Is Republicatholicism a Cancer on the Body of Christ?

[Fish and Bread]

Many would lead us to believe that we must vote Republican if we are to be good Catholics. Some even say God is against social programs to help the poor, the elderly, and the disabled, in direct contrast to the words of Saint John XXIII's encyclical Pacem En Terris.

There are those of us who would reject a God who wants tax cuts for the rich and corporate personhood but opposes universal health care, public pensions like Social Security, and so on and so forth. How many people do you think have left the Church or never entered it because they have heard people talk about that Republican God and believe that is who the Catholic Church thinks God is, and say "That is not my God."?

Who is responsible for those lost souls?

Do you think some right-wing organizations masquerading as faith groups and right-wing politicians masquerading as clergy (See: Burke, Raymond) are morally responsible for turning good people against progressive political action and turning other good people away from Church and from God by making them think he's Ronald Reagan?

I can tell you that there have been many times in my life where I've read something in this forum or heard a news report where Roman Catholicism is equated with Republican beliefs where I've thought "You know what? That's not my God, that's not my Church, and I'm done with this nonsense.". I've struggled with faith my entire life. And I think this right-wing appropriation of God and of the Church has been a big part of it. I spent years as an atheist or an agnostic, I spent years as an Episcopalian, I spent years as nothing. I've always struggled to really be an real part of the Roman Catholic Church, which is what I was born into. And I think a large part of that is because it was stolen from me by politicians and monied interests. I really do.

I can't worship at the altar of Ronald Reagan.

God has to be more than that. He has to be beyond these people. And, moreover, he has to be on the side of the poor. He has to be on the side of the weak and the powerless. He has to be about love. He can't be about cutting corporate taxes and taking away gay people's rights while cutting aide to the elderly and disabled. That doesn't work for me.

To the extent people successful infiltrated the Church and infected it with conservative views, I think it's played a major role in people like me leaving the church or identifying as Catholic but not participating in the sacraments or going to mass very often. I think it's an obstacle that is being placed in our way. The right-wing has stolen much of our church in this country and around the world. Pope Francis is righting to get some of it back, but I wonder if he will truly be able to overcome all the obstacles of Satan.

There was a time not long ago when most Catholics, including most practicing Catholics, were Democrats in this country. The last few decades the Republicans have stolen the Church and the faith from us.

 

[brewmama]

Many would lead us to believe that we must vote Republican if we are to be good Catholics. Some even say God is against social programs to help the poor, the elderly, and the disabled, in direct contrast to the words of Saint John XXIII's encyclical Pacem En Terris.

There are those of us who would reject a God who wants tax cuts for the rich and corporate personhood but opposes universal health care, public pensions like Social Security, and so on and so forth. How many people do you think have left the Church or never entered it because they have heard people talk about that Republican God and believe that is who the Catholic Church thinks God is, and say "That is not my God."?

Who is responsible for those lost souls?

Do you think some right-wing organizations masquerading as faith groups and right-wing politicians masquerading as clergy (See: Burke, Raymond) are morally responsible for turning good people against progressive political action and turning other good people away from Church and from God by making them think he's Ronald Reagan?

I can tell you that there have been many times in my life where I've read something in this forum or heard a news report where Roman Catholicism is equated with Republican beliefs where I've thought "You know what? That's not my God, that's not my Church, and I'm done with this nonsense.". I've struggled with faith my entire life. And I think this right-wing appropriation of God and of the Church has been a big part of it. I spent years as an atheist or an agnostic, I spent years as an Episcopalian, I spent years as nothing. I've always struggled to really be an real part of the Roman Catholic Church, which is what I was born into. And I think a large part of that is because it was stolen from me by politicians and monied interests. I really do.

I can't worship at the altar of Ronald Reagan.

God has to be more than that. He has to be beyond these people. And, moreover, he has to be on the side of the poor. He has to be on the side of the weak and the powerless. He has to be about love. He can't be about cutting corporate taxes and taking away gay people's rights while cutting aide to the elderly and disabled. That doesn't work for me.

To the extent people successful infiltrated the Church and infected it with conservative views, I think it's played a major role in people like me leaving the church or identifying as Catholic but not participating in the sacraments or going to mass very often. I think it's an obstacle that is being placed in our way. The right-wing has stolen much of our church in this country and around the world. Pope Francis is righting to get some of it back, but I wonder if he will truly be able to overcome all the obstacles of Satan.

