Standards and values

The subject at hand tonight was the institutionalization of the Catholic church. I happen to love the Catholic church (and want to protect it). Anyway, he was trying to illustrate a point (of his) to me. In doing so he made the analogy of taking a Ming vase (a vase from the Ming Dynasty) from a museum and placing it in a dollar store. He argued that the vase would then become devalued. My response, which he was not prepared for, and subsequently rambled over, was that it all depends on your standards and values. Is art a commodity or thing of beauty? So much in life depends upon your perspective.

This same guy later argued that works of charity were done to appease an inward need and to gain recognition. Now, perhaps this is what motivates him, but all I have to say is that Jesus gave me the answer to that one. Faith without works is dead.