Feeling sick over social teaching issues

[AdvanceAlways]

Hi everyone,

I consider myself to be a pretty good Catholic but recently some issues have been bothering me. The more I read about past encyclicals on matters of the Church and economics, the more I find myself flat out disagreeing with the Church. My friends in traditional Catholic circles constantly berate me as a liberal or heretic because I subscribe to libertarian economics. They’ve given me literature and shown me articles all about distributivism and Catholic Social Teaching and I just cannot accept certain economic precepts set forth in these encyclicals as good for the world or for the economy.

My friends are making me feel like I’m an awful Catholic and bad person because I don’t think distributivism is a good idea. I’m being bombarded with articles from “The Remnant” about how economic classical liberalism is heresy and loving America is heresy and I feel truly ill. I never thought that my opinions on the economy would somehow make me such a bad Catholic. I don’t know what to do! How can I possibly reconcile my beliefs with what is clearly in contrast to what past Popes have said?

 

[curlycool89]

Hi everyone,

I consider myself to be a pretty good Catholic but recently some issues have been bothering me. The more I read about past encyclicals on matters of the Church and economics, the more I find myself flat out disagreeing with the Church. My friends in traditional Catholic circles constantly berate me as a liberal or heretic because I subscribe to libertarian economics. They’ve given me literature and shown me articles all about distributivism and Catholic Social Teaching and I just cannot accept certain economic precepts set forth in these encyclicals as good for the world or for the economy.

Can you find the encyclical that specifically says distributivism? My guess is that you found an encyclical that talks about taking care of the poor, but I don’t recall any that says how. Maybe society does it by EI or maybe society does it by private donation.

My friends are making me feel like I’m an awful Catholic and bad person because I don’t think distributivism is a good idea. I’m being bombarded with articles from “The Remnant” about how economic classical liberalism is heresy and loving America is heresy and I feel truly ill. I never thought that my opinions on the economy would somehow make me such a bad Catholic. I don’t know what to do! How can I possibly reconcile my beliefs with what is clearly in contrast to what past Popes have said?

What do you mean by “loving America”? My guess that whatever you’ve read probably reefers to putting America first and Church second. Be patriotic, but the Church (and God) comes first. Or you might be reading about the American heresy, which has to be understood in the context of the end of the 19th century.

 

[AdvanceAlways]

Can you find the encyclical that specifically says distributivism? My guess is that you found an encyclical that talks about taking care of the poor, but I don’t recall any that says how. Maybe society does it by EI or maybe society does it by private donation.

What do you mean by “loving America”? My guess that whatever you’ve read probably reefers to putting America first and Church second. Be patriotic, but the Church (and God) comes first. Or you might be reading about the American heresy, which has to be understood in the context of the end of the 19th century.

It seems as though a lot of the quotes being thrown at me are coming from Rerum Novarum. Clearly the church has never endorsed an economic system, but a lot of Distributivist crowd in the traditional movement seem to act as it the Church does.

I probably should have elaborated on the “America” thought more. I guess it just comes with the company I keep but a friend shared an article with me that ripped the founding fathers and the Constitution for being false idols and anti-Catholic.

I’m sorry if this seems rambling…

 

[snowlake]

A reading of JPII’s Centesimus Annus might clear things up for you.

You might be right that some of your views are not in keeping w/ those of the teaching church, and therefore of Christ. Consider these teachings sincerely, as they really come from the Gospel itself.

 

[Crash001]

I think you’re on the right track for clearing your head.

I periodically get in a cirlces where my ‘friends’ are so convincing that I doubt myself. What helps is to step back, do your own research, and spend some time in prayer and enjoying mass and the sacraments.My compass needle always points North again to the truth. The Church hasn’t lied to me yet.

