Posted on 05/09/2014 7:15:15 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Karl Marx HATED religion.
He called it “The opiate of the masses.”
He’s probably laughing in his grave that the guy running the Catholic church in 2014 is Communism’s biggest champion.
The catholic church was one of the foremost supporters of the Obamacare bill (except for the abortion issues).
Get thee behind me Satan Pope.
Government wealth redistributors are Judases who use the poor as a means of becoming powerful. Wicked! You are wicked!
I hear you sister and hey, what you say is possible but I don’t think probable. I think what we all suffer from here (on FR and conservatives in general) myself of course included is when we hear the buzzwords we reflexively think “Marxist!”
In this case the buzzword “redistribution” is causing the consternation. But if viewed from the lens of subsidiarity, i.e., redistributing “benefit”, not money, then such reflexive fears can be assuaged. Indeed, in addition to curtailing crony capitalism, as another has pointed out, tax cuts, reductions or eliminations in regulations, reducing the size and scope of government itself (all conservative principles) all can be and are satisfactorily described as “redistribution of economic benefit”, because under onerous regulation, heavy, complicated taxes, and government largesse, only a few prosper (those associated with government either by employment or through friendship of those in government).
When these obstacles to equal opportunity are removed, in every sense of the phrase, there is a “redistribution of economic benefit”.
I think that should be the focus here, not reflexively reacting to the word “redistribution”. Rather everyone should ask, “Why did he use the word ‘benefit’ in modifying ‘economic’, if all he is really saying is ‘redistribute the money you greedy capitalists’?”
Again though, I agree, he needs to be more careful with his words.
So what the bleep is the Popester actually saying? EBT cards for all? Obamaphones according to need? School lunches no matter what? Mortgage free houses? Come on the Vatican: spit out what you actually have in mind.
If I remain a Catholic at this point it would be “DESPITE” the guidance and gibberish of Pope Francis.
Let the church disperse it's vast wealth and buildings to the poor first and then as they have mass in open parks and yards they could beg for everyone else’s money to do the same and not before.
HYPOCRIT IMO!
I agree, Satan has infiltrated the leadership of the Church.
Bookmark.
In the free market, the volunteerism of capitalism serves the entrepreneur with opportunities for wealth creation, others with employment and income, and the consumer with supplying his demands by competing for the highest quality at the lowest cost. Freedom and free market capitalism are the greatest and most effective anti-poverty programs known to man.
It essentially handles money for the Catholic Church and its employees. How that is done is the question.
See post 184, directly above yours.
The Pope is actually being very ambiguous here, as seems to be his MO, allowing multiple interpretations of his words
I’m not Roman Catholic, btw, so I have no religious stake in accepting what the Pope said. I’m very willing to accept, tho, that his use of “legitimate ... economic benefit” as qualifiers to “redistribution” can be seen as an indictment of the kind of crony capitalism endemic to today’s Democrat Party and Liberal/Progressive Movement.
Understanding, of course, that he was really speaking to the kinds of plutocracies rife in the Third World, with any attempt to interpret and apply his words to US/Western free market Capitalism being by nature inexact.
Yes, exactly.
And that’s why I can read/interpret the Pope’s words as being consistent with what you have said.
Voluntary re-distribution of wealth is the essential feature of the free market.
“the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the state,”
What is legitimate, and who decides? Can a king decide? Can an oligarchy decide? Can the tyranny of the majority decide?
How much coercion by the government will Francis accept?
Francis’ statement was very troubling to say the least and this time, his apologists cannot simply rationalize it something that cannot be plainly understood.
That is where he goes off the rails becasue the State will only make matters worse.
Total ignorance of the Biblical social and economic program for the poor, as usual.
You’re welcome!
No, haven’t read the Novak book, but will look into it. Might make a good shelfmate for my copy of The Black Book of Communism.
My background in Lib Theo is courtesy of having the Jesuits for high school, including one who had barely made it out of el Salvadore (or maybe it was Hondouras) alive. My opinion then, as now, is that while the Jesuits had a good handle on what the problem was (including the culpability of the Church in creating it), their solution for it - particularly throwing in with Marxist-Leninist thugocracies - was just as bad as the problem itself. And that they tried to broadbrush something that was really only applicable to the Third World to the US and West as well.
But, again, redistribution of “benefits” could just as easily mean lowering taxes, reducing regulations, stomping out crony capitalism to allow people easier access to market systems.
It all depends on how one interprets the words redistribute and benefit, as well as “legitimate.” Heck, the biggest action the government could take to redistribute economic benefits would be to chuck the progressive income tax and go to either a flat tax or a national sales tax, right?
Anyways, that’s going to be the case I make to my Liberal/Progressive family members, friends and acquaintances when this comes up. I think I’m on solid logical ground in doing do, looking forward to seeing them howl ...
Now, don’t jump the gun. He was framed....let’s wait and find out what he really said. /S
lol They were sending brass instruments to schools, but your point is good...
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