VOICE OF THE PEOPLE (LETTER)
The generous spirit that is uniquely American
Henry J. Hyde (R-Ill.), Chairman, Committee on International Relations U.S. House of Representatives
Published June 9, 2004
Washington, D.C. -- I am writing in regard to "Pope despairs of America's `soulless' vision; Pontiff warns George, Midwest bishops not to let flock stray amid lure of materialism" (Page 1, May 29). As a practicing Catholic, I revere the Holy Father. In addition to his spiritual guidance, he has been a consistent voice for freedom and was the single greatest force in the defeat of communism.
It, therefore, is painful when the Holy Father, or those who speak for him, fall into the error of depicting America and Americans as having a "soulless vision of the world," one characterized by an excessive materialism and a drift away from our "spiritual roots."
I am not so foolish as to believe that the U.S. is not capable of mistakes and errors of judgment. And it would be hubris to overlook our many failings. Certainly our society's tolerance of abortion and its attendant culture of death is a far more damning indictment than is the pope's most recent criticism.
But these papal remarks, coming as they did near Memorial Day, need to be answered, because, despite my admiring reverence for the Holy Father, he is absolutely wrong in referring to the U.S. as "soulless." The most direct response to this characterization would be to cite the persistent religiosity of Americans, a striking quality repeatedly remarked upon by foreigners throughout our history. The high levels of attendance at formal religious services and the widespread belief in a supreme being are in sharp contrast with Europe, where secularism reigns as an unquestioned ideology and the legacy of Marxist materialism has devastated the spiritual capabilities of half of the continent.
As for our broader culture, any depiction of it as "soulless" can arise only from a profound misperception, given that its exuberance and endless creativity emerge from the "pursuit of happiness" that our founding documents declare to be a God-given right. It is pervaded by a celebration of life, in sharp contrast to the desiccation and frozen tradition that so often characterizes the swaddled cultures of our critics.
Nor should our wealth be equated with materialism. No one is more obsessed with material needs and desires than a hungry man. We have been blessed with enormous wealth, but what is too often overlooked is our unprecedentedly generous sharing of this blessing with others.
It would take several pages of this newspaper to recount even a fraction of the resources that the United States has devoted toward alleviating the world's poverty and disease--resources unparalleled in scale and breadth by any other country or international organization.
But that recounting should not be limited merely to the efforts undertaken by our government. The enormous scale of private philanthropy and the ubiquity of volunteering by individuals throughout our society simply have no parallel in any other country. These are uniquely American. In other countries, the obligations each human owes to his fellow creatures are too often disposed of by shedding these duties to the distant cold sterility of a government program, thereby freeing citizens from the onerous weight of caring for others. Curiously this refusal to burden themselves with a personal responsibility for others is coupled with a self-image of moral superiority and a determination to instruct us and others regarding our duty.
More often than not, our critics in Europe and elsewhere who are so quick to point out our failings, real and imagined, regard themselves as members of an elite class and thus reflexively dismiss what they see as our crude, populist, non-elitist culture. Their characterization is in many ways correct, as our culture was, in fact, created by and for the common man and grants to each individual, no matter how lowly his origin or station, a basic dignity that need not be earned or bestowed by his betters because it is his by right.
The reality is that the United States attracts so much criticism because our ideals are so high, our record so consistently positive, that others eagerly seize upon our inevitable blemishes in an effort to demonstrate that our achievements are but pretensions and that we are, in fact, no different from all the rest. But who expects shining results from Russia, China, France, Brazil, Nigeria, Iran or any other country? Or is surprised by their meager contribution to the world?
The reality is that the standards others set for us, that we set for ourselves, rest in a class by themselves, so gloriously higher than that of any other country. In his heart, I know the Holy Father knows these things, and he has expressed his love for our beloved country many times.
I salute the flag because we remain the strongest, bravest, most compassionate nation that has ever existed. To an extent unparalleled in history, whatever security, happiness and prosperity that exist in the world rest heavily on sacrifices this country has made, sacrifices that include our dear warriors fighting for our country and for nameless others on foreign soil, sacrifices that we do honor to ourselves in remembering.
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