Image from http://www.yourfunnystuff.com/
Religious Republicans take center stage for the Presidential Primary, despite their great divide over Christian beliefs. While American conservatives call for even more deregulation, Pope Benedict XVI is calling for a more equitable, fair, and regulated economy, saying “[T]he economy cannot be measured only by maximization of profit but rather according to the common good.”
In a 2009 treatise, Benedict further explained his economic views, which called for protection for “labour unions”, which have always been encourages and supported by the Church,” the elimination of world hunger through “wealth redistribution,” the protection of the “natural environment” – “God’s gift to everyone” – from unchecked economic expansion, and strengthened “family of nations”, like the U.N. with “real teeth.”
So why is there a discrepancy between American conservative’s beliefs and the Vatican’s dogma?
Benedict explains, “Indeed, there are many who, creating their own gods, believe they need no roots or foundations other than themselves,” he warned. “They take it upon themselves to decide what is true or not, what is good and evil, what is just and unjust; who should live and who can be sacrificed in the interests of other preferences.”
??? I didn’t say they believed it, I said they “profess to believe” it, like the majority of born-again pols who prey upon the religiously ignorant. Religion DEFINES hypocrisy…
And actually, they (the Catholics) have not won. The numbers of true believers (as opposed to those who go to church for social reasons) continue to shrink as the laws of science show a truer picture of what is ‘real.’ This does not work with fundies, however, they are too far out of the mainstream to be recoverable. An entire segment of society lost to the rabid wolves of TV evangelism, quel dommage…
If I read Benedict’s position correctly, it’s okay to invent gods so long as you did it a long time ago, before living memory, and imbued your invention with mystic power and authority. Then all you have to do is disempower and eliminate upstart competitors.
OK, so I am anti-religious organizations in the first place, and consider the Pope’s no-birth-control stance to be incredibly short-sighted and misguided. But at least they profess a belief in “Christian values” that many/most evangelicals oppose (respect for other religious viewpoints, care for the sick and elderly, the Golden Rule, etc.)
But the so-called “Christian Right” is neither. These ignorant tools need to be reminded that their God-figure does NOT exist, and is simply the retelling of a 4000-year old story of Horus, which itself was a retelling of an even earlier mythical figure.
Evangelicals hate science because it consistently proves them wrong. They hate sex. because it is pleasurable, and their Bible-thumping pastors tell them pleasure is evil, that we were put here to suffer.
If that doesn’t sound like the GOP’s agenda, I don’t know what better qualifies – the Lord above (your employer) is better than you and knows what’s best (needs no regulation,) is a vengeful god who demands worship and sacrifice. And the organization is more important than the individual – the Christian business model: God, Inc. I decree, you obey. Or else…
It is naive to imagine the Catholic church professing a belief in “Xn values.” Just a glance at their history reveals many centuries of inhumane brutality, bias, and murder, in the interest of accruing power and wealth.
By the way, they won. Their members and anyone opposing them lost.
Republicans opposition to Christianity has been self-evident for some time, with extreme capitalists becoming mainstream, the working class has been left to fend for itself. With the top 2% of overpaid employees receiving an average of 200% increase in compensation, not counting non-monetary benefits like profit-sharing etc, the chasm between them and the middle-class widens each year with the middle-class carrying the tax burden for all, is certainly neither fair nor equitable. Unless and until the Democratic Party makes itself more vocal and takes the necessary action to turn the tide of greed for money and power, America will no longer be that great country the masses of the ‘tired and hungry’ risk their lives to become a part of US. Christians of all faiths must join together and unite against the extreme capitalism overtaking our country.
>>o why is there a discrepancy between American conservative’s beliefs and the Vatican’s dogma?
It isn’t just the Vatican. Many “mainstream” protestant Christian denominations have similar “dogmas,” such as “creation care” and supporting collective bargaining rights. (The United Church of Christ not only supports it, but says that collective bargaining is a duty!)
Evangelical Christians originally supported the progressive tax structure for income taxes. And one of the best selling books of all time, from the evangelical side of things, “In His Steps” (which, >100 years ago, popularized the question ‘what would Jesus do’) was very critical of corporate and commercial values and their conflict with Christian values.
I suspect the change has much to do with 100+ years of corporate promotion of the corporate values originating in the primary value of economic self-interest
Religons have always, in the end, put themselves first. Their lust is for wealth and power, just like most right-wing groups. ["Liberal" religious groups don't prosper; you might have noticed they dwindle and die quickly.]
Unfortunately, the religious scene today is held largely by dominionist religions, never far away by previously held somewhat in abeyance by other churches that seem now to find it expeditious to join them.
Dominionism is the political/social structure and philosophy in which secular government and institutions are subject to control by representatives of god, in the form of leaders and owners of religious sects. For a real life example, look at Texas; this was a big part of the policies of the Texas textbook commission, and is at the core of Rick Perry’s game.