There was a time not long ago when most Catholics, including most practicing Catholics, were Democrats in this country. The last few decades the Republicans have stolen the Church and the faith from us.

So many people disagree with you,

Touchstone Archives: April, 2003

and rightly so, considering how you misrepresent everything you think Republicans believe and stand for. I should say conservatives, because I assume that's who you mean when you say Republicans.

 

[Fish and Bread]

So many people disagree with you

I've noticed.

and rightly so, considering how you misrepresent everything you think Republicans believe and stand for. I should say conservatives, because I assume that's who you mean when you say Republicans.

I think I understand them very well. I'm not making any judgments about Republicans as human beings. I have some family and friends who are Republicans who are great human beings. But their ideology is anathema to me. I understand it, and I reject it. I can separate people from their politics, and I do, because people are where they are politically for a lot of complex reasons that even they are sometimes not aware of consciously, and are more than their ideology. However, I reject the ideology. I understand it and I do not like it.

 

[dzheremi]

I'm nothing that this thread is asking about (not Catholic, or Republican, or Democrat), but I have to imagine that people of the opposite political persuasion might say in response to the idea that the Republican party has "stolen the Church and the faith" that the Democratic party has just as much walked away from the Roman Catholic faithful. Did it not also used to be the case that the Democratic platform was not supportive of homosexual marriage, abortion on demand, no-fault divorce, and all the other things that they now support that are anathema to many, many Catholics?

 

[Fantine]

Stop worrying, F&B. Time Magazine has already proven that Bernie Sanders is almost as Catholic as the Pope--and certainly way more Catholic in his values than Rick Santorum, odious Kansas governor Sam Brownback, and the motley crew of Republican candidates assembled so far.

Bernie's list of mitzvahs would leave them all in the dust.

Mazeltov, Bernie!

 

[brewmama]

I've noticed.



I think I understand them very well. I'm not making any judgments about Republicans as human beings. I have some family and friends who are Republicans who are great human beings. But their ideology is anathema to me. I understand it, and I reject it. I can separate people from their politics, and I do, because people are where they are politically for a lot of complex reasons that even they are sometimes not aware of consciously, and are more than their ideology. However, I reject the ideology. I understand it and I do not like it.

Really? So why do you think Republicans believe in less taxation? Why do you think they would prefer to bring everyone up rather than the rich down? Why do you think they see welfare as a corrosive on the people using it and a dismal failure?

 

[mark46]

Many would lead us to believe that we must vote Republican if we are to be good Catholics. Some even say God is against social programs to help the poor, the elderly, and the disabled, in direct contrast to the words of Saint John XXIII's encyclical Pacem En Terris.

There are those of us who would reject a God who wants tax cuts for the rich and corporate personhood but opposes universal health care, public pensions like Social Security, and so on and so forth. How many people do you think have left the Church or never entered it because they have heard people talk about that Republican God and believe that is who the Catholic Church thinks God is, and say "That is not my God."?

Who is responsible for those lost souls?

Do you think some right-wing organizations masquerading as faith groups and right-wing politicians masquerading as clergy (See: Burke, Raymond) are morally responsible for turning good people against progressive political action and turning other good people away from Church and from God by making them think he's Ronald Reagan?

I can tell you that there have been many times in my life where I've read something in this forum or heard a news report where Roman Catholicism is equated with Republican beliefs where I've thought "You know what? That's not my God, that's not my Church, and I'm done with this nonsense.". I've struggled with faith my entire life. And I think this right-wing appropriation of God and of the Church has been a big part of it. I spent years as an atheist or an agnostic, I spent years as an Episcopalian, I spent years as nothing. I've always struggled to really be an real part of the Roman Catholic Church, which is what I was born into. And I think a large part of that is because it was stolen from me by politicians and monied interests. I really do.

I can't worship at the altar of Ronald Reagan.

God has to be more than that. He has to be beyond these people. And, moreover, he has to be on the side of the poor. He has to be on the side of the weak and the powerless. He has to be about love. He can't be about cutting corporate taxes and taking away gay people's rights while cutting aide to the elderly and disabled. That doesn't work for me.