 

[Prophesy]

Hi everyone,

I consider myself to be a pretty good Catholic but recently some issues have been bothering me. The more I read about past encyclicals on matters of the Church and economics, the more I find myself flat out disagreeing with the Church. My friends in traditional Catholic circles constantly berate me as a liberal or heretic because I subscribe to libertarian economics. They’ve given me literature and shown me articles all about distributivism and Catholic Social Teaching and I just cannot accept certain economic precepts set forth in these encyclicals as good for the world or for the economy.

My friends are making me feel like I’m an awful Catholic and bad person because I don’t think distributivism is a good idea. I’m being bombarded with articles from “The Remnant” about how economic classical liberalism is heresy and loving America is heresy and I feel truly ill. I never thought that my opinions on the economy would somehow make me such a bad Catholic. I don’t know what to do! How can I possibly reconcile my beliefs with what is clearly in contrast to what past Popes have said?

Hey from one libertarian to another. The Church hasn’t endorsed any form of government as being the form of government that -has- to be promulgated. It has only does the inverse, stating which ones are not to be (socialism and communism in Rerum Novarum). The Church does say that there are things that the State should provide, for example it should make sure that health care is provided to its citizens. However, this doesn’t mean that the government needs to be the one providing healthcare.

There exists the Compendium of the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church. I recommend picking it up if you haven’t done so already.

-Prophecy

 

[Contarini]

Hi everyone,

I consider myself to be a pretty good Catholic but recently some issues have been bothering me. The more I read about past encyclicals on matters of the Church and economics, the more I find myself flat out disagreeing with the Church. My friends in traditional Catholic circles constantly berate me as a liberal or heretic because I subscribe to libertarian economics. They’ve given me literature and shown me articles all about distributivism and Catholic Social Teaching and I just cannot accept certain economic precepts set forth in these encyclicals as good for the world or for the economy.

My friends are making me feel like I’m an awful Catholic and bad person because I don’t think distributivism is a good idea. I’m being bombarded with articles from “The Remnant” about how economic classical liberalism is heresy and loving America is heresy and I feel truly ill. I never thought that my opinions on the economy would somehow make me such a bad Catholic. I don’t know what to do! How can I possibly reconcile my beliefs with what is clearly in contrast to what past Popes have said?

Maybe you could cite the specifics from Catholic social teaching that you disagree with?

I’m not in communion with Rome, but this aspect of social teaching seems to me to be one of the glories of Catholicism.

However, I would think that you should make a distinction between pragmatic economic questions (what kind of system creates prosperity) and ethical/spiritual questions about what is good and just.

So, for instance, I don’t think it could possibly be against Church teaching to believe that laissez-faire capitalism is the best way to create prosperity for the whole society. But you might need to ask two further questions:

1. Does this system adequately take care of the poor and needy? and
2. Is the individualism promoted by this system compatible with orthodox Catholicism?

You might wind up affirming that libertarian capitalism is economically the best approach, while recognizing that it has flaws as a way for Catholics to live. Prosperity is not, after all, the most important thing, and “the greatest good for the greatest number” is not an orthodox ethical principle.

But as long as you have your ethical and spiritual principles straight and your priorities in right order, it seems to me that you could quite easily disagree with distributism or any other proposed alternative to capitalism.

And I say this as someone very favorable to distributism!

Edwin

 

[Church_Militant]

You might take a look at the latest encyclical from Pope Benedict XVI. Caritas in Veritate: 2009

There was a great deal of discussion and misinformation in the media and among others, so you can find all that at the link above.

That also has a link to Caritas in Veritate: The Encyclical Itself.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

 

[fons_vitae]

I’m actually in a situation inverse to yours, in many respects … I was raised by very politically opinionated parents to whom libertarianism and Austrian economics were virtually Gospel. It could be mere rebellion on my part, but I’ve become very intrigued with distributism after so many years of free-marketeering. Hehe, not to be cheeky, but I’m surprised you’re getting the short end of the stick from so many of your friends, considering that the American right wing has a nice stronghold in Catholic circles (at least, where I’m from).