There are a lot of Freepers out there who should react with quite a bit of hostility to this statement.
When it comes to the distribution of wealth, the Catholic church leans left.
I honestly believe this Pope thinks he needs to begin to prepare the church for another dark ages. Given his age, he probably won't have too much time to do it.
I would hope that most FReepers understand the profound differences between Christian charity and socialism.
How many bucks is the church sitting on? How much is in the royal treasury? The Pope does not have much room to talk considering the wealth of the Church.
As far as this world it is in the gripe of Satan and why not it belongs to him at this present time. One ray of sun shine is that as in the days of Noe so shall the time be at His return. This world will continue to get darker and darker to the point of the time of the flood where the hart of man was exceedingly wicked.
This pope also deplores the cancerous growth of the state into all areas of human life, a virtual preemption of the corporal acts of mercy, like the education of children and caring for the sick.
Perhaps. But that isn't necessarily how I read the Pope's comments.
In an open (relatively few barriers to social mobility) and advanced capitalistic society relatively free of public and private corruption, "the accumulation of wealth" really has reference to concentrating and redirecting excess wealth to job and opportunity creating enterprises where greater wealth can be produced. All tend to benefit, although some tend to benefit more than others.
The Pope's denunciation is better targeted at corrupt societies, often of an ostensibly socialist or at least anti-capitalist bent. Think of third-world nations governed by warlords or vicious autocrats who use the misery of their people as bait to entice wealth transfers from first world countries but then steal the largess as fast as it comes across the transom.
Why shouldn't the church lean left? Greed may = capitalism may = propserity in the real world. But it's certainly clear that the only way to be a Christian with money is to give to charity.
Those who accumlate are just as sinful as homosexuals that lie together.
But of course people don't want to talk about that.. people would rather talk about how they are better than others. They dare not look at themselves.
I wholeheartedly agree with the Pope's statement that our generation is "anti-Genesis." We are the worst anti-life generation in history. Moreover, this generation shall not pass away without the coming of Jesus Christ. I hope we are ready. Jesus Christ is the only One who can return humanity to belief in God. Without God, we are all lost. I would hope the Pope gets back to this true message of salvation through Jesus Christ and gets off the PC train. There is a huge difference between showing compassion for the poor and neglected and modifying the basic tenants of faith,love, peace and justice.
Don't you believe he was thinking of Robert Mugabe when he said what he did? Me neither.
There are a lot of Freepers out there who should react with quite a bit of hostility to this statement.
It's important to see that Christ's messages always start and end with the individual. There can be no credit given in heaven for charities done in your name by a government, but for which you haven't personally made any effort other than being taxed.
Charitable people make a charitable nation; confiscatory taxation does not. The point is for individuals to live lives of appropriate moderation, sharing excess profits through their own charitable instincts with churches and foundations.
In the case of Mobutu Sese Seko (the ostensibly pro-American communistic ex-dictator of Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), this statement is absolutely true. He extorted, stole, and bribed untold millions of dollars from his people and gave them nothing but death, enslavement, and misery in return. Although somewhat extreme, the plight of the Congo under Mobutu exemplifies the evil of dictators and communists everywhere. The Congo does have more than twenty million Catholics.
"Accumulating wealth was "robbery" when it "prevented others from living". He deplored "the division of our world into belts of prosperity and belts of poverty".
There are a lot of Freepers out there who should react with quite a bit of hostility to this statement.
When it comes to the distribution of wealth, the Catholic church leans left."
The principle of not saving up wealth for yourself comes from Jesus. He spoke of the wealthy man who tore down his barns to build more, because he didn't have space to store all his wealth. Then he died. We are to live for the next life rather than this one.
The real dispute is the solution to this natural human problem of greed. Enforcing genorosity by confiscating wealth is not the answer--it merely redirects greed to the political realm so you can take as much as possible from the public trough.
The answer is a change of the human heart. This only comes through preaching the gospel of Jesus and the action of the Holy Spirit.
Or, more likely, he is tlaking about the totalitarian governments (made up of greedy people) who plunder the wealth of their economies. I think he means someplace more like Zimbabwe. This Pope is not a fool.
There's nothing Leftist about the Pope's statement warning against avarice. By "Leftist" I mean COERCIVE. Unbridled greed IS a moral failing and a social evil. It doesn't follow from that warning that government should confiscate honestly- and lawfully-gained wealth.
Accumulating wealth was "robbery" when it "prevented others from living"
What is there to disagree with? If you follow the rules of our system, gathering wealth does NOT prevent others from living. :)