great article.
Jesus loved a happy giver, not a coerced giver.
Imagine if a bishop wrote this.
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“Naïve to trust economic as well as political power” to sinful men
Goes to the heart of the left/right ideological split.
I hope rush reads this. And I hope he gets around to reading the pope’s original document, doing so will boost his correct position and he will have less emotion more confidence in the onslaught to come
Rush is right. The pop’s position is indeed at odds with catholic teaching as many bishops are especially in matters of economics wherevtheyve been socialized to believe outside of the catechism that telling the government to be charitable is the way to go
They can’t see what a mess that has wrought not to mention the disobedience
Naivete is all the author’s.
Indeed free market is the best force for prosperity, and the best background for a society wishing to engage in a spiritual pursuits. That, however, is only true if the free market is made up by moral and spiritual men. That indeed lifts all boats as American history prior to 1973 (to pick one date) shows.
Today in America we have a remnant of a free market: our domestic industrial base is nearly destroyed and the economy is rapidly becoming that of a third nation tourist attraction state: banking and entertainment sector, with overpriced high-tech enclaves employing mostly foreign labor.
With the destruction of family structures in the US and despiritualization of the American nation, the remnant of free trade capitalism that we have domestically is on its way to complete extinction.
The international trade is not by itself a bad thing, but a free market it isn’t. Our industry has relocated to China, a Communist country with one party rule and planned economy. Foreign trade is trade between governments, — not free by definition. Anyone with libertarian leanings should abhor it as any other statist plague.
But the Pope is not a pope for America. His is the pope for the world. Globally, so-called “free trade” capitalism surely prospered some areas, mostly in SE Asia trading posts and, again, in Red China. And the countries that wisely retained national economies, like Japan, prosper as well.
But to apply the wonders of “trickle-down economics” to the slums in Argentina or Brazil is laughable. These are truly islands of exclusion and are likely to remain just that.
The Pope is right, the limbaughs of the US should get out some more before they air their parochial opinions.
Yeshua NEVER did and NEVER could have and NEVER would have preached to his flock that what he wanted them to do was go and get the permission from Ceasar (secular power) to have his sword as a sign of authority (secular law) to go TAKE from their neighbors all they saw fit for achieving some benevolent act.
Yeshua NEVER preached that to take was to give.
Socialism, couched in a “democratic” venue is ALL about taking, not giving.
Yeshua was offered the keys to all the kingdoms of the world - secular power - and He rejected it, saying His kingdom was not of this world - the secular power systems.
Whatever our mission as Christians is, in charity toward others, secular authority is the last place for it, not the first.
CC
In the 1840's, as "Communism" began to rear its ugly head, the Official Church came up with "Christian Socialism," which morphed into a pan-European political party, directly leading to the EU, and the socialistic welfare states that are bankrupting Europe.
Here in the US, there was Dorothy Day and the "Catholic Workers' Movement," in Europe there were the "Worker Priests," and in SA, the rise of Catholic Liberation Theology. The theory was, "Keep the lower classes from becoming atheistic communists .... by giving them everything the communists promise,in the church!"
Christian Charity has been replaced by Government Welfare ... oddly enough, that was aided and abetted by the Roman Catholic Church in many ways. In Maine it was Catholic Charities that worked hand-in-glove with state and federal welfare bureaucracies to dump Somali "refugees," on one state in the union that could not afford a quarter-million primitive, polygamous, and often quite violent Muslims.
Was the Pope talking about capitalism or materialism? Jesus said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, also that where your treasure is there your heart will be. To accuse the Pope of being somewhat of a Marxist is like saying Jesus was just a community organizer.
Leftists Try to Paint Pope As a Marxist: What the Pope Really Said: http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/12/what_the_pope_really_said.html …
The media heard what they wanted to hear in Pope Francis’ words. Despite what you hear, he’s no Marxist:
http://hotair.com/archives/2013/12/02/pope-francis-and-the-media-missing-the-forest-for-a-couple-of-trees/ … …
Wait until all the Catholic capitalists stop contributing to the Peter’s Pants collection.
Frankie might change his tune.
**I’m offended by the inclusion of the words “trickle down theories” as it relates to free markets. It seems deliberately provocative.**
This was the line that was mistranslated by Vatican staff.
Wondering if Mr. Ransom read the exhortation.