The Pope say: Jesus does not send us with an ‘entrepreneurial attitude’; however, you need that attitude when starting a business or suceeding on any

[jack63]

So I was thinking about the scripture from Sunday and some of what the Pope has said recently, and how it related to my own life. For example recently the pope said “Jesus does not send us with an entrepreneurial attitude.”

https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/06/11/pope-jesus-does-not-send-us-with-an-entrepreneurial-attitude/

I know he was referring to how the Catholic church should function on the macro and micro levels. I agree with him. However, you want your life to be a reflection of how Jesus would live. So are their problems living your life with an entrepreneurial attitude. This is how American society works…often if you have capital…starting a business and being and entrepreneur is a great path.

I also thought about the scripture from Sunday…from Corinthians…

Brothers and sisters:
As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse,
knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you,
may you excel in this gracious act also.

For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Not that others should have relief while you are burdened,
but that as a matter of equality
your abundance at the present time should supply their needs,
so that their abundance may also supply your needs,
that there may be equality.
As it is written:
Whoever had much did not have more,
and whoever had little did not have less.

Inherent in being an entrepreneur is taking more than your needs because you think you know better, and you can do more with the resources than the next person. This is American entrepreneurship.

Do I think American capitalism has produced great things that are deeply beneficial to humanity…yes… Does American business historically produce a better quality of life for its people and people around the world …yes. Are their problems with the country’s economy…yes… Is the country fair to its poor and people who want to immigrate…no I don’t think its fair.

Where is the balance?

 

[guanophore]

American capitalism…Where is the balance?

Although our country was founded on Christian principles, and the idea of trade originally had justice, our country has long since abandoned those principles, and there is no effort toward “balance” anymore. The wealth is controlled by the top 1 - 10% of the population.

President Trump ran on the virtue of greed - the New American virtue (it is not a Christian virtue at all).

"even though Christian dogma clearly states greed as one of the seven deadly sins — was bragging about his greed when he went on to declare that he wanted to be “greedy” for America. “I want to be greedy. I want to be so greedy for our country.”

As it turns out, the “greed” has benefited primarily this top 1-10% of americans that hold the majority of the wealth.

 

[Genesis315]

As is often the case with Pope Francis’ unique manner of speaking, I’m not sure exactly what he means here, but here are some guesses:

Evangelization does not mean coming up with something new.
Evangelization does not seek monetary profit/should not be a business.
Evangelization is not something we do with our own ingenuity and strength.

Like I said, just some guesses.

 

[jack63]

I wasn’t thinking about Trump when I wrote this. As much as possible a politically neutral conversation would be nice and most beneficial. I have problems with both democrats and republicans and how the mess up the economy.

 

[jack63]

Yes…Gordon Gekko and greed…that part was good as black comedy.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Although our country was founded on Christian principles, and the idea of trade originally had justice, our country has long since abandoned those principles, and there is no effort toward “balance” anymore. The wealth is controlled by the top 1 - 10% of the population.

President Trump ran on the virtue of greed - the New American virtue (it is not a Christian virtue at all).

"even though Christian dogma clearly states greed as one of the seven deadly sins — was bragging about his greed when he went on to declare that he wanted to be “greedy” for America. “I want to be greedy. I want to be so greedy for our country.”

As it turns out, the “greed” has benefited primarily this top 1-10% of americans that hold the majority of the wealth.

But are disparities in wealth always evil? Would you rather be among the bottom 99% in America than in the top 20% in Haiti? Some of the saints were wealthy, after all.

I sometimes think a lot of the things the Pope says nowadays are said from a Latin American standpoint and don’t necessarily apply to the U.S. Maybe you can’t be an entrepreneur in Argentina without being a scoundrel.

 

[AlNg]

“Jesus does not send us with an entrepreneurial attitude.”

I thought that was the basis of capitalism? If the Catholic Church is against socialism and against capitalism, then what is it for?

 

[JanSobieskiIII]

Wealth has always been primarily concentrated at the top. This is nothing new nor is it inherently bad.

 

[po18guy]

Context, context, context.

We are called to balance all aspects of our life - except for our love of God, which we should constantly desire more of.