To the extent people successful infiltrated the Church and infected it with conservative views, I think it's played a major role in people like me leaving the church or identifying as Catholic but not participating in the sacraments or going to mass very often. I think it's an obstacle that is being placed in our way. The right-wing has stolen much of our church in this country and around the world. Pope Francis is righting to get some of it back, but I wonder if he will truly be able to overcome all the obstacles of Satan.

There was a time not long ago when most Catholics, including most practicing Catholics, were Democrats in this country. The last few decades the Republicans have stolen the Church and the faith from us.

As you must know by now, the majority of US and of world Catholics have political views much different that the majority here at OBOB.

Almost no communication by the pope regarding political and economic issues receives majority support here. Few statements of the national council of bishops receive much acceptance here.
======
BTW, Protestants have the same issue. The right wing is very, very loud.
=========
As an side, I would note that Obama received a majority from Catholics in both 2008 and 2014.

 

[Rhamiel]

Stop worrying, F&B. Time Magazine has already proven that Bernie Sanders is almost as Catholic as the Pope

1 he does not believe in Jesus
2 he supports gay marriage
3 he supports the slaughter of unborn children
4 he does not practice the radical poverty of Pope Frances

though all modern politicians fail on number 4, atleast most of the ones I know of, the other 3 are really serious issues for any Christian

we can argue that the President would not have much control over abortion or gay marriage, but it shows a lack of morals if you support these things
like being racist, sure the President might be racist and we could say "yeah but he can not really do anything with his racism" but it shows that the person has malformed morals

 

[mark46]

Do we think that the world's Catholics have the same political and economic views as those on OBOB?

US Catholics are a small minority of the world's Catholics. There are more Catholics in the Philipines than in the US.

Excluding views on sexuality, abortion and contraception, I would think that many of the discussions here on a regular basis would seem very strange indeed.

It seems that the political and economic views of the pope are much more acceptable in other countries. Of course, many of political and economic views are acceptable and taught by our council of bishops.
===============
I guess I need to remind myself that the majority of US Catholics voted for Obama and are likely to vote Democratic again in 2016.

Many would remind me that most older white male Catholics are likely to vote Republican. Thankfully, old white men are a decreasing as a percentage of the electorate.

 

[RKO]

Excellent thread and long overdue. The right wants us out of Catholicism. They have tried to.co-opt religion in the US and have no use for those of us who will not bow down to their ideology.

The interesting Part of this to me is watching peop,e go more deeply into their faith and more deeply into the right wing fringe. Its as if its a requirement for salvation...

If I were to think that the Koch brothers better represent Catholic economic teaching than the Pope, I would re-examine my thinking. Or At least I would admit that I was more republican than I was Catholic.

 

[Fantine]

Really? So why do you think Republicans believe in less taxation? Why do you think they would prefer to bring everyone up rather than the rich down? Why do you think they see welfare as a corrosive on the people using it and a dismal failure?

Good, universal public education, access to community college, and ample financial aid or college has "brought everyone up" far more than lower taxes have.

The post WWII GI Bill ushered in the greatest prosperity in American history--it helped create the huge middle class (oops, I guess I should say "formerly huge" now as we descend into oligarchy...)

Free university tuition is keeping places like Germany--the most prosperous country in Europe--prosperous today.

Social Security and unemployment insurance and other compassionate programs have kept our middle class strong so that we have never descended into another "great depression" as we did in 1929. Did you know, BTW, that both the great depression and the great recession of 2008 were preceded by a particular economic condition--when more than 23% of the nation's wealth lay in the hands of 1% of the people?

You think that low taxes make everyone rich and make the rich richer because you're being fed a line of baloney by Fox propaganda News, but history has shown us that a strong middle class--even in the high taxation of the 1960's--created more prosperity for rich and poor than low taxes.

Reagan began this failed experiment--trickle down economics--in the 1980's. It's time to end our 35 years of national stupidity now.

 

[brewmama]

Good, universal public education, access to community college, and ample financial aid or college has "brought everyone up" far more than lower taxes have.

The post WWII GI Bill ushered in the greatest prosperity in American history--it helped create the huge middle class (oops, I guess I should say "formerly huge" now as we descend into oligarchy...)

Free university tuition is keeping places like Germany--the most prosperous country in Europe--prosperous today.

