JD Vance is obviously, and unremarkably, correct about the order of love

[Michie]

In a recent appearance on a TV news show, JD Vance articulated the “Christian concept that you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then, after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.” The comment caused immediate, harsh reaction from many in the Catholic commentariat, condemning Vance’s observation. Some have cast doubt on his personal faith. One prominent British journalist even questioned the faith of the priest who received Vance into the Church.

The National Catholic Reporter, for example, ran an opinion column headlined “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.” In the course of the article, the author did more to affirm the propriety of Vance’s comment than support the thesis expressed in the headline. For example, she writes, “Paul reminds them: love starts close. It moves first toward those in front of us, ensuring widows were not abandoned while preserving the church’s resources for those truly without support.” This is, in essence, a paraphrase of Vance’s observation, but I suppose that was lost on the author and editors of NCR.

Similarly, a prominent Jesuit priest took to Xto trot out the parable of the Good Samaritan, saying that Vance “misses the point” of the parable. He then gets both Vance’s statement and the parable wrong. Nothing in Vance’s statement remotely implies that he denies that one should help the victim of the crime in this parable. The priest’s comment “misses the point” of both the parable and Vance’s comment.

Continued below.

JD Vance is obviously, and unremarkably, correct about the order of love

JD Vance’s comments on the Christian order of love align with Scripture, despite backlash from Catholic critics.

www.oursundayvisitor.com

 

[rambot]

I'm only aware of 3 strata "of love".
God
Others
Yourself

I don't think God asks us to treat perfect strangers THE EXACT same way you treat your family. But that doesn't mean we have cause to exclude.

 

[RileyG]

I'm only aware of 3 strata "of love".
God
Others
Yourself

I don't think God asks us to treat perfect strangers THE EXACT same way you treat your family. But that doesn't mean we have cause to exclude.

Friendly reminder (if you aren’t aware) this is a Catholic sub forum.

Peace

 

[Lady Bug]

Friendly reminder (if you aren’t aware) this is a Catholic sub forum.

Peace

Is it against the Catholic sub forum to love God first?

 

[RileyG]

Is it against the Catholic sub forum to love God first?

No, I was most giving a reminder is all.

 

[Lady Bug]

No, I was most giving a reminder is all.

True, we do need to remind people of that.

 

[Yarddog]

In a recent appearance on a TV news show, JD Vance articulated the “Christian concept that you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then, after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.” The comment caused immediate, harsh reaction from many in the Catholic commentariat, condemning Vance’s observation. Some have cast doubt on his personal faith. One prominent British journalist even questioned the faith of the priest who received Vance into the Church.

The National Catholic Reporter, for example, ran an opinion column headlined “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.” In the course of the article, the author did more to affirm the propriety of Vance’s comment than support the thesis expressed in the headline. For example, she writes, “Paul reminds them: love starts close. It moves first toward those in front of us, ensuring widows were not abandoned while preserving the church’s resources for those truly without support.” This is, in essence, a paraphrase of Vance’s observation, but I suppose that was lost on the author and editors of NCR.

Similarly, a prominent Jesuit priest took to Xto trot out the parable of the Good Samaritan, saying that Vance “misses the point” of the parable. He then gets both Vance’s statement and the parable wrong. Nothing in Vance’s statement remotely implies that he denies that one should help the victim of the crime in this parable. The priest’s comment “misses the point” of both the parable and Vance’s comment.

Continued below.

JD Vance is obviously, and unremarkably, correct about the order of love

JD Vance’s comments on the Christian order of love align with Scripture, despite backlash from Catholic critics.

www.oursundayvisitor.com

Jesus died for us and wants us to love others as he loves us.

 

[concretecamper]

It is immoral for me to prioritize taking care of my next door neighbor while at the same time neglecting my own children. That is the issue. Why can't everyone see that.

 

[RileyG]

Jesus died for us and wants us to love others as he loves us.

Yes, absolutely!

 

[RileyG]

It is immoral for me to prioritize taking care of my next door neighbor while at the same time neglecting my own children. That is the issue. Why can't everyone see that.

Amen! Very well said!

 

[Wolseley]

It is immoral for me to prioritize taking care of my next door neighbor while at the same time neglecting my own children. That is the issue. Why can't everyone see that.

Because, unfortunately, most people in this country care more about politics than they do about family.

 

[RileyG]

Because, unfortunately, most people in this country care more about politics than they do about family.

My cousin won’t even speak to my aunt because of that. She completely ignored her at her own father’s (my uncles) funeral. Odd, they’re both democrats.

 

[Wolseley]

My cousin won’t even speak to my aunt because of that. She completely ignored her at her own father’s (my uncles) funeral. Odd, they’re both democrats.

Yeah, I've seen that phenomenon as well. It's never been too severe in my family; both sides were steadfast Roosevelt/Truman/Kennedy Democrats right up to the start of the 90s, about the same time the Democratic Party went off the rails into Liberal La-La Land. By then, many of the older folks who came of age in the Great Depression were gone (including my mom and dad), and the youngsters coming up had enough life experience by then to see that the party that formerly represented the poor and the working class had defected into the pockets of wealthy PACs and left-wing loony organizations. This caused a defection from the Democrats in my family; I'm not sure if any of them actually became Republicans, but I do think most of them became common-sense Independents, the same as I did.

I am guilty of poking the bear from time to time at family gatherings, but mostly, I just skirted the issue of politics, for the simple reason being that I love my family too much to let something as stupid as politics get in the way of our family bond. Both my sisters leaned Democrat, and so does my niece, whom I am very close to; but it doesn't affect our relationships with one another. Blood is thicker than politics, I guess.

 

[Learning always]

There's nothing wrong with JD Vance's understanding, I don't think Jesus would ask us not to love those who are close to us more.

Would the NCR reporter be able to place perfect strangers above her own family members??

 

[Oompa Loompa]

I'm only aware of 3 strata "of love".
God
Others
Yourself

I don't think God asks us to treat perfect strangers THE EXACT same way you treat your family. But that doesn't mean we have cause to exclude.

I remember reading somewhere that someone said to love your neighbor as yourself.

 

[Oompa Loompa]

True, we do need to remind people of that.

I have made that mistake once or twice. Thankfully, the OBOB group is very gracious.