Reddit reviews Where We Got The Bible: Our Debt to the Catholic Church

Kansas has the 14th lowest unemployment rate among all the states. Colorado has a higher unemployment rate. In fact, Kansas' rate is at or near the natural rate of unemployment. Thus the smaller bounce when compared to Colorado and California which both have a higher rate of unemployment.

So there was no going "the opposite direction." There can be legitimate debate if the plan worked as advertised. Personally I think unrealistic expectations were set. Kansas is tied to the performance of crops and energy. Opportunities for business that settle in larger cities is fairly limited, having opportunity in JoCo & WyCo and maybe Wichita area. So that is a limitation. So yes, Kansas will get a different result than Texas or another state with many large cities.

I also think that short-term results and long-term results may be vastly different. There are a lot of factors that are difficult to predict and Brownback's plan does not exist in isolation of policies from other levels of government, broad economic trends, and shifts in business.

As to your statements about Opus Dei, I think you are confused. First, Opus Dei has almost no footprint in Kansas. Their nearest center is in St. Louis. Six times a year an Opus Dei priest comes to Kansas City, Missouri for spiritual direction and talks. And there are a few Opus Dei inspired prayer groups scattered in a few places around the state, but not anything enough to have any serious impact.

Truth be told, Opus Dei is not the conservative ghost that many make it out to be. Opus Dei is actually disliked by many traditionalist Catholics for having sided with the "wrong side" in the Spanish Civil War and for promoting modern values during and after the Council.

Opus Dei can be best summarized as being an organization to promote mental prayer and offering of one's common daily work for the conversion of our neighbor and the glory of God. Most members of Opus Dei will spend an hour in the morning in mental prayer or meditation and then will break up the rest of the day in periods of work with short hiatus of prayer where that next block of time is offered for someone in particular.

Opus Dei is one of the pre-Council organizations that was suited for the post-Council Church. Your statements would be more valid if you Opus Dei and replaced it with SSPX. But they also hold little sway in the politics of the state.

> Catholics do not believe that 'scripture came from the church'

Perhaps you should read the popular Catholic book by Fr. Graham, Where We Got The Bible: Our Debt to the Catholic Church. This view has always been the view of the Church. Only those influenced by Protestants and similar groups have come to other conclusions.

> Catholics believe that more of the bible is told as a parable

Can I also interest you in the Haydock Bible Commentary? So many misconceptions you have. It probably isn't your fault, though. Those charged with the teaching of the faith failed miserably in the era of 1960 - 1989 and we are just now starting to come out of it.