Posted on 09/26/2015 5:39:52 AM PDT by Entrepreneur
ED. NOTE: As this article is posted, Pope Francis begins his visit to the United States. In his encyclical released in June of this year, the pope singled out air conditioning as being a "harmful habit" that is a symbol of rampant capitalism that is blind to the plight of the poor and disadvantaged. These comments by Matt Michel, CEO of Service Roundtable, serve as a timely response.
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Since becoming pontiff, Pope Francis has repeatedly made the news for his criticism and condemnation of capitalism and free markets. Worse, in his encyclical, he singled out air conditioning as particularly pernicious:
“People may well have a growing ecological sensitivity but it has not succeeded in changing their harmful habits of consumption which, rather than decreasing, appear to be growing all the more. A simple example is the increasing use and power of air-conditioning. The markets, which immediately benefit from sales, stimulate ever greater demand. An outsider looking at our world would be amazed at such behavior, which at times appears self-destructive.”
The disdain for capitalism may reflect where the Pope spent his formative years, in the leftist economic basket case of Argentina. Conversely, I’m from Texas, where we are fond of capitalism, free markets, and especially, air conditioning.
Here’s what I think the Pope should say:
In the last decades, more than a billion people emerged from poverty. Never in human history have so many risen from destitution so rapidly. This is a true blessing. The source of the blessing is capitalism.
In 1980, fully 84% of mainland China’s population lived in extreme poverty. Today, that number is less than 10% thanks to China’s embrace of capitalism. After India’s market oriented reforms threw off the bondage of socialism in 1991, hunger fell by 90%.
Now, some criticize capitalism over unequal distribution of wealth. As Christians, we can turn to the Word for guidance. In the Parable of the Talents, Christ did not condemn the accumulation of greater wealth by those with more talents. Instead, He heaped scorn on the servant who did nothing with the talent he had. It is capitalism, more than any other economic system that allows individuals to use their God-given talent to the fullest. It is government control of markets and totalitarian overlords who restrict and limit individual choice, opportunity, and freedom.
God gave us free will because He did not want us to be happy slaves, but a people who would freely love and worship Him by choice. Free will and the freedom of choice is consistent with capitalism. It is not consistent with any other economic system, like socialism.
Capitalism is voluntary. Socialism is coercive. Capitalism supports freedom and opportunity. Socialism restricts or limits both. Capitalism’s vice is inequality. Its virtue is the reduction of suffering and elevation of all, albeit at differing degrees. Contrast capitalism with totalitarian socialism. Socialism’s equality of misery is hardly virtue.
While the idolatry of money is sin, wealth and money are not inherently evil. Great wealth makes great charity possible. Consider the air conditioning system that preserves the Sistine Chapel. It has been called a masterpiece of technology, comparable to the masterpiece it protects. Moreover, this custom designed system costing millions was donated by the Carrier Corporation, a profit-oriented capitalistic enterprise. If Carrier gains public relations value from the project, it does not lessen the value received by the Church or the millions who visit the Sistine Chapel each year. Without the air conditioning system, the Sistine Chapel would be closed to the public or limit viewing to reduce the damage from the carbon dioxide, sweat, and dust generated by masses of people.
Capitalism advances the human condition. Air conditioning is a great example. Without air conditioning, entire regions would be virtually uninhabitable. Without air conditioning, people suffer and die during heat waves. Without air conditioning, productivity would plummet when it is hot. Without air conditioning, many basic medicines would be undiscovered and unproduceable. Without air conditioning, hospitals would be less sanitary. Without air conditioning clean rooms, the computer age would not have occurred.
Neither I, nor any other soul on this earth knows if the planet is warming or cooling, or whether man can significantly affect the climate. We know that despite all predictions and computer modeling, warming has inexplicably been paused since before the turn of the century. Nevertheless, if warming resumes, it will be air conditioning that will save humanity and ease the suffering from a warmer planet.
The blessings of air conditioning came about because of capitalism. Entrepreneurs sought to improve their lot and wound up improving the lot of all mankind, guided, as the economist Adam Smith described, by an invisible hand. Is it possible that this invisible hand that leads entrepreneurs to create businesses is the same hand that led Michelangelo to paint masterpieces? Is it possible that this invisible hand is in fact, the very real hand of the Holy Spirit? I think so.
Where the pope diverges from Catholicism, feel free to criticize
There is plenty of room there
his criticism and condemnation of capitalism and free markets.Citation?
Really? You're questioning whether this Pope criticizes and condemns capitalism and free markets? It's not hard to find. Google is your friend.
Criticism of the pope isn’t per se criticism of Catholicism. Particularly this one. There’s a lot not to like with this pope. And I say that as a cradle Catholic who spent a number of years workng for the church.
CC
P.S. Gotta go turn up my eeeeevil air conditioner, muahaha!
Well?
Bookmark.
How about your own ears?
It's not hard to find.Well?
Seek and ye shall find.
Google is your friend.
I am not your b*tch.
Surely you can come up with something?
Apparently the ‘sciencey’ pope isn’t very well read. In France 2003, 15000 folks died from an extreme heat wave. Most did not have air conditioning.
In the US it is a HUGE headline making deal if someone dies from weather extremes.....
This pope, like the DiC and his beard, want people to live like third world hungry and poor folks. Yet I note that every where this phony goes he travels by air conditioned airliner
You would be correct. Free will is always a way for us to be able to grow, that some do so in an evil way should not surprise any one.
Corruption comes from a concentration of power (from Hamen to the modern day) and an evil heart
Hey why not bother to cite the entire post? It was suggested you Google it.
Why so defensive about a pope who has clearly shown his liberation theology upbringing?
And this is a good thing.
An outsider looking at our world would be amazed at such behavior, which at times appears self-destructive.
Now it's a bad thing, sometimes?!?
What exactly is this Pope trying to say!
His witness of "An outsider looking at our world" is a worldly point of view that is presumptuous and judgmental.
Jesus is not an outsider, your eminence.
“he Pope has made in his message for the Roman Catholic Church’s World Day of Peace on December 12. He also called for sharing of wealth and for nations to shrink the gap between the wealthy and the poor. He said, quote, “The succession of economic crises should lead to a timely rethinking of our models of economic development and to a change in lifestyles””
ANd why not try this well written article as well
The poster claimed that Francis condemned capitalism and free markets.
Do you have a citation of the Pope condemning capitalism and free markets? That's what I asked for.
Well, as an American, Catholic, conservative and capitalist, I really am incensed with the Pope’s foray into LEFT WING politics.
He is not well informed on no-religious subjects, and some of his political opinions border on idiocracy. It’s great to have a well-meaning heart, but if the brain doesn’t show more skill and if that heart-felt opinion becomes policy then that makes things worse, not better. He needs to consider the first Hippocratic law for Doctors—First, do no harm.
He needs to get out of political matters and concentrate on spiritual.
Unbridled capitalism is the 'dung of the devil', says Pope Francis
Go ahead and spin it.
How about something where the Pope praises capitalism and free markets? I would be interested to see that. Can you find it?
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