What is the moral difference (if any) between feeding a homeless person and signing him up for food stamps?"

Recently a friend and fellow catholic posed this question on Yahoo answers
followed by

It sounds like you are suggesting that a government creating a food entitlement is the moral equivalent of Christian charity. Does the democracy earn God's favor by taxation and redistribution? Or am I misreading your answer?

Yes, of course governments receive grace or rather countries and protection by doing the right thing. I don't know what you mean by taxation and redistributing wealth. There are many in this country who have benefited greatly, and have amassed obscene amounts of wealth. In fact the wealthiest 1% control ie own over 50 percent of the resources. This idea that they somehow earned it and thus deserved it is nonsense closely akin to that of the divine right of kings. Those who have benefited most from this country should pay more a higher percentage of their gain as aknowledged out of honor and a sense that it is right to repay this country. The fact that that money is then used to benefit those who have been less fortunate at amassing wealth will bestow graces on the taxed, the recipients and the country as a whole. Grace will abound.
Nor do I subscribe to this idea in America we all have an equal chance to amass wealth. The facts of how wealth is distributed in this country, ie, the obscene imbalance mentioned above bears this out.
Nor are these ideas socialistic -- government owning all means of production -- nor is it radical in American history. It's historic roots are from the progressive era of Teddy Roosevelt and then the New Deal which of course was a reaction to the great depression where unfettered capitalism took it's toll on this country and so many suffered. "Those who forget the past are condemed to repeat it." Governments particularly democracies can have a positive affect in changing people's lives, history bears this out -- compare and contrast the Eisenhower years with the years since Ronald Regan attempted to roll back the new deal.
How have things changed since the "Regan Revolution" well here's one example, when I went to college in the 1980s it cost me 90.00 per semester in fees to carry a full load not counting books at San Jose State University. The University system and Junior college system was set up in California in order to allow all to get a university education. What has happened to that principle since? The university system in California was never intended to pay it's own way. And there are countless numbers of us who would not be able to earn a degree today, because the government in it's selfish pursuit of enriching the already wealthy has neglected the higher ideals of egalitarianism.
My Father was a Catholic man who sold cars for a living and had 5 kids. I am the only one who has a university education with all the course work completed for a master's degree; he could not afford to send me today.
Propel need to take a real look at what is going on in this country. President Obama is a reality because of arguments I have put forth above, ie, there were significant numbers of people suffering at the margins of society; that he was able to tap into this dissatisfaction and organize at the grassroots level, and yes using ACORN.
I have read recent articles but I do not understand how any one could be against such a group of organizers in our urban areas. I have seen nothing that they do that is counter to Catholic social teaching. They gave voice to those suffering at the margins of society that the media ignored. President Obama was put into office by the poor, middle and lower middle class, and toward the end by a rush of the upper middle class, who saw their life savings being eroded by the fall and domino affect of the financial markets that they so relied on to make them all millionaires according to the thinking of the so called Regean Revoultion.
This fall in our economic situation, those who believe it is punishment for the many abortions taking place in this country notwithstanding, was due to President Bush's irresponsibility or perhaps his responsibility. He ran originally on a platform with one plank, he was going to lower taxes for the wealthiest 1%. And that goal he pursued single mindedly and succeeded to the detriment of the rest of us.

I admire President Bush for having appointed so many Catholics to the supreme court. He made a show of being anti-abortion in order to appeal to a certain segment of voters, but other than appointing the judges, didn't really do much else except to throw up his hands. Don't get me wrong he signed a few executive orders and vetoed some legislation that was in step with pro-life ideals -- he threw us a few bones.

But as far as mounting a real attack to overturn roe v wade and using the full force of the Justice department to do this, well he certainly did not do. so, say he was a pro-life president -- well he gave it lip service. All the while doing what he told us he was going to do "suck money out of the economy and funnel it to the wealthiest 1% of society.

That he achieved and it is left for President Obama to undo and give us back some economic sanity and balance.

The economic crises we are in is because nobody was minding the store. in 2003 gen Xers were rushing to by homes at low but adjustable rate mortgages, with the low rates locked in for 5 years. By 2008 led by defaults and foreclosures, because with adjustable rate mortgages unlike a unlike a set rate of even variable rate, adjustable rates meant that banks could charge anything they wanted after 5 years. Who could no foresee this ecnomic crises? So in 2008 5 years later there would be defaults and foreclosures at record levels, when you combine this fact with the creative investment instruments based on this shaky foundation od adjustable rate mortgages (with ourrageous interest payments 5 yearsw down the line and equally outragous ballon payments for refianancing), well who is surprised. And who benefited even from this, again the Bush onctiuency the wealthiest 1% in society


Now a comment on one of our national heroes from the Bush years. Bill Gates. I pray for his soul. With 46 billion dollars he is the bg winner form the bush years, which had it's roots in the Regean Revolution. That is one way to look at it. The other is with pity and compasion an prayer, geniunine concern for his soul. I don't think, and as a Catholic I never condem anyone, but i don't think he can give it away fast enough to save his soul.

btw what happened to that 780 billion dollars bush went to the safe to take out when this all started, where did it go?

I think I'll put this on my blog http://www.fgcelio.blogspot.com/
be sure to let me know what you think of http://www.stmichaelgodsknight.com/
and if you know anyone who would like a site built let me know, I've got my business license now. Oh, I was laid off as of 9/1/09 this year. But I had a strong interview today for some contract work. Please keep me in your prayers.
God's Blessings to you and yours
Fred Celio