Joseph Cardijn's model "See, Judge, Act" influenced several movements around the world, such as the Young Christian Workers (YCW), Young Christian Students (YSC), the Christian Family Movement (CFM), and the Student Catholic Action. The Paulian Association, in conjunction with the Christian Life Movement of South Australia, began Project Compassion. In North America, his approach was applied to Catholic action movements adopted by Franciscans and Jesuits. South America adopted it as a model compatible with the Liberation Theology movement.
The Catholic Church integrated the See Judge Act method into its social teaching, starting with many Encyicals but especially with Pope John XXIII's encyclical Mater et Magistra in 1961.
Vatican II elaborated on the method in the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity (Apostolicam Actuositatem). The Council also adopted the See Judge Act as a work method for drafting the Constitution on the Church in the World of Today (Gaudium et Spes). The Declaration on Religious Freedom (Dignitatis Humanae) also follows the See Judge Act method in its outline.
We see the model in all of Pope Francis's writings.
What is the common thread that binds all these movements together?
It's the fact that they were and continue to be driven and organized by lay people like you and me, who have the power to effect change.
Joseph Cardijn's famous quote, "Give me leaders, and I will raise the world," is vital. Cardijn had tremendous faith and confidence in people, especially you, to change the world.
It is time for us as leaders to Speak Up and Speak Out about the evils of Christian Nationalism.
Christian Nationalism, Christian Imperialism, and Christo-fascism all reflect the same primary goal: they are the Antithesis of Catholic Social Teachings.
"The Church needs all of its lay-folk, not the clergy, to bring the kingdom of God into the present-day world." ~ Louis J Putz CSC 1957
Is it time to let the spirit of Cardijn and the various creators of the Documents of Vatican II inspire and instill in us a drive to organize and act against Christian Nationalism, as Cardijn and others did against the Christian Nationalism of their era in Europe?
Using the See-Judge-Act method, explore how our perspectives challenge traditional interpretations and inspire new ways of understanding faith and spirituality. Christian Nationalism has bottomless "Christian" Roots of nationalist ideologies that were the foundation of European Imperialism. How is this different from the vision of the historical Jesus, and how does that vision too quickly adapt itself to imperial theology? Is Christian Nationalism, as we see and experience it in our world today, the vehicle to drive the decisions between imperial Christianity and Secular Democracy?
Focus and Keep in mind these differences:
Catholic Social Teachings:
Universal: Focuses on the dignity of all human beings regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or religion.
Common good: Prioritizes the well-being of the entire community, emphasizing social justice, solidarity, and the preferential option for people experiencing poverty.
Subsidiarity: Advocates for solutions at the lowest possible level, empowering individuals and communities to solve their problems.
Dialogue and cooperation: Promotes engagement with people of different faiths and backgrounds to build a more just and peaceful world.
Christian Nationalism:
Particularistic: Emphasizes the specialness and superiority of a specific Christian nation.
National identity: Blends Christian faith with national identity, often conflating national interests with God's will. And always contrary to the teachings of Jesus.
Exclusionary: Non-Christians or specific social groups may be viewed as threats to the nation's Christian character.
Domination: Seeks to impose unique "Christian" values and norms on the nation's laws and policies.
Christian Nationalism stirs up emotion and blurs people's thinking about what it means to be a Christian and our National identity. It blends the two as closely related and necessary and seeks to enhance and preserve their union as one. This goes to the heart of the matter; everything flows from this blurring of religious and national identity.
In this framework, the separation of Church and state is at stake..
I suggest you focus on FIVE Areas that the Christian Nationalism Movement fosters in their words as you reflect using the See-Judge-Act method.
• The government should declare our Nation a Christian Nation.
• National laws should be based on Christian values.
• If our country moves away from our Christian foundations, we will not have a country anymore.
• Being Christian is a vital part of being committed to our country. God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of our society.
Use the See-Judge-Act method to understand better those five areas, their role in society, and how people can emotionally gravitate toward believing they are suitable for our country. When that happens, history has taught us we enter the world of Christo-fascism.
“To my mind, a truly Christian society would be one whose skyline would be crowded not only with churches but with synagogues, temples, mosques, viharas, torii, gudwaras, and so on. (Something of the sort worked well enough in the empire of Graeco-Roman late antiquity or the empire of Kublai Khan.)” ~ David Bentley Hart
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