Social Security and unemployment insurance and other compassionate programs have kept our middle class strong so that we have never descended into another "great depression" as we did in 1929. Did you know, BTW, that both the great depression and the great recession of 2008 were preceded by a particular economic condition--when more than 23% of the nation's wealth lay in the hands of 1% of the people?

You think that low taxes make everyone rich and make the rich richer because you're being fed a line of baloney by Fox propaganda News, but history has shown us that a strong middle class--even in the high taxation of the 1960's--created more prosperity for rich and poor than low taxes.

Reagan began this failed experiment--trickle down economics--in the 1980's. It's time to end our 35 years of national stupidity now.

You're wrong, of course, since the War on Poverty has done absolutely nothing to ameliorate poverty, but instead has created a permanent underclass that reliably votes Democrat, just as LBJ predicted, and was the sole intention. It's well demonstrated that affirmative action does not aid the underprivileged in colleges, because it puts them higher than where they could comfortably succeed, and they often dropout or flunk out. Inner city youths, especially blacks, have no interest in school or education, in fact they mock it, or call it too "white". You somehow think that low taxes hurt the middle class, which is logically ridiculous. Your "great depression" and "great recession" were both extended far beyond where they should have been because of liberal economic policies.

Social Security kept the middle class strong?? Where do you come up with this stuff? You do know that it was only created as an assistance plan, not something you solely depend on. Mostly what unemployment does is keep people unemployed, and amazingly, when unemployment runs out people usually find employment.

You show that you know very little about Fox news, history, or economics for that matter. For example, you say the middle class flourished in the 1960's under high taxation,

But Kennedy, who famously noted that "a rising tide lifts all boats," [sound familiar?] insisted tax cuts would generate broad-based growth.

Congress finally approved the tax cuts in early 1964, three months after Kennedy's assassination. The following fiscal year, the federal budget deficit did indeed shrink. Stock investors loved it. Between 1962 and 1966, the Dow Jones industrial average nearly doubled.

JFK's Lasting Economic Legacy: Lower Tax Rates : NPR

I agree that it's time to end our "national stupidity", but the ongoing belief that the corrupt, damaging, soulless, culture destroying, poverty perpetuating liberal policies of the past 50 years are not only good, but morally superior, is quite contrary to that goal.

 

[mark46]

You're wrong, of course, since the War on Poverty has done absolutely nothing to ameliorate poverty, but instead has created a permanent underclass that reliably votes Democrat, just as LBJ predicted, and was the sole intention. It's well demonstrated that affirmative action does not aid the underprivileged in colleges, because it puts them higher than where they could comfortably succeed, and they often dropout or flunk out. Inner city youths, especially blacks, have no interest in school or education, in fact they mock it, or call it too "white". You somehow think that low taxes hurt the middle class, which is logically ridiculous. Your "great depression" and "great recession" were both extended far beyond where they should have been because of liberal economic policies.

Social Security kept the middle class strong?? Where do you come up with this stuff? You do know that it was only created as an assistance plan, not something you solely depend on. Mostly what unemployment does is keep people unemployed, and amazingly, when unemployment runs out people usually find employment.

You show that you know very little about Fox news, history, or economics for that matter. For example, you say the middle class flourished in the 1960's under high taxation,

JFK's Lasting Economic Legacy: Lower Tax Rates : NPR

I agree that it's time to end our "national stupidity", but the ongoing belief that the corrupt, damaging, soulless, culture destroying, poverty perpetuating liberal policies of the past 50 years are not only good, but morally superior, is quite contrary to that goal.

It is interesting that you want a return to the tax structure under Kennedy, the tax structure that was the result of the major decrease in the marginal tax rate.

Do you understand that we would need to DOUBLE rates to reach the Kennedy rates.
=========
We NEED to get back to a system where the very rich pay a marginal tax rate HIGHER than that of the average worker. Under the present system, their marginal and average rates are LOWER.

The highest income tax rates (including federal, state and parole taxes) is highest among the shrinking middle class. The poor have payroll taxes, paid by them and their employers.
=========
There are many who have proposed a flat tax, except for the very poor. The resultant rate is always much HIGHER for the rich.
=========
BOTTOM LINE
US personal rates for those who earn more than $200K a year are much too low. On the other hand, corporate taxes rates are too high, and contain unnecessary loopholes that impede competition.

 

[Fantine]

Out here in the Bible Belt the permanent underclass is rural and reliably Republican...

