Posted on 01/10/2015 11:56:58 PM PST by Olog-hai
Pope Francis is insisting that his concern for the poor and critique of the global economic system isn’t some novel, communist-inspired ideology but rather the original and core “touchstone” of the Christian faith.
Some U.S. conservatives have branded the first Latin American pope a Marxist for his frequent critiques of consumerism and focus on a church “that is poor and for the poor.” But in an interview contained in a new book, Francis explains that his message is rooted in the Gospel and has been echoed by church fathers since Christianity’s first centuries.
“The Gospel does not condemn the wealthy, but the idolatry of wealth, the idolatry that makes people indifferent to the call of the poor,” Francis says in “This Economy Kills,” a study of the pope’s economic and social teachings, excerpts of which were provided Sunday to The Associated Press. …
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
the New Testement speaks of the poor in spirit which could be anynoe, rich or poor.
by focusing almost only on the poor the Pope is idolizing them. Its too bad he doesn’t call for all to be saved as where we go eternally is more important than our station in life.
Maybe the Pope should allow spiritual guidance from the Rev Billy Graham whose ministry has no focus on class and has helped millions become saved.
I’m tired of this pope, and the church in general, trying to guilt Americans into giving more. The church has this attitude that all Americans are wealthy and don’t give their fair share. Over the years, America has given more to the poor than most, if not every, other country in the world. We continue to support cesspools such as Haiti and most of the nations in Africa, even though most of our generosity is appropriated and squandered by rulers of those nations and never makes it to the poor.
And thanks to current unsound economic policies, the US has more and more people out of work. Charities in this country are hurting for donations because those who used to give can’t afford to, and many of those once generous donors are themselves in need of help.
Maybe the pope should leave his gilded cage, come to America and, instead of chatting with politicians, go out and talk to ordinary people who are unemployed, maybe lost their homes and/or have exhausted their savings. The middle class is rapidly disappearing and when it does, there won’t be anyone to help the poor.
Luke 18:22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Waiting for the pope’s for sale signs.....!
What we’re seeing is the globalization of liberation theology via the Pope.
Christ taught us to love our neighbors from the heart, not hand that off to someone or something else, even the church. Remember, even Christ didn’t set himself and the Apostles up as a great collection agency to distribute goods to the poor.
If the Pope were really serious, he would inspire each individual to go out with charity, not condemn economic systems of which he has little understanding.
He who beggeth for others is contriving for himself. - Old English proverb
Like a socialist government, the wealthy Roman Catholic Church is interested in its 50% cut of donations. That's their funding. As membership dwindles the bureaucracy leans harder on the remaining productive members. Helping the poor is the cover story.
“Oh, yes! It was JUDAS.”
So objecting to the displays of opulence and aggregation of vast wealth by the Catholic Church, as it wags it’s finger at those who may have accumulated some level of wealth through hard work means you want to kill Jesus?
This commie pope has done more to undermine Catholicism than the devil himself. You should admit that much and then do something to remedy it.
Bureaucracy - whether church bureaucracy at the Vatican, or whether commies and socialists in government the world over have not made the plight of the poor any better - and, indeed have swelled their ranks through their stupidity.
He could encourage Catholics to open businesses, be productive, and teach the downtrodden so they may achieve some level of prosperity themselves.
But this commie, like commies everywhere, wants the peoples wealth for the bureaucracy that pretends to care about the “poor”
So why do you hate the poor by loving this “pope”?
In other words, a little wealth redistribution is ok. Sorry your popeness, that is communism. A communist can explain and justify all day long. At the end of the day, a commie is still a commie. Give a man a fish, he eats today, teach him to fish, he becomes entangled in the red tape of our tyrannical gubmint.
“That’s their funding. “
Spot on. Doing good requires vast amounts of money and splendid raiments and gold. Doesn’t it?
What an idiot.
Is that what he got out of the New Testament?
And all this time I thought the Gospel was about our relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ.
IIRC, Gospel is an English contraction of the German expression, “Gut spiel”, which means “Good News”. The original Greek was, transliterated from Greek to Latin alphabet, “euangelos”, meaning “message”. I believe it was Luther that interpreted this as “gut spiel” or “Good News”.
And what is the “Good News”? That we should establish ever larger and totalitarian government to take care of “the poor”?
No.
First the bad news.
We are all sinners condemned to eternity in Hell.
Now the good news.
Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself as the one and only possible atonement for our sins, that, through faith in Him, we could have eternal life in Heaven with Him.
So it’s the idolatry of wealth? Ok, got it. Sell Vatican City. The amount of idolatry exhibited by tourists there every day is obscene. Hey Francis.....it’s what you DO, not what you say
Using your own money to help the poor is Gospel. Using other people’s money with the claim that will help the poor is communism. There is a huge difference, even in the effects of the two strategies. In communism, the poor feel entitled to other people’s money, and they have no incentive to improve their own performance. With charity, many poor people try to raise themselves above the level of needing charity.
In 1960, South Korea had a GDP equal to subSaharan Africa’s. Quit studying the poor to figure out how they can stop being poor. Study those who started from the same low base and have built one hell of an economy.
The Roman Catholic clergy has an awful lot to answer for in underachieving regions of the world. Pacifism and transfer economics only work in western academia. The rest of us have to live in the real world.
When individuals and small local groups help the poor, it’s “concern for the poor”. When large governments “help” the poor, it’s communism.
The pope is a communist but won’t admit it. Now about that “papal infallibility.....”
When is His Holiness going to start divesting the Church’s gold, jewels and other riches and assuaging some of the miseries of the poor he seemingly wants everyone else to take care of?
James 5:1-6 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
there is nothing new under the sun.
Charity is voluntary from the individual, communism is under threat of law or worse.
Concern for the poor is part of the Christian’s response to God’s willingness to sacrifice for the redemption of the world, which is found in the Christian.
Using the power of the government to coerce income redistribution is a sin, because it is an act that demonstrates a lack of faith in the power of God to provide for the poor both directly and through His people. Liberals set up government welfare schema because, among other reasons, they do not trust God to raise up effective private charity schema.
“And all this time I thought the Gospel was about our relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ.”
Indeed! Someone needs to witness to the pope. He doesn’t even know the gospel.
Perhaps his unholiness will stumble in and find these links. They would really help him.
The Gospel Defined and Discerned
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=81901181950
Unmasking the False Gospel
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1010665821
The catholic church is itself a huge repository of wealth.
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