The unholy dollar: Pope Francis slams ‘tyranny’ of markets and ‘idolatry of money’

New York Daily News ^ | 11/26/2013 | Stephen Rex Brown

[Redmen4ever]

“Unfettered capitalism” is a straw man. Could I maybe have a name? Who advocates unfettered capitalism? Is it Adam Smith? Or, David Ricardo? Thomas Jefferson? Milton Friedman? F.A. Hayek? Each and every one of them favors the rule of law and government to define and enforce rights.

Unfettered capitalism has indeed been attacked by the Catholic Church continuously since the 19th Century. During the 19th Century, Liberalism of the Protestant countries of northern Europe was besmirched by the Catholics as though a liberal country was evil (as distinct that certain individuals with such a country were evil). The Catholics proposed monarchy as preferable to democracy.

Like I said, Rerum Novarum made its peace with free-market capitalism (not the unfettered kind, which nobody supports, but one which featured private charity and certain interventions by government). Within the stream of social teachings of the Church, it was a high water mark. But, following this the Catholics returned to the middle way argument. Eventually, proposing Mussilini’s fascism as preferable to liberalism. Pope Francis comes from a country that follows the fascist way. Since he has criticized capitalism as a system, perhaps he likes the Argentine form of fascism. But, if monarchy, fascism, capitalism and socialism are all evil systems, what are we left with? Is grace unable to overcome the world?

Then comes the next high water mark in the stream of the Church’s social teachings, the social teachings of Pope John Paul II. Here I quote from the excerpt in the link you directed me.

“Among the actions and attitudes opposed to the will of God, (and) the good of neighbor ... (are) the all-consuming desire for profit and ... the thirst for power (which) ... in today’s world are indissolubly united.... We would see that hidden behind certain decisions, apparently inspired only by economics or politics, are real forms of idolatry: of money, ideology, class, technology.”

Greed as an “all-consuming desire” is sinful, not that it’s the only sin. This kind of greed is described and condemned multiple times in the Bible. Power-lust is sinful, too. Money is (maybe “can be” is better) a form of idolatry, along with ideology, class and technology. I am fine with this. Greed and power-lust are sins, but this is not a condemnation of any particular economic or political system. It is a warning for us all, as individuals, and as members of communities, in the design of any system. Being aware of human frailties, and not being satisfied with moral exhortation, we should design our relations with each other so to induce cooperation and brotherliness and to avoid temptations.

Now that the Pope pretends to know economics, I will pretend to know theology:

Christianity is neither an economic system nor a political system, although it does have some insights into man’s nature that are to be recognized in any economic and political system.

It is wrong to conceive of people as members of two distinct classes - Capital and Labor - within society. It is wrong, too, to conceive of yet another class - the excluded - who are neither. Rather, we should be anxious for as many people as possible to find their places as a productive members of society, relating to others on the basis of free association, mindful that some among us will not be fully able to do so.

That the promise of reward and the fear of punishment are good; but, that the highest motivation is love of God. Nevertheless, it is not for us to judge others by their apparent motivation, but to put our trust in God for his plan for the salvation of each person. That we are all called to holiness, both those who are called to lives of work and to family life, as well as those who are called to be, as it were, eunuchs for the glory of God.

[wideawake]

You lack vision.

[navymom1]

Remove the log from your eye and then come after the splinter in mine.

I’m still a Catholic, but this Pope is wrong. (If I read his comments correctly).