And the government prohibits favoring heads of households of any kind, and certainly not husbands and fathers. The Dem party has even tried to push this further, requiring absolute equality of pay regardless whether the father works longer hours or has more training.
Earlier today in this thread, austenbosten, our fellow forum member, did a good job of showing how many of the policy positions of the Obama Administration on things like living wage, labor unions, the war on Iraq, the right to health care, etc., are identical to the policy positions of the Socialist Party USA. As I understand it, this was to demonstrate that Obama is a Socialist, even though he does not say that he is. Political conservatives take opposing views on all these things. I noticed that for most of the items in the list, the Catholic Church’s position was also the same as the Obama Administration. Thus, political conservatives are opponents of the principles of Catholic Social Doctrine that apply to these matters.
Name me one conservative who has deliberately prevented someone from going to a hospital or doctor and getting treated?
austenbosten, our fellow forum member, wrote this earlier today in this thread:
Are there no mammon worshipers anywhere? Why then did Jesus Our Lord make such a big deal about warning about mammon worship?
and other church leaders said it was the moral responsibility of nations to guarantee access to health care for all of their citizens, regardless of social and economic status or their ability to pay
Since when did being against unjustifiable taxation account to Mammon-worship. You seem to believe that the government is the owner of capital, not the individual.
I’m sure that’s true – just as it is for the right. There’s this Protestant Christian radio station I listen to bec I love the old church hymns and some of the newer ones, but their extreme right-wing talk programs are so full of lies it’s ridiculous. I’m thinking it’s not good Christian witness to tell so many lies, and they may even be risking hell by so many lies, esp since they don’t have the benefit of confession the way we Catholics do.
I think it’s morally wrong to accuse all people of the Right as greedy and all Leftists as sexual hedonists. To hold such extremist views of both sides, is the reason the evils of Fascism was created.
I’ve thought about the same possibility. I actually think a coalition government might not be bad, to include some religious party/parties, such as some other countries. Others tell me that coalition governments are unworkable; however, they at least provide some representation instead of the dominant 2 parties representing either polar options or indistinguishable options – depending on how you view it, and depending on any given year.
All I know is that if the Founders could see how we have unraveled their system…And removed God from it…They’d be horrified. We don’t need a Judaeo-Christian values party, we just need those values back in our society. Both parties used to operate from the same set of values, each with its different focus. Now it seems as if both parties and the larger society has turned their backs on God in any form. How do we fix this? I can’t see any way out, except if some huge catastrophe strikes and we are all driven to our knees. It would have to be a long catastrophe, though, or we’d just forget again, like after 9/11/2001.I’ve thought about the same possibility. I actually think a coalition government might not be bad, to include some religious party/parties, such as some other countries. Others tell me that coalition governments are unworkable; however, they at least provide some representation instead of the dominant 2 parties representing either polar options or indistinguishable options – depending on how you view it, and depending on any given year.
Here’s the problem, though: American Catholicism is fragmented, including those who practice and call themselves believers in some kind of Catholicism, even a kind not much recognizable by any authoritative definition of that. You would find some Catholics who are emotionally & politically in bed with the secular American Left, on all the major Catholic issues, including the ones which the hierarchy prioritizes as most important (& definitely not aligned with the Left). You would find plenty of other Catholics emotionally & politically in bed with the very hard Right, who represent both many religions and a fair number of non-believers. Those ends of the spectrum would not be able to agree on platform compromises.
Two weeks ago our pastor gave a homily in which he touched on the ACA, but noncommittally (asking us to think about it very carefully). Some from the congregation attacked him verbally after Mass because they interpreted his comments to be pro-ACA. Others were disappointed that he didn’t come out and declare wholehearted support! That’s just one parish – a mirror of the divisions throughout U.S. Catholicism. There seems to be little agreement as to what authentic Catholic values mean, not to mention how those would be represented in party politics. I have a very confident sense of how I could express such a party platform, and perhaps 20, maybe even 30, CAF’ers would agree with me on those issues, but I suspect the rest of the forum would disagree strongly with at least some of them: some members would consider my proposals too timidly Catholic, others too boldly Catholic. (“My” Catholic platform would align with many of the principles enumerated in the bishops’ documents about Faithful Citizenship, while differing sharply in specific proposals addressing those principles; my proposals on immigration would incorporate many aspects & layers of social justice, not just a supposed absolute right to migrate – regardless of injustice caused to others.) And that is only one of many reasons, and areas, which would provoke disagreement.
And many U.S. Catholics, including many on this forum, are embarrassed by their Catholicism, and/or wish to disown any identification with it in their political choices, even privately. They believe that their Catholicism should be “suspended” to please all possible belief systems in the country at large.
I think a Judaeo-Christian Values party would be intriguing, as would be a Commonality Party, whose platform stressed the common good based on natural law and the order of society.
Why is it wrong. From what I see the Republican party wants big coporations to be free to rape and plunder the planet and the Democrats want to be able to engage in gay sex and have abortions without any hindrances. To me the Republicans worship Mammon and the Democrats worship Baal.
Where in the Repub platform does it say the party wants big corporations to rape and plunder the planet? It isn’t there, in any form.
Quote one of the “leaders of the conservative movement” saying that, if you would be so kind. You are not going to find it because you are actually projecting your own bias onto them. You’re quoting your own mind here, and that of the Democrat party’s talking heads, not the thinking of the Church or of conservatives, either one.
Oops! The mask of critiquing both parties just fell, and we see the face of a Democrat party apologist.
Agreed. It is problematic that redistribution in the form of transfer payments comes out of that portion of national income going to labor, not capital. One who starts without wealth must initially fund his wealth building out of earned or borrowed capital. To the extent he is unable to keep a sufficient portion of his income, he cannot capitalize or serve borrowed debt.
One of the first things I’ve seen you post that I agree with.
But that was a primarily Catholic union supporting ideals in line with the Church. Contrast that with unions in America that support politicians whose number 1 priority is abortion on demand. I don’t know how you can support them, especially since many are public sector unions that raise taxes on everyone so they don’t have to pay for their benefits.
I agree.
An unjust war is a matter of prudential judgment based on whether it doesn’t fit the principles of a just war. Of course, we can put into question a person’s judgment and how well formed their conscience is if they support a war that many within the Church find unjust.
Nope, not by government. It should be set by the workers and employers together, without the help of government. This is based on subsidiarity, the late Catholic scholastics and the School of Salamanca.
It depends what you mean by political “conservative”. Based on what you probably define as conservative, you are right. Based on what I would call conservative, I would say Catholic doctrine is incompatible with a few elements, not many.
The Republicans love Exxon and Haliburton. They believe in the free market for the big guys to move hedge funds around and specualte on currencies at will.