Welcome to our website on Catholic Social Doctrine and Alinskyian Community Organizing. The purpose of this website is to fight the encroachment of the Industrial Areas Foundation (in the form of VOICE, formerly the Oklahoma Sponsoring Committee) into the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and throughout the United States and the World. We believe their goals (and those of all Alinskyian community organizers) are antithetical to the teachings of the Catholic Church, and that their actions will in the long run harm the very people that the IAF purports to help.
"It is the duty of pastors to listen carefully and with an open heart to laymen and repeatedly to engage in a living dialogue with them. For each and every layman has been given his own gifts and charisms, and more often than not has greater experience than the clergy in daily life in the world." Leon-Joseph Cardinal Suenens, Belgen Prelate, Vatican 2 Council.
What's New!
Try using the search bar above if you are looking for something specific.
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Organizing for action: the Democratic Party's new machine - Maybe your Pastor will finally believe it really is about partisan politics.
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Author Stephanie Block issues new books on Alinskyianism - "Block has recently published Change Agents: Alinskyian Organizing Among Religious Bodies, which is the fruit of more than a decade of research and writing." The fourth volume is now available on Amazon.com along with the first three! See our History of Alinskyian Community Organizing page for more info.
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Alinsky Now - The is a relatively new website that was just brought to our attention, They really love Alinsky.
Key Information
If you are just finding out about Alinskyian Community Organizing then you might want to start here. these few documents and the video below are a pretty good primer.
Oklahoma City Community Organizing Efforts Justification
This letter was written by one of the individuals who initially brought the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) into Oklahoma. It addresses many issues and builds a case of support for community organizing. It was intended to address the concerns of the parishioners about the IAF.
Our response to the above letter in which we addressed each claim on a point by point basis. As will be obvious from reading our letter, their letter did nothing to address our concerns, rather, it inflamed them and stiffened our resolve to stop the IAF. No rebuttal of any of the points we made in this letter was ever received.
This handout was prepared as part of the struggle to remove the IAF/OSC from our parish. Also available are Spanish and Vietnamese versions.
Why We Are Against the IAF in 100 Words or Less
The video of Stephanie Block's presentation about Alinskyian Community Organizing is available on YouTube!
Stephanie Block Presentation on Alinskyian Community Organizing
She spoke at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond on Saturday, October 10, 2009. Still valid today, it's some of the best information we have seen on the subject. A DVD is available upon request.
"It may well require that we put away half-measures. We cannot hope to renew society if society cannot detect a difference in the way Catholics marry, raise their families, conduct their businesses or serve in government. In other words, we can never hope to renew society unless we ourselves are committed to renewal in our own lives. And we can never hope to renew society as long as we find ways to accommodate social values that are fundamentally opposed to the values of the Gospel."
Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus
In a nutshell, Community Organizing is a method for people to join together to gain power for the attainment of mutual goals in their neighborhood, city, etc. This sounds like a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, most community organizers hold to a political ideology that is considerably "left of center." Of course we are required as Christians to give what we can, in our time, talent and treasure, to help others. How we give, or how much we give, has always been and should always be, between us and God. If we sin, it is our personal sin. If, as many would require, we are forced through "redistribution of income" to share a greater portion of our goods, then we would be robbed of our gift-giving ability.
The failure of our leaders to uphold laws of commonsense and respect, freedom and democracy have led to the decline of our nation in many ways. We feel that the American leaders of the Catholic Church (bishops, cardinals, and priests) have been assaulted (and in some cases co-opted) by politicians and secularists, and have compromised on many issues that have negatively affected our Church and our Country. When Catholic institutions, or politicians who claim to be Catholic, openly embrace positions contrary to the Church"s teachings millions are left confused as to what the truth is. The Catholic Church must hold to the Truth. The Truth must be found and told. We will strive to attain the Truth to our dying breath. We will be supportive of our Church and Her hierarchy, and we will pray for Her, for God"s guidance to those on both sides of this issue, and for our country. Please join us in prayer and in taking a stand on this issue.
We believe it is not only our right to bring up our concerns, but also our duty per the Code of Canon Law.
Can. 212 "1. Conscious of their own responsibility, the Christian faithful are bound to follow with Christian obedience those things which the sacred pastors, inasmuch as they represent Christ, declare as teachers of the faith or establish as rulers of the Church.
"2. The Christian faithful are free to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires.
"3. According to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess, they have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful, without prejudice to the integrity of faith and morals, with reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons. http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__PU.HTM
Ricky & Jo Joyce
We are members of the Catholic Media Coalition.
Last Updated: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 05:14 PM -0500