If you are familiar with “The Family” sometimes called C Street, you see the ultimate Dominionist religion. Power and control is all-important, far superseding policy or action. Among other things, the Family has advanced its dominionism widely throughout Africa through the time-honored tradition of bringing people to “god,” forming them into one or more hate groups, and designating common enemies. They have put American money in all or most of the African genocides since the Great Depression and are inventors and instigators of, for example, the “kill the gays” legislation in Uganda.
Welcome to Dominionism, the religion of today and tomorrow.
Why are you guys arguing about whether this is accurate? The article includes a link to the Pope’s own words. Go and read them. Stop being so intellectually lazy and waiting for someone else to tell you what’s true.
What does socialism have to do with this article?
Socialism and social justice are not one and the same thing. If they were, then failing European economies that are essentially socialist would be far more equitable. In fact, the gap between rich and poor is increasing over here just as much as over in the USA. Pope John Paul II tackled Communism as the grave evil facing the world, but Pope Benedict, living in a post-Communist world, is the other side of the coin and has repeatedly condemned the excesses of capitalism. The Catholic Church has a consistent ethic of social justice, based on the intrinsic dignity of all human life and will constantly oppose systems that devalue that dignity.
Are you implying that our economy better run by religion?
No I think they are proposing that the application of certain christian principles to ones business dealings and politics would produce a very different result. But since our political philosophy is derived largely from vengeful Calvinistic principles, it leaves a lot to be desired in basic fairness.
@Martlet – If you are referring to the Scandinavian states, Germany, and perhaps a handful of others, then you need to check some facts. While there is some gap between rich and poor (there always will be), the inhabitants are FAR better off on average than anyone here. Yes, taxes are a whopper! But they get what they pay for and what we could only dream about (free education, great healthcare, etc.).
To be fair, no one is asking say… Denmark to be the world’s beat cop, so they have some expenditures that are MARKEDLY lower than those in this country. However, direct comparisons of those countries with the US are frequently not fruitful for many reasons not just structural. What is considered a right within those countries (like health care) is often considered optional, a personal responsibility, or a privilege here (like health care). This makes finding valid bases of comparison somewhat difficult. Furthermore, a system that values social justice will always feature elements which to the United States’ psyche will APPEAR to be socialistic. This is the genesis of statements such as the “socialist” countries in Europe.
There are NO PURE socialist countries in Europe. Never have been and never will be, any more than there has ever existed or will exist a PURE capitalist state (the world that Adam Smith described cannot coexist with the modern context). The countries with welfare state features are hybrids of some socialist features with some capitalist features. Most regimes which describe themselves as capitalist have an admixture of oligopolistic and monopolistic features as well as some “welfare state” components (for example, Medicare) which can coexist because they are not extended to all levels of society — only to a favored segment.
Life is more complicated than slogans. The RC Church’s position has become compromised from the “seamless garment” that it used to be (for instance, somehow the death penalty is not so bad anymore for some bishops). However, the Conference of Catholic Bishops HAS attempted to capture the attention of the decision makers who call themselves Christian and inform them of the traditional Christian duty to:
* Heal the sick
* Feed the hungry
* Clothe the naked…
I am still waiting for someone in the Religious Right to tell me why the three items above (I’m not even going through the whole list of duties) is socialism and not Christian.
–Andy Jo–
I’m not a member of the Religious right but I can answer the question, Andy Jo. It’s socialist and not Christian when you use threats of physical force to accomplish these goals. Unless they’re empty threats, you violate the 8th Commandment. Throw in the 6th too if you believe self defense is morally justified. (And in case you want to argue the semantics of “force,” I’ll throw in the trump card: the 10th.) Yes, members of the Religious Right aren’t always opposed to using force to achieve their social goals. Yes, they are hypocrites in that respect. But that’s beside the point. On this issue, at least, they have it right.
Obviously you are of the libertarian bent, The obsession over the use of “force” gives it away. Well buddy, Adam Smith wrote about a perfect world that never existed, our founding fathers are 300 years DEAD and if force is whats needed to get people to treat others properly in the workplace, and in society in general then maybe force is a GOOD thing.
that’s 200 years dead. typing without ones glasses can be difficult. But I though I would self correct before you made some snarky attack about ones education.
Boy Andy Jo your are so right. Just asking about those three things puts things squarely in the center. And those who call themselves Religious Right do not follow the teachings of Jesus. It is sickening. Yes let the churches help, but you have to belong. sorry if not. Let the states help, but they are all broke, let the people help, but so many are without jobs. Only the government can help at times like this. Close the eyes ears and speak with lies should be the motto of that Right.
consistent?how long?1492?
If I thought this was Pope Benedict’s position, I would agree, but it doesn’t sound like this pope who to me opposed to anything that comes close to socialism. Unless I’m wrong and I hope I am.