Remember also that our Lord did not condemn money changing (per se) or the sellers of doves - only where and how they were doing it.

He sent the apostles to buy food. He counseled the paying of taxes. While devotion to him tops everything else, we are called to be charitable at all times and in all places.

 

[Genesis315]

First, he was talking about evangelization, not economics, so capitalism vs. socialism is not really relevant.

But as for your questions, Catholic social doctrine supports neither the state owning all property nor a perpetual class struggle (aka Socialism), nor an unbridled Darwinian competition solely to maximize profits where the strong dominate the weak and wealth is inevitably concentrated in the hands of the few (aka Capitalism), but rather a system where the use of private property by persons is regulated and directed to serve the needs not only of the individual but of the common good.

 

[Neal-from-Tyendinaga]

He may well be speaking as JPII once did, where, while (at least in JPII’s case) he denounced socialism as an assault on the human soul, he also hit had at godless capitalism/consumerism as well, as another form of assault on the huan spirit and dignity.
Capitalism and enterprise can certainly be used for evil (the pornography and drug industries are examples) and profit for its own sake, and the reducing of human beings to the status of consumer (a very degrading designation that only a secularist cn use) is another .

In this case, I would agree with an earlier poster that Francis may actually be trying to say that the Gospel and evangelization must not be reduced to marketing gimmicks for anyone’s profit.

I just wish Francis would just fall into line with all other Popes since Pius IX (the first Pope who ever had to deal with socialism) and condemn socialism for what it is, and balance that out with appropriate criticism of the excesses of unbridled capitalism and libertarianism .

he seems to come down much harder on the latter than the firmer. Just my observation.

 

[Socrates92]

To be more general, Catholic tradition teaches we must use our gifts (which logically includes wealth/capital) to the best of our ability, while at the same time being detached from all material things.

 

[guanophore]

I thought that was the basis of capitalism? If the Catholic Church is against socialism and against capitalism, then what is it for?

The church is not against either of these. He is just saying that spreading the Gospel is not an economic venture.

Part of a series on
Capitalism
Concepts[show]
Economic systems[show]
Economic theories[show]
Origins[show]
Development[show]
People[show]
Related topics[show]
Ideologies[show]
Capitalism portal
Economics portal
Philosophy portal
Politics portal
v t e
Entrepreneurship is the process of designing, launching and running a new business, which is often initially a small business. The people who create these businesses are called entrepreneurs.[1][need quotation to verify][2]

Entrepreneurship has been described as the"capacity and willingness to develop, organize and manage a business venture along with any of its risks in order to make a profit".

The goal is not to make a profit.

 

[grt]

Pope Francis was talking about evangelization, not the economy. Here’s the text since people will comment without reading.

Pope Francis said the Holy Spirit is the “protagonist” of the proclamation of the Gospel, and only He can change hearts.

The pontiff said there have been some pastoral plans that “seem to be perfect,” but they were incapable of changing hearts because they were an end unto themselves.

Francis was speaking during the homily on June 11 during his Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

The pope said evangelization has three fundamental dimensions: Proclamation, service and gratuitousness.

“It is not with an entrepreneurial attitude that Jesus sends us…. No, it is with the Holy Spirit. This is courage. The true courage behind evangelization is not human stubbornness. No, it is the Spirit who gives us courage and who carries you forward,” he said, according to Vatican News, the official service of the Vatican’s Secretariat for Communication.

Francis said that pursuing a career or success “in the Church is a sure sign that someone doesn’t know what evangelization is…for the one who commands must be the one who serves.”

“We can say good things but without service, it is not proclamation. It may seem to be, but it is not, because the Spirit not only carries you forward to proclaim the truths of the Lord and the life of the Lord, but He also brings you to the service of the brothers and sisters, even in small things,” the pope said.

“It’s awful when you find evangelizers who make others serve them and who live to be served. They are like the princes of evangelization - how awful,” he continued.

“All of us have been saved gratuitously by Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must give gratuitously,” the pope said.

“Those who carry out the pastoral work of evangelization must learn this. Their life must be gratuitous, given in service, proclamation, borne by the Spirit. Their personal poverty forces them to open themselves up to the Spirit,” he said.