A letter from the 4th Century

[Scuba]

St. John Chrysostom writes to those who made drastic cuts to food stamps today:

"What madness is this, to fill your wardrobes with apparel, and overlook him that is made in God's image, who is hungry and sick and homeless?

But you say he pretends this hunger and weakness. And do you not fear lest a thunderbolt from heaven should strike you? (I am furious: bear with me.) You pamper and fatten yourself and comfort yourself under soft coverlets, but do not think you should be subject to judgment. But from the poor and wretched you demand strict accounts. If he does act hypocritically, he does it from necessity because of your cruelty and inhumanity. For who is so wretched and miserable who would, for one loaf of bread, submit to such humiliation? Any hypocrisy of his announces to everyone your inhumanity. Any disgrace and blame falls not on him but on you: for he indeed is to be pitied because he has fallen into such great need; but we are worthy of innumerable punishments because we compel the poor to suffer such things."

[rug]

1. "True evangelical faith, cannot lie dormant, it clothes the naked, it feeds the hungry,

it comforts the sorrowful, it shelters the destitute, it serves those that harm it, it binds up that which is wounded, it has become all things to all creatures." –Menno Simons, 1539, “Why I Do Not Cease Teaching and Writing”

[Mnemosyne]

2. K&R nt

[Hekate]

3. Good find, Scuba. KnR

[Scuba]

4. Credit goes to my big sister.

[Enthusiast]

16. She's a quality sister. DU said.

[Scuba]

18. Yeah, she is.

[eggplant]

5. Nice!

Is there a reference to this somewhere?

[Scuba]

6. I got it from my sister, which is good enough for me, but if you like ...

http://dominicanes.me/tag/st-john-chrysostom/

[AleksS]

8. I'm not religious, but I like the guy who wrote the message at the link

I'm not religious, but I like the guy who wrote the message at the link, especially this:

On occasion, I’m at the my church kind of late. Now and then, someone will come in asking for money. I have to admit that I sometimes confront a voice in my head that says, “You’re being played for a sucker here.” But I think St. Chrysostom would remind me that even if that’s true, that’s none of my affair. That’s between them and God. The choice before me, rather, is whether I want to overcome that skepticism with charity. I hope I’m willing to run the risk that, when I die, someone might write in my obituary that I sometimes loved foolishly. I hope you are willing to take that risk too.

I have family members that have made some poor decisions in life, and it's hard to remember that while it feels good to be judgmental and just tell them "hey, you made your bed, now sleep in it," they are human people in need and suffering, and it is good and decent to help how I can.

Thanks for the link.

[eggplant]

14. Thanks! n/t

[starroute]

7. He's the guy Mozart was named after

Mozart was baptized Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart because he was born on January 27, the feast day of John Chrysostom. He managed to drop most of that and turned into Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but that's where he started out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart%27s_name

[Uncle Joe]

9. Kicked and recommended, although I hoe Snopes doesn't knock this one down.

Thanks for the thread, Scuba.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. St. John Chrysostom was known for his eloquence

("Chrysostom" means "golden voice&quot

So I wouldn't be surprised if that speech was genuine. It would certainly be in line with Jesus' teachings.

[knitter4democracy]

15. It's true. It's from his sermon series on charity and taking care of the poor.

I have a book of those sermons.

St. John Chrysostom was one of the great Church fathers, a priest and later bishop who preached the Gospel and didn't care whom he offended. His sermons are indictments of human behavior even still today.

[riverbendviewgal]

11. the current Catholic Pope seems to follow these words

Thanks for posting this.

[Volaris]

12. Is there a way for us to have this read on the Floor of the House?

Pretty fuckin' please?

[King_Klonopin]

13. Great Post. Right to the point like a sword.

The Conservative interpretation of Christian values strikes again!

"... demand strict accounts": urine drug tests, community service requirements

"who...would submit to such humiliation?": portray the poor as living the
high life, a free ride all the way.... for $104 a month. As he states, imagine
how humiliating it must feel to pay for food with "food stamps". The shame is
the republicans', not the poor's.

They begrudge the poor food to eat, but lavish their wealthy cohorts with
obscene tribute. Four billion dollars will not effect the budget one iota, but
it will provide such a sense of satisfaction for those sadists.

[The Magistrate]

17. Hardly a Fella On My List Of Favorites, Sir, But That is Spot On

I hope it is authentic.

[xchrom]

19. du rec.