Hugo Chavez looks to God as cancer clouds future

yahoo news ^ | 5/7/2012 | yahoo news

[Mr. K]

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has spent much of his career praising the socialist ideas of famed atheists such as Karl Marx and Fidel Castro. Now in the thick of a prolonged battle against cancer, however, the leftist leader is drawing inspiration from a spiritual leader: Jesus Christ.

Chavez has been praying for divine intervention during increasingly infrequent appearances on television, holding up a crucifix while vowing to overcome his illness. He says living with cancer has made him "more Christian," talk that has spurred speculation that cancer might cut short his bid for re-election in October.

Chavez's voice cracked with emotion as he bade farewell to aides and supporters in Caracas on April 30 before leaving for what he said would be his final round of cancer treatment in Cuba.

"I'm sure our Christ will do it again, continuing making the miracle," Chavez said as he raised his cross to his lips and kissed it, prompting applause from an audience of aides.

If Chavez survives cancer, political analysts say his increasing religiosity could pay election-year dividends in a country where Catholicism remains influential.

"Given that he cannot hide the illness, but he can hide its characteristics and danger, he's decided to take as much advantage of it as he can, and one advantage is the symbolic and religious issue," said Luis Vicente Leon, a Venezuelan pollster and analyst. "He'll present himself as the chosen one, the man who has been cured and healed by the Lord to continue governing the country."

The president has alternated between emotional fragility and optimism in public, mentioning God and Jesus nearly every time he shows up on TV.

[JimWayne]

But communism is essentially atheistic, so a true Catholic can’t be a communist.

This is not a very important factor. If someone can be a Christian by following 99% of the tenets, the same can be said of Communism. Communism is mainly an economic system with atheism thrown in.

Your point on China is invalid. In general, most Asians do not care for Communism and it has been foisted on them. In case of Europe and Latin America, the people have a natural attraction for Communism.

Catholic church is very much socialist in character and Communism is very close to socialism. So it is both the church and the people. The only reason America is not like Europe is that the American Constitutional Republic was set up by Protestants. If Catholics had dominated the adoption of the Constitution, they would have made it a socialist system.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

-—Catholic church is very much socialist in character and Communism is very close to socialism-—

Some papal encyclicals:

On Socialism
http://www.ewtn.com/library/ENCYC/L13APOST.HTM

At the very beginning of Our pontificate, as the nature of Our apostolic office demanded, we hastened to point out in an encyclical letter addressed to you, venerable brethren, the deadly plague that is creeping into the very fibers of human society and leading it on to the verge of destruction...

On Atheistic Communism
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19031937_divini-redemptoris_en.html

On the Doctrines of the Modernists
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_x/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-x_enc_19070908_pascendi-dominici-gregis_en.html

[stuartcr]

Can someone be a Muslim by following less than 100% of the tenets?

[JimWayne]

Theoretically no, but most people who are considered Muslims would not be Muslims if we were such purists. For example, they cannot live in the land of "infidels" but they migrate from Arab lands to the West.

Ask evangelical Christians and they will live by the Bible which is why they seek to convert others. According to them, those who do not convert others to Christianity are violating the rules of Christianity and some of them even go to the extent of saying you are not a Christian if you don't do it.

It is the same with Communism. In general, if you are for a state controlled economy and cheer and support Communism despite being religious, consider yourself a Communist. This is the case in Latin America.

[stuartcr]

Thanks. Seems that people are just people first.