Don't know which form of brainwashing is more potent on them--their evangelical ministers' or the media....in rural America, most of the media is owned by conservative conglomerates--Clear Channel, Fox, Rupert Murdoch, etc...so they only hear one point of view over and over again.

 

[St Antony]

You know what? As Catholics we shouldn't care all that much about fiscal and economic policy debated in our political system, because if we care very much about that stuff, then we are not focused on what we should be focused on.

If the Left is right and the Republicans eliminate all social programs (and thereby lowers taxes), then we should see that as a blessing because it gives the Church the opportunity to get really, really involved in its mission to feed, clothe, care for and house the poor. If the Right is right, and the Democrats adopt pure socialism, then we shouldn't care either, because even though we'll all be poorer from a material standpoint, that will be good because we won't have so many distractions to focusing on following Christ.

Where the Left so offends God (and the Republicans aren't much better usually) is by attacking the Church's role in society and advocating an ideology that is incredibly hostile to Jesus. Can you imagine Jesus celebrating the killing of the unborn? Would Jesus the destructive impact on families and children caused by divorce, illegitimacy and feminist values in general? Would Jesus believe that matters of faith must be totally eliminated from public discussion because someone might be offended? Would Jesus support the ridicule of Christian believe and values, and the ridicule of conservatives and followers of traditional values that has become such a staple of the Left these days? Would Jesus support the government putting a family-owned bakery out of business because they insisted on following Him instead of the prevailing ideology of the day? Would Jesus support the ugliness, ridicule and pure hatred that has become so commonplace in the political discourse of the Left these days?

As I stated in another thread, socialism is a political theory derived from Karl Marx. Marx was an atheist and extremely critical of all religion, including Christianity. He called Jesus the opiate of the masses. For those of you on the political Left, keep this in mind when attacking conservatives about their political beliefs.

 

[Fantine]

I think that most of us realize that both personal charity and governmental programs are necessary in a complex global society of 7.1 billion people.

Personal charity facilitates that relationship that is so necessary to bring awareness and compassion to those who would be asked to give.

And because of rampant income inequality, many people have very little contact with those of different economic classes--especially in suburbs and cities.

In small agricultural communities in first century Israel, people knew when their neighbors were in need, and were able to act.

Today, the rich are isolated in gated enclaves.

The average Catholic contributes (I've heard) about 3% of his income to charities...

If there were no taxes, how much more do you think that Catholic would give? 4%? 5%?

Even 10% wouldn't make up the shortfall, and it's highly unlikely most would go up that far.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

Read this and then decide which political party is a cancer on the body of Christ:

Pope Pius XI, Divini Redemptoris (1937)

57. On this point We have already insisted in Our Allocution of May 12th of last year, but We believe it to be a duty of special urgency, Venerable Brethren, to call your attention to it once again. In the beginning Communism showed itself for what it was in all its perversity; but very soon it realized that it was thus alienating the people. It has therefore changed its tactics, and strives to entice the multitudes by trickery of various forms, hiding its real designs behind ideas that in themselves are good and attractive. Thus, aware of the universal desire for peace, the leaders of Communism pretend to be the most zealous promoters and propagandists in the movement for world amity. Yet at the same time they stir up a class-warfare which causes rivers of blood to flow, and, realizing that their system offers no internal guarantee of peace, they have recourse to unlimited armaments. Under various names which do not suggest Communism, they establish organizations and periodicals with the sole purpose of carrying their ideas into quarters otherwise inaccessible. They try perfidiously to worm their way even into professedly Catholic and religious organizations. Again, without receding an inch from their subversive principles, they invite Catholics to collaborate with them in the realm of so-called humanitarianism and charity; and at times even make proposals that are in perfect harmony with the Christian spirit and the doctrine of the Church. Elsewhere they carry their hypocrisy so far as to encourage the belief that Communism, in countries where faith and culture are more strongly entrenched, will assume another and much milder form. It will not interfere with the practice of religion. It will respect liberty of conscience. There are some even who refer to certain changes recently introduced into soviet legislation as a proof that Communism is about to abandon its program of war against God.

