The Rise of the Religious Left

Despite decades of economic progress that have reduced unemployment levels to record lows and made America a magnet for opportunity-seeking immigrants, why do religious left leaders -- siding with organized labor -- blindly refuse to acknowledge the considerable academic research showing that market forces work?

Steven Malanga, "The Rise of the Religious Left," Wall Street Journal, October 16, 2007.

For text: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119249786852260187.html

... so, what's the problem ?

ERADICATE THE CAUSES AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF POVERTY



VATICAN CITY, OCT 17, 2007 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience which was celebrated in St. Peter's Square, the Pope recalled the fact that today marks the "International Day for the Eradication of Poverty," an annual event recognized by the United Nations.



Certain peoples, said the Holy Father, "still live in conditions of extreme poverty. The disparity between rich and poor has become more evident and more disturbing, even within the most economically advanced nations. This worrying situation appeals to the conscience of mankind because the conditions being suffered by such a large number of people are such as to offend the dignity of human beings and, as a consequence, to compromise the authentic and harmonious progress of the world community. I encourage, then, an increase in efforts to eliminate the causes of poverty and the tragic consequences deriving from it."

AG/APPEAL ERADICATION POVERTY/... VIS 071017 (160)

No, see, the cause of poverty is government intervention, and the way to fight poverty is to eliminate that intervention as much as possible and let market forces ensure the greatest good for everyone, because "academic research" proves that Adam Smith was right about everything ever.

Originally posted by darthmix
No, see, the cause of poverty is government intervention, and the way to fight poverty is to eliminate that intervention as much as possible and let market forces ensure the greatest good for everyone, because "academic research" proves that Adam Smith was right about everything ever.

NEED FOR POLITICIANS INSPIRED BY IDEALS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 18, 2007 (VIS) - Made public today was the text of an address delivered by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Ireland, at the United Nations headquarters in New York for the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's Encyclical "Populorum Progressio."

Archbishop Martin began his English-language talk by recalling how "it was the challenge of addressing the needs of the poorest nations and their peoples which led the Pope to write his Encyclical."

"Populorum Progressio," said the archbishop, was "the first social Encyclical to be written after Vatican Council II, an event which had among its aims that of establishing a new way of looking at the relationship between the Church and the world."

"Authentic development is one of the key concepts of 'Populorum Progressio'," he continued, indicating that such a concept "also touches on the very nature of the human person and the response we need to make to his or her needs."

"Were Pope Paul here with us today he would certainly be saying thanks to all those who have given themselves in the service of humanity within the U.N. system. He would surely also certainly be making remarks on the slow progress of U.N. reform. We need a well-functioning U.N. Today's possibilities for inter-connectivity among peoples offer new and innovative ways of cooperation, also within the U.N. system."

"In talking about responsibility for development and of international cooperation," said Archbishop Martin, "the Encyclical "consistently stresses the role of public authorities. This recalls today's debate about both good governance and the important role of politics."

"Politics," he concluded, "is an essential dimension of the construction of society. We need around the world a new revival of politics. Around the world we need a new generation of politicians inspired by ideals, but also capable of taking the risks involved in transmitting those ideals into the 'possible,' through the optimum use of resources and talents to foster the good of all."

.../POPULORUM PROGRESSION/UN:MARTIN VIS 071018 (340)

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POPULORUM PROGRESSIO

ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLES

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_26031967_populorum_en.html

*****************************************************

Now I also understand the disgust and disdain many American right wingers have for both the UN and the Roman-Catholic Church.

Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
blindly refuse to acknowledge the considerable academic research showing that market forces work?

Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
Despite decades of economic progress that have reduced unemployment levels to record lows and made America a magnet for opportunity-seeking immigrants, why do religious left leaders -- siding with organized labor -- blindly refuse to acknowledge the considerable academic research showing that market forces work?

Steven Malanga, "The Rise of th ...[text shortened]... ournal, October 16, 2007.

For text: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119249786852260187.html

Originally posted by ivanhoe
ERADICATE THE CAUSES AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF POVERTY



VATICAN CITY, OCT 17, 2007 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience which was celebrated in St. Peter's Square, the Pope recalled the fact that today marks the "International Day for the Eradication of Poverty," an annual event recognized by the United Nations.



Certain peoples, said ...[text shortened]... it."

AG/APPEAL ERADICATION POVERTY/... VIS 071017 (160)

PRESSING COMMITMENT TO THE RIGHT TO FOOD



VATICAN CITY, OCT 16, 2007 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has written a Message to Jacques Diouf, director general of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the occasion of World Food Day, an annual event organized by the FAO every October 16.

With the theme chosen for this year's Day, "the right to food," writes the Holy Father in his message, the FAO "is inviting the international community to face up to one of the most serious challenges of our time: freeing from hunger millions of human beings, whose lives are in danger because of a lack of daily bread."

"We must realize that the efforts made thus far do not seem to have significantly diminished the number of hungry people in the world," the Pope observes, "despite the fact that everyone recognizes that food is a primary right. ... The available data shows that the lack of fulfillment of the right to food is due not only to natural causes but, above all, to situations provoked by human behavior which lead to a generalized social, economic and human deterioration."

The Pope goes on to recall how "an ever greater number of people - because of poverty or bloody conflicts - find themselves obliged to abandon their homes and their loved ones in order to seek sustenance outside their own lands, Despite international agreements, many of them are rejected" he adds, highlighting the "pressing" need for a concrete undertaking in which "all members of society, both in the individual and the international spheres, feel committed to cooperating in order to make the right to food possible." The lack of fulfillment of this right, he says, "constitutes an evident violation of human dignity and of the rights deriving therefrom."

The Holy Father then goes on to praise the FAO's expert understanding of "the problems of the agricultural world and of food insecurity, and its proven capacity to present plans and programs for their solution" as well as the organization's "acute sensitivity to the aspirations of those calling for more human living conditions."

"The Catholic Church," he concludes, "feels closely involved ... in this task and, through her various institutions, wishes to continue collaboration in order to support the desires and hopes of those individuals and peoples towards whom the activity of the FAO is directed."

MESS/WORLD FOOD DAY/FAO: DIOUF VIS 071016 (400)

Originally posted by smw6869
Maybe the Pope should liquidate some of the trillions of dollars the Vatican has in investments around the world, money which they steal from the collection plate every Sunday, and spent a trifle on the poor around the world instead of being a phony fraud and talking out his as.

Granny: The devil made me say it. Now i'm forgiven?

Originally posted by ivanhoe
The problem is firmly rooted in the world economic system. Changing the way the system works is what is needed.

..... and for your information: The RC Church spends a lot of money ánd man and woman power each year in order to improve education, health care and food distribution throughout the whole of the third world.

Originally posted by shavixmir
Yet, if that is true, why does the US have in comparison to mainland Europe:
- More teenage pregnancy
- More people living beneath the poverty line
- More debts
- More violence
- Ghettos
- More sociopaths (although, admittedly, the US does have the best profilers in the world and "more sociopaths" could be due to better investigative measures. But s ...[text shortened]... we're at it?) because 1.000 people are so incredulously rich that they hike up the average.

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
[b]- More teenage pregnancy

Don't we simply have a higher fertility rate than Europe does?


- More people living beneath the poverty line

Well, yeah, because you take from the rich and give to the poor. Of course if you pay people to be poor you'll have a smaller group of "poor" people.


- Ghettos

Isn't that a term for Jewish areas in Europe? They coined the term...[/b]

Create a level playing field, and free market forces work...it is after all, the foundation that built all societies today.

Subjugate or interfere, siphon, influence or divert... and it won't.