Comments for Prayer: The Impact on Blacks, Hispanics, and the Irish at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 7 out of 7 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Sat, 18 May 2013 10:42:19 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/prayer-the-impact-on-blacks-hispanics-and-the-irish.html#comment-4816 What the above does not say is that out of wedlock childbirths are now 28% for "whites." Recall that in Sen. Moynihan's famous study in the 1960s, he fretted over a 25% rate for Black Americans (and rightly so). A while back Sen. James Webb wrote a piece for the Wall Street Journal, "The Myth of White Privilege." As someone who grew up among the white, Southern, working poor, it was a voice long due and much needed. I am also a recent Catholic convert and benefitted -- if only in part -- from what we used to call the working class prep school, that is a Catholic high school education. It does bother me that bishops, priests, and nuns express vocal concern for Black and Hispanic Americans but rarely talk about economic and cultural struggle as such. In the British Church and Britain in general, similar trends exist. One can only speculate what America and Britain would look like today if we had spent the last forty years focussing on need -- economic and educational -- rather than tribalizing suffering and struggle. The Church -- in the English-speaking world at least -- doesn't need leadership in Holy Orders focussed specifically on this or that group, but on the needs of all of those whose lives and futures should be central to our compassion and accordance with Christ's Second Commandment. It is time to pray for an AMERICAN Dagger John. I'm disappointed that The Catholic Thing, on this issue at least, seems to echo the drooping rhetoric and discredited policies of Catholic liberalism. Unless you have known the deprivation and domestic chaos of being poor, perhaps you cannot understand that this obsession with racial and ethnic demographics is a distraction and an indulgence no longer in the budget. But then 54% of Catholic voters -- including priests and religious -- helped put into the Oval Office a man who shares almost none of the moral values and cultural concerns of many Catholics. Overall Blacks and Hispanics continue to support this president no matter what he does or doesn't do, believes or doesn't believe. In the Archdiocese of Detroit another Catholic school closes this fall and more parishes are due to consolidate. I don't understand what Catholics are thinking and doing. And to make matters worse, Call to Action and the whole alphabet of Catholic leftism will meet in the archdiocese next year. To what purpose? To accomplish what? Why would so orthodox and devout a priest as our archbishop even allow this? There's tolearnce and then there's losing the way... - Graham Combs Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:54:22 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/prayer-the-impact-on-blacks-hispanics-and-the-irish.html#comment-4814 Super column, and thank you so much for pointing out William Stern's article on Bishop Hughes - reading that was (for me) one of the transformative moments when you find yourself explained to yourself. How could I not have known all that history - my history? And your connecting of George Will's points to Bishop Hughes' answer to the same problems - dare we call it "audacity and hope"? - Tom Brennan Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:37:45 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/prayer-the-impact-on-blacks-hispanics-and-the-irish.html#comment-4812 Oops! I mean Major Oops! Of course in by earlier post I meant to say that priests did NOT--repeat NOT--tell criminals to think of themselves as victims of an oppressive Protestant system. A thousand apologies for clouding up the issue by typing too fast. - Thomas C. Coleman, Jr. Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:56:29 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/prayer-the-impact-on-blacks-hispanics-and-the-irish.html#comment-4811 On your wedding day, invite God to be a part of your marriage. And always remember that He is. - TeaPot562 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:33:45 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/prayer-the-impact-on-blacks-hispanics-and-the-irish.html#comment-4808 Another factor that helped the Irish out of the underworld and underclass was the large number of priests exported to our shores. Among other things, the priests told the young women, largely employed as domestics, not to date the bad guys. And even when a woman chose a spouse poorly, she saw that the children lived as Catholics. It should also be remembered that when a priest was walking a man to the gallows or just visiting him in prison, the priest did enourage him to think of himself as a helpless victim of an oppressive Protestant system that forced him into a life of crime. Irish youth were not told that there was no point in stuying or working hard since even if he did The Man wouldn't let get ahead. America should thank God for the Irish priests! - Thomas C. Coleman, Jr. Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:00:04 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/prayer-the-impact-on-blacks-hispanics-and-the-irish.html#comment-4806 What an inspiring, forward looking, hopeful, thought provoking column. God bless. - Ray Hunkins Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:52:29 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/prayer-the-impact-on-blacks-hispanics-and-the-irish.html#comment-4805 Thank you for focusing on the positive about the potential for change in the black community. The only thing I would alter about your article is that the next Dagger John doesn't have to be black - anyone can take up the DJ mantle. One does not have to be black to be able to help the black community. - Ryan Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:50:51 +0100