Posted on 07/25/2013 7:58:19 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Pope Francis on Thursday issued the first social manifesto of his young pontificate, telling slum dwellers in Brazil that the world's rich must do much more to wipe out vast inequalities between the haves and the have-nots.
The pope also urged Brazil's youth, who have taken part in recent protests showing discontent with the status quo, to keep alive their "sensitivity towards injustice" and be a catalyst in the fight against corruption.
The first Latin American pope, who has rallied the Church on behalf of the poor and who lives more austerely than his predecessors, called for a "culture of solidarity" to replace the "selfishness and individualism" prevailing in modern society.
"No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world," he told residents of Manguinhos, a sprawling shantytown, or favela, of ramshackle brick dwellings that until recently was overrun by violence and controlled by drug lords.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
“Voluntary sharing with the poor is something Jesus encouraged. As long as the Pope is not advocating government confiscation from the rich to give to the poor, he’s preaching Christianity, not Communism.”
This is why I didn’t want a Pope from a Latin American country. They’ve got too much “social justice” attitude in them. This eventually turns into take from the rich and give it to the poor. In other words, a Commie Pope. I want Pope Benedict back. This Pope will be all for Barak Obama and his policies.
“Why should there be an equal distribution of wealth? Why do the rich who have earned their wealth by productivity and voluntary trade need to give it away? They already gave their products in trade. Why is it immoral to produce wealth and keep it but moral to give it away? Why does someone’s need give them a claim to the life, the work and the property of others? These questions have never been answered rationally. It is fine to help someone voluntarily but to say it is their moral duty to help others is fantastic. Instead of calling for redistribution of wealth the pope should be campaigning for an equal distribution of liberty and for laissez faire capitalism because no other institution has done more to elevate the lot of the common man in the history of the world. It’s not even close.”
Worth repeating, which I just did. Bully.
He who does not work, does not eat
“HE’S THE POPE...It’s his job to look out for the poor. Yikes, people.”
Not the way he words it. And I find his constant show of solidarity for the poor as if no one else exists that needs spiritual attending to, ostentatious, in a peculiar way. This not living in the Pope’s apartment is baloney. He’s the Pope, not some commoner in a Pope’s disguise. If you are going to be a Pope, act like one. He’s too much a Jesuit, and the conclave should have known better than to hire one. There was a reason he was the first and only Jesuit picked, and hopefully the only Jesuit who will be a Pope after this one’s gone.
Plus, in order to hammer home his man of the people role, he intentionally puts himself in harm’s way mingling with the masses and not using the protection of the enclosed Pope mobile. One day someone, like a whacko Muslim (such as attacked Pope Paul the to be Great) is going to use this Pope for target practice also. He should smarten up and not consider himself invincible, unless he sees himself as a potential martyr, and is intentionally tempting fate.
I just can’t cotton up to this Pope. He wreaks of that Commie social justice philosophy that permeated Latin American countries in general, and infiltrated the Latin American Catholic Church as well. This is also why, before they elected this Pope, I argued that any Pope elected should be from a Western culture, either European or from Canada or the U.S. Not from third world countries on third world continents with a different attitude and view of what Catholicism is. The fact that a PC Pope has been elected is deeply disappointing.
Boy this pope is pathetic compared to the last two
Do you do that?
What form of transportation he chooses is completely irrelevant to this discussion and you know it.
Yep.
What is 2+2?
Hey isn’t 3 cute over there, I heard he was dating 5. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
You forgot to add all the little boys they ever wanted.
Worth repeating, which I just did. Bully.
Matt 19:16And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Why do the rich who have earned their wealth by productivity and voluntary trade need to give it away? They already gave their products in trade. Why is it immoral to produce wealth and keep it but moral to give it away? Why does someone’s need give them a claim to the life, the work and the property of others?
While I don't say that it is immoral to produce wealth...the question is, "why is it moral to give it away?"
Why does our Lord tell that rich young man to give it all away and follow Him?
Why did Our Lord say that "a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven?"
Why did Our Lord say that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God?
Why this parable?
Luke 16:19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Or why this one:
Matt 25:31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Now when the Holy Father says…
…Everybody, according to his or her particular opportunities and responsibilities, should be able to make a personal contribution to putting an end to so many social injustices. The culture of selfishness and individualism that often prevails in our society is not what builds up and leads to a more habitable world: it is the culture of solidarity that does so, seeing others not as rivals or statistics, but brothers and sisters…
(Note: if you'd like to read what he actually said, feel free to click on this link)
…it seems to me that he is basically saying the same thing that Jesus said in the Gospels.
Please feel free to provide me Chapter and Verse, but I sure don't seem to recall where Jesus said "don't share with the poor. They are lazy bastards"
[Now, don't get me wrong, if you have somebody hanging out in your church who is able to work but, when offered to work, refuses to do so, voluntarily preferring to live off of the charity of the saints, that's a different situation altogether (2 Thes 3:10-12). But that one reference does not negate or even contradict the massive body of words that Christ, himself, spoke]
Thank-you Mark!
“Why does our Lord tell that rich young man to give it all away and follow Him”
Good, you start first and be an example. Give away everything you own and go into a convent with a vow of poverty. Start now, if you are serious.
P.S., in case you are a male, go into a monestary,rather than a convent. But make sure to give away everything you own. Everything, and take a vow of poverty. Lead by example.
“He wreaks of that Commie social justice philosophy”:
I forgot to type a correction to my tome above. It is “reeks”, not “wreaks”. It’s late.
It would be nice if people even bothered with 10%. Most wouldn't even do that.
If my wife precedes me in death, I plan to do just that.
“If my wife precedes me in death, I plan to do just that.”
Fine, doesn’t stop you from giving away all of your wealth now. Just don’t tell your wife what you are up to. She may not feel the same if she sees the movers coming one day to empty out your house, lol.
Problem is when there are MORE rich/poor folks, with either FEW or NO middle class.
At least to this Pope’s CREDIT he reaches out to people.
How many poor people have become rich through years of government giveaway programs vs. poor people who have become rich through years of discipline and hard work?
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