Are we over emphasizing the value of 'freedom' while largely ignoring the plight of poverty?

[Timothysis]

Do you have a plan for alleviating severe poverty? Or, is your plan to simply ignore it and go about your business? Would you promote sterilization of the poor?

Did I say that I did? Did Pope Francis say that he did? What would you have me do? And did I ever say that I promoted sterilization?

 

[Timothysis]

With hyper-capitalism it is the “trickle down economics” idea.

And the other side of the coin is forced redistribution. I think the quote from St. Maximilian Kolbe above answers that well.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Did I say that I did? Did Pope Francis say that he did? What would you have me do? And did I ever say that I promoted sterilization?

No, you did not. That’s why I’m asking. You do seem turned off to helping.

 

[ringil]

Do you believe that “corporate greed” is the reason for poverty in the world today?

Some of it yes.

But even if I were unsure of what the Pope were saying I wouldn’t even describe a Pope as “misguided” as I consider myself far more likely to be misguided than the Vicar of Christ.

My perceptions and thoughts on the nature of most aspects elated to faith and social justice are not equal to his.

 

[ringil]

And the other side of the coin is forced redistribution. I think the quote from St. Maximilian Kolbe above answers that well.

Forced redistribution is called taxes and the Church has been doing it for centuries.

 

[markomalley]

Forced redistribution is called taxes and the Church has been doing it for centuries.

Some quotes from Rerum Novarum that pertain to the subject of redistribution of wealth – imposed equality.
…and that ideal equality about which they entertain pleasant dreams would be in reality the levelling down of all to a like condition of misery and degradation.

Socialists may in that intent do their utmost, but all striving against nature is in vain. There naturally exist among mankind manifold differences of the most important kind; people differ in capacity, skill, health, strength; and unequal fortune is a necessary result of unequal condition. Such inequality is far from being disadvantageous either to individuals or to the community.

Most of all it is essential, where the passion of greed is so strong, to keep the populace within the line of duty; for, if all may justly strive to better their condition, neither justice nor the common good allows any individual to seize upon that which belongs to another, or, under the futile and shallow pretext of equality, to lay violent hands on other people’s possessions.
Leo XIII was an amazing pope!

 

[Timothysis]

No, you did not. That’s why I’m asking. You do seem turned off to helping.

Robert, I made $31,000 last year, work 40 hours a week and pay my bills monthly. I give to the weekly church collection and often the second collection and I also sometimes give to the Franciscans overseas mission and the sisters at EWTN. What, exactly, would you have me do to eliminate poverty?

 

[Timothysis]

Some of it yes.

But even if I were unsure of what the Pope were saying I wouldn’t even describe a Pope as “misguided” as I consider myself far more likely to be misguided than the Vicar of Christ.

My perceptions and thoughts on the nature of most aspects elated to faith and social justice are not equal to his.

So how much is “some of it?”

Most corporations are publicly owned which means that they are owned by the shareholder and generate returns to those who invest in it. Even the Vatican has investments in order to gain a return. Can we then say that the capitalist “greed” of the Vatican contributes to poverty in the world?

Just because Pope Francis is at the top of the ladder of the Church doesn’t mean that pearls fall from his lips every time he opens his mouth. Both Pope John Paul and Pope Benedict (I think) understood the singular position that one occupies as pope without pointing their fingers at anyone in particular. I will say again that I’m sure that Pope Francis is acutely aware that the political and social corruption in South America is the primary reason for the plight of the poor in those countries. It has been reported that in Mexico, nothing gets done through government channels unless the proper bribes have been paid at each level.

To try and ascribe the reason of poverty in undeveloped countries to the simplistic reason of “corporate greed” is, indeed, misguided.

 

[Timothysis]

Forced redistribution is called taxes and the Church has been doing it for centuries.

Taxes means your fair share; forced redistribution means taking from some, who have already paid their share, simply because they have it to take. The Church also approved of the selling of indulgences…it doesn’t mean that it was right.

This country has spent over 16 trillion dollars since Lyndon Johnson’s war of poverty and the poverty rate has dropped between 2 and 4 percent. How much more do we have to spend to end poverty in the most affluent country in the world?

 

[Robert_Sock]

Robert, I made $31,000 last year, work 40 hours a week and pay my bills monthly. I give to the weekly church collection and often the second collection and I also sometimes give to the Franciscans overseas mission and the sisters at EWTN. What, exactly, would you have me do to eliminate poverty?

Yes, it sounds like you’re generous with your money, but what I’m interested in is ending severe poverty worldwide. Any plans? It most certainly would involve a worldwide effort.

 

[Timothysis]

This is very interesting:

"POVERTY is easy to spot but hard to define. America sets its poverty line at $11,490 of income per year for a one-person household, or just over $30 a day. Any income below that amount is judged inadequate for the provision of fundamental wants. Other rich countries set their poverty lines in relative terms, so an increase in the incomes of top earners results in more poverty if everything else is held constant. The threshold for dire poverty in developing countries is set much lower, at $1.25 a day of consumption (rather than income). This figure is arrived at by averaging the poverty lines in the 15 poorest countries, not because $1.26 spells comfort. This is the yardstick by which poverty reduction in poor countries is measured. Remarkably, this poverty rate has halved worldwide, from 43% in 1990 to 21% in 2010. …

Almost all of the fall in the poverty rate should be attributed to economic growth. Fast-growing economies in the developing world have done most of the work."