tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357928797777585687.post2161626886390537609..comments2023-07-08T12:35:20.561+02:00Comments on The Deutschland Diaries: Church and State: the Pope comes homeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357928797777585687.post-90880240254500888442011-09-23T04:15:37.601+02:002011-09-23T04:15:37.601+02:00We did hear a story on this as well today on NPR.....We did hear a story on this as well today on NPR...mentioning the church and state issue.Brendanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357928797777585687.post-80606077344340713932011-09-23T06:05:30.615+02:002011-09-23T06:05:30.615+02:00that's interesting. in Mali, people made that ...that's interesting. in Mali, people made that point to me about the U.S.--there, people depend on charity. Islam has a tenet for charity and a significant portion of one's income is to be given to the poor--but that's not something that's part of Western culture at all. We assume we are supporting economic growth with taxes for social programs. If we see a beggar, we assume they are a beggar because they are lazy and not finding work or help that they could have, and feel no obligation to pay them anything. In a different country, where there is no social support, people depend on the generosity of other people. I don't think that's quite right. I've had that argument with people before, though :)Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com