Christian Ethics in Society

Paper Summary:

This essay discusses the relationship between religion and the state in the USA. The paper focuses on the use of the social teachings of the Catholic Church. According to the paper, much of what is said in these teachings could apply to the social ethics of other mainline Christian churches as well as members of the Jewish faith.

From the Paper:

"John Paul suggested that one of the greatest challenges in the world today is the need to overcome the pervasive individualistic mentality that fortifies many of the problems facing the world and the human community by replacing it with the "concrete commitment to solidarity and charity." The concepts of solidarity and charity seem to be particularly beneficial to fostering cooperation and equality in the American workplace where inequality among equally talented persons can be the rule rather than the exception. The pope sought a balance between the excesses of individualism and those of collectivist regimes. (139-42) His suggestion for a better, more just society can be defined this way: the best, most authentic development of the individual person is within the context of the individual exercising creativity, intelligence, and knowledge so that others, as well as the self, benefit."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Albino Barrera, Modern Catholic Social Documents and Political Economy (Washington: Georgetown University, 2001).
• Frank G. Kirkpatrick, The Ethics of Community, New Dimensions to Religious Ethics (Malden, Mass.: Blackwell, 2001) 102.
• John C. Haughey, "Responsibility for Human Rights: Contributions from Bernard Lonergan," Theological Studies 63 (2002) 764-83.
• Laurent Daloz Parks et al., Commonfire: Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World (Boston: Beacon, 1996).
• Putnam Robert, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000).

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