(January 19, 2016 at 12:26 am)TrueChristian Wrote: We know there is a lot of poverty in the USA.
It's a shame really. We have tried to help the poor for about 70 years with not a ton to show for it.
I have an idea though. Vocations!!
What if in the despairing cities of Detroit, Milwaukee, North Minneapolis, Compton, South side of chicago etc. What if.. a flourishing of monastacism took place?
What if many young men and women were moved by the holy spirit ( Or Buddha I guess...) to become monks and nuns? In the middle ages monks and nuns helped develop civilizaiton, by opening schools and researching medicine.
If young poor people in the USA were moved to become monks and nuns more, wouldn't that do a lot of good? Many people would be purged from wellfare roles ( the abbot/abbess would provide for them) but they would become sort of like social service workers themselves
Moreover, since they would not reproduce, there wouldn't be as many out of wedlock babies and things like that. The surplus population would decrease and there would be fewer mouths to feed.
Buddhist and Catholic monastries would indeed serve as a form of contraception that produces good fruit!
I am so excited.. I think I have palpitations!!!
Well?
Have you ever tried to help someone who's Job is to be homeless or poor? I spent the first part of my Christian life doing this, and their is one thing I've learned.. That their is a freedom that the poor and homeless enjoy that most people with jobs will never truly understand. this freedom means more than life itself in some cases. This freedom however can not exist in any form of structured society. In essence the cost of this freedom is separation from any structured form of work or responsibility. As such you will NEVER talk someone into a job who sole purpose in life is to enjoy this 'freedom' for any length of time beyond what they have to do in order to get back to the 'freedom' they love.
