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| Pope front-runner: why Italian, 71, may get top job |
| 2005-04-11 |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #9 Social Justice issues are approached a bit differently with JP-II's take. Basically, he condmened Communism and other totalitarian systems completely, and condemned the *excesses* of capitalism (i.e. the self centered nihilism we see so frequently from Hollywood, while the poor go with little help from these people). As long as that is the take the Church has, and respects fundamentla freedoms, then the social justice issues become a matter of convincing people voluntarily to help the poor, not at the barrel of a gun (which is what it comes down to if you refuse to pay confiscatory taxes, etc). If anything, evidence seems to support the position that individuals and private charities (including the Church) provide far better help to the poor in terms of impact vs cash, than does the government (which tends to just create more poor people that are depenndant instead of helping them to be come independant) |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2005-04-11 11:13:26 PM |
| #8 "he is very conservative about church doctrine - taking strong positions against homosexuality, stem cell research and abortion - but liberal when it comes to issues of social justice." ... has also been at the forefront of the church's opposition to what he called "gay culture" - especially same-sex unions. "In this cultural situation the church must exercise the greatest vigilance," he wrote." On top of that, another Italian pope is not that easy a mark considering that most of the Church now exists in Latin American and Africa. Seems the LLL in the MSM will not like this guy. Maybe that's why they are touting him as a leader: he who enters the conclave as Pope leaves as Cardinal. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2005-04-11 4:28:04 PM |
| #7 Social Justice issues are approached a bit differently with JP-II's take. Basically, he condmened Communism and other totalitarian systems completely, and condemned the *excesses* of capitalism (i.e. the self centered nihilism we see so frequently from Hollywood, while the poor go with little help from these people). As long as that is the take the Church has, and respects fundamentla freedoms, then the social justice issues become a matter of convincing people voluntarily to help the poor, not at the barrel of a gun (which is what it comes down to if you refuse to pay confiscatory taxes, etc). If anything, evidence seems to support the position that individuals and private charities (including the Church) provide far better help to the poor in terms of impact vs cash, than does the government (which tends to just create more poor people that are depenndant instead of helping them to be come independant) |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2005-04-11 11:13:26 PM |
| #6 "he is very conservative about church doctrine - taking strong positions against homosexuality, stem cell research and abortion - but liberal when it comes to issues of social justice." ... has also been at the forefront of the church's opposition to what he called "gay culture" - especially same-sex unions. "In this cultural situation the church must exercise the greatest vigilance," he wrote." On top of that, another Italian pope is not that easy a mark considering that most of the Church now exists in Latin American and Africa. Seems the LLL in the MSM will not like this guy. Maybe that's why they are touting him as a leader: he who enters the conclave as Pope leaves as Cardinal. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2005-04-11 4:28:04 PM |
| #5 Social Justice issues are approached a bit differently with JP-II's take. Basically, he condmened Communism and other totalitarian systems completely, and condemned the *excesses* of capitalism (i.e. the self centered nihilism we see so frequently from Hollywood, while the poor go with little help from these people). As long as that is the take the Church has, and respects fundamentla freedoms, then the social justice issues become a matter of convincing people voluntarily to help the poor, not at the barrel of a gun (which is what it comes down to if you refuse to pay confiscatory taxes, etc). If anything, evidence seems to support the position that individuals and private charities (including the Church) provide far better help to the poor in terms of impact vs cash, than does the government (which tends to just create more poor people that are depenndant instead of helping them to be come independant) |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2005-04-11 11:13:26 PM |
| #4 "liberal when it comes to issues of social justice" uggh... I like the suggestion that the cardinals read some Adam Smith before they hold forth again on economics |
| Posted by: thibaud (aka lex) 2005-04-11 5:36:04 PM |
| #3 "he is very conservative about church doctrine - taking strong positions against homosexuality, stem cell research and abortion - but liberal when it comes to issues of social justice." ... has also been at the forefront of the church's opposition to what he called "gay culture" - especially same-sex unions. "In this cultural situation the church must exercise the greatest vigilance," he wrote." On top of that, another Italian pope is not that easy a mark considering that most of the Church now exists in Latin American and Africa. Seems the LLL in the MSM will not like this guy. Maybe that's why they are touting him as a leader: he who enters the conclave as Pope leaves as Cardinal. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2005-04-11 4:28:04 PM |
| #2 A bit old for my taste. I would maybe go for a younger man, perhaps even an American. For pope. Why? What did you think I meant? |
| Posted by: Bernie Law 2005-04-11 4:04:39 PM |
| #1 Do they really want another 20-year papacy? If he's taliking to his mother, age 95 on the phone frequently, that is a portent of longevity... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-04-11 3:56:22 PM |