromises.
elected officials.

However the
fundamental values
of the human
person life,
freedom, dignity-

are non-negotiable
for a Christian
politician.

11. Peace

Page - 04

272. Why must Christians spread Peace?

Jesus Christ established peace between the heaven and earth and opened all
the doors to a life of reconciliation and inner joy. But his peace does not spread by
itself. Sharing the gospel of peace in word and deed creates the beginning of more
and more genuine peace.
279. How does the Church work politically for peace?
She does all she can to make peace and top
contribute to the safeguarding of peace through
diplomatically represented in around 180 countries.
The Church stands up for human rights, calls for
disarmament and encourages economic and social
development etc.
285 How does the Church regard war?
War is the worst and most momentous failure of
peace. Therefore the Church condemns the savagery
of war. War is always a defeat for humanity.

Anyone who preaches

war is the devils army

Chaplin. Proverb

The greatest prayer of man is not for victory but for

peace. Dag Hammarskjold (UN Secretary General, noble
prize winner)
299. What are we think about religiousmotivated terrorism?
No religion should tolerate terrorism,
much less preach it. To declare oneself a
terrorist in Gods name and to murder innocent
people in his name is a grave blasphemy. No
one who dies while committing a terrorist act
can be described as a martyr.

10. Safeguarding Creation

Page - 05

267. What can faith contribute to discussions about sustainability?

The Christian faith is critical of ideologies, for it does not believe in perfect
solutions. Sustainability can also become ideology; only rarely then does it appear
as something socially and technically feasible, as apolitical plan that should be put
into action forcefully. It does mobilize all possible forces to achieve sustainable,
just and dignified human living conditions, but in the end, it lives by the hope that
God will ultimately perfect what we human beings cannot achieve.

The ecological crisis does not occur, not

at the desks of the theologians and
sociologists, but rather in the lived
experience of farmers who have
suffered losses due to extreme climate
and of poor migrant workers in the
slums of cities.

269. Where is God in the ecological crisis?

God is first of all in the people who share. God condescended to share
personally in human misery. The Church is the oldest global player and therefore
capable of worldwide responsibility that will turn the tide in the ecological crisis.
Any work that is aimed at the destruction
of the living, those who come after us, our
fellow creatures, and the earth itself
cannot be reconciled with Christian faith.

Dorothee Solle
John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae,

The dominion granted to man by the Creator is

not an absolute power, nor can one speak of a
freedom to use and misuse or to dispose things as
one pleases. The limitation imposed from the
beginning symbolically by the prohibition not to eat
of the fruit of the tree shows clearly that, we are
subject not only biological laws but also to the moral
ones which cannot be violated with impunity.

9. The International Community

Page - 06

249 How should migrants be treated, in keeping with unity of the

human family?
These people are not just citizens of a country but are always members of
the human family as well. It is a moral duty to provide refuge for those who in
their homeland are subjects to prosecution or suffer from dire need, people do not
leave their homeland without a reason. As long as there is no real international
collaboration for the truly just development of all nations, people will seek to
migrate to other countries looking for a better life.
They are children, women, men
who are forced to leave their homes for
various reasons, who share a legitimate
desire for knowing and having, but above
all for being more.

250. How is the Catholic Church involved in this area?

For many years, throughout the world, the Catholic Church has been an
advocate for migrants, including the group of undocumented or illegal aliens. In
doing so she cites the preferential option for the poor, marginalized, the forgotten.
Leviticus 19:33-34 When an alien
resides with you in your land, you shall not
oppress the alien. The alien who resides
with you shall be to you as the citizen among
you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for
you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
Catholic teaching can be summarized as,
1) people have the right to migrate in order to support themselves and families,
2) nations have the right to regulate their borders,
3) refugees and asylum seekers should be given protection,
4) human dignity and rights of undocumented migrants should respected.
I believe terrorism cannot be won over by military action. Improving the lives
of poor people is a better strategy than spending it on guns.
Muhammad Yunus Bangaledshi Noble prize winner.

7. Economic Life

Page - 07

161. Is affluence unethical?

No. To increase prosperity can be a noble
ethical purpose. But this purpose is morally good
only when it is pursued in a way consistent with the
global development of all human beings in solidarity.
162. Is the Church critical of economic
activity?
The Church has a fundamentally positive view
of economic activity. She critiques economic activity
only when commerce sets itself up as an absolute.
172. Is there such a thing as a Christian economic model?
No. The Church is supposed to proclaim the Gospel and not enter a
competition for the best economic model and technological solutions. The Churchs
demands that the economy should serve man and the common good is a
reasonable demand in keeping with human dignity.
163. Can work in business be a vocation?
Yes. Work in commerce and business can be
authentic vocation from God.
169. What should I do about other peoples
poverty?
Christians are motivated to alleviate the
suffering of others. In doing so no one should feel
overburdened, but no one should feel too easily
exempt.
We are all foreigners almost everywhere. European bumper sticker
We conclude this issue with an exhortation of Pope Francis given on
November 6, 2015.
Can we not do more to make this revolution of love and justice a reality in
many parts of this tormented planet? The social doctrine of the church can help so
many people! God is not with those in power, He is solely with the truth, reminds
Dostoevsky .

If not us, who? If not here, where? If not now, when?

John F Kennedy
Editor: Tony Maliyekal VC

Published from Vincentian Vidyabhavan, Aluva.