Hugo Chavez looks to God as cancer clouds future

yahoo news ^ | 5/7/2012 | yahoo news

[JimWayne]

But communism is essentially atheistic, so a true Catholic can’t be a communist.

This is not a very important factor. If someone can be a Christian by following 99% of the tenets, the same can be said of Communism. Communism is mainly an economic system with atheism thrown in.

Your point on China is invalid. In general, most Asians do not care for Communism and it has been foisted on them. In case of Europe and Latin America, the people have a natural attraction for Communism.

Catholic church is very much socialist in character and Communism is very close to socialism. So it is both the church and the people. The only reason America is not like Europe is that the American Constitutional Republic was set up by Protestants. If Catholics had dominated the adoption of the Constitution, they would have made it a socialist system.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

-—Catholic church is very much socialist in character and Communism is very close to socialism-—

Some papal encyclicals:

On Socialism
http://www.ewtn.com/library/ENCYC/L13APOST.HTM

At the very beginning of Our pontificate, as the nature of Our apostolic office demanded, we hastened to point out in an encyclical letter addressed to you, venerable brethren, the deadly plague that is creeping into the very fibers of human society and leading it on to the verge of destruction...

On Atheistic Communism
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19031937_divini-redemptoris_en.html

On the Doctrines of the Modernists
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_x/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-x_enc_19070908_pascendi-dominici-gregis_en.html

[stuartcr]

Can someone be a Muslim by following less than 100% of the tenets?

[JimWayne]

Theoretically no, but most people who are considered Muslims would not be Muslims if we were such purists. For example, they cannot live in the land of "infidels" but they migrate from Arab lands to the West.

Ask evangelical Christians and they will live by the Bible which is why they seek to convert others. According to them, those who do not convert others to Christianity are violating the rules of Christianity and some of them even go to the extent of saying you are not a Christian if you don't do it.

It is the same with Communism. In general, if you are for a state controlled economy and cheer and support Communism despite being religious, consider yourself a Communist. This is the case in Latin America.

[stuartcr]

Thanks. Seems that people are just people first.