58. See to it, Venerable Brethren, that the Faithful do not allow themselves to be deceived! Communism is intrinsically wrong, and no one who would save Christian civilization may collaborate with it in any undertaking whatsoever. Those who permit themselves to be deceived into lending their aid towards the triumph of Communism in their own country, will be the first to fall victims of their error. And the greater the antiquity and grandeur of the Christian civilization in the regions where Communism successfully penetrates, so much more devastating will be the hatred displayed by the godless.​

Which political party fits this description?

Pope St. John XXIII, Mater et Magistra (1961)

34. Pope Pius XI further emphasized the fundamental opposition between Communism and Christianity, and made it clear that no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism. The reason is that Socialism is founded on a doctrine of human society which is bounded by time and takes no account of any objective other than that of material well-being. Since, therefore, it proposes a form of social organization which aims solely at production, it places too severe a restraint on human liberty, at the same time flouting the true notion of social authority.​

Which political party fits this description?

"The collapse of the Marxist-inspired governments of Europe was for this theology of redeeming political practice a kind of twilight of the gods: precisely there where the Marxist ideology of liberation had been consistently applied, a total lack of freedom had developed, whose horrors were now laid bare before the eyes of the entire world." - Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Truth and Tolerance, 116

Which political party fits this description?

"Some non-governmental Organizations work actively to spread abortion, at times promoting the practice of sterilization in poor countries, in some cases not even informing the women concerned. Moreover, there is reason to suspect that development aid is sometimes linked to specific health-care policies which de facto involve the imposition of strong birth control measures. Further grounds for concern are laws permitting euthanasia as well as pressure from lobby groups, nationally and internationally, in favour of its juridical recognition." -Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate

P.S.

Notice which Pope was the one who says that no Catholic could subscribe even to "moderate" Socialism.

Out of all the Popes, it was Pope St. John XXIII who said it.

 

[St Antony]

Read this and then decide which political party is a cancer on the body of Christ:

Pope Pius XI, Divini Redemptoris (1937)

57. On this point We have already insisted in Our Allocution of May 12th of last year, but We believe it to be a duty of special urgency, Venerable Brethren, to call your attention to it once again. In the beginning Communism showed itself for what it was in all its perversity; but very soon it realized that it was thus alienating the people. It has therefore changed its tactics, and strives to entice the multitudes by trickery of various forms, hiding its real designs behind ideas that in themselves are good and attractive. Thus, aware of the universal desire for peace, the leaders of Communism pretend to be the most zealous promoters and propagandists in the movement for world amity. Yet at the same time they stir up a class-warfare which causes rivers of blood to flow, and, realizing that their system offers no internal guarantee of peace, they have recourse to unlimited armaments. Under various names which do not suggest Communism, they establish organizations and periodicals with the sole purpose of carrying their ideas into quarters otherwise inaccessible. They try perfidiously to worm their way even into professedly Catholic and religious organizations. Again, without receding an inch from their subversive principles, they invite Catholics to collaborate with them in the realm of so-called humanitarianism and charity; and at times even make proposals that are in perfect harmony with the Christian spirit and the doctrine of the Church. Elsewhere they carry their hypocrisy so far as to encourage the belief that Communism, in countries where faith and culture are more strongly entrenched, will assume another and much milder form. It will not interfere with the practice of religion. It will respect liberty of conscience. There are some even who refer to certain changes recently introduced into soviet legislation as a proof that Communism is about to abandon its program of war against God.

58. See to it, Venerable Brethren, that the Faithful do not allow themselves to be deceived! Communism is intrinsically wrong, and no one who would save Christian civilization may collaborate with it in any undertaking whatsoever. Those who permit themselves to be deceived into lending their aid towards the triumph of Communism in their own country, will be the first to fall victims of their error. And the greater the antiquity and grandeur of the Christian civilization in the regions where Communism successfully penetrates, so much more devastating will be the hatred displayed by the godless.​

Which political party fits this description?

Pope St. John XXIII, Mater et Magistra (1961)

34. Pope Pius XI further emphasized the fundamental opposition between Communism and Christianity, and made it clear that no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism. The reason is that Socialism is founded on a doctrine of human society which is bounded by time and takes no account of any objective other than that of material well-being. Since, therefore, it proposes a form of social organization which aims solely at production, it places too severe a restraint on human liberty, at the same time flouting the true notion of social authority.​

Which political party fits this description?

"The collapse of the Marxist-inspired governments of Europe was for this theology of redeeming political practice a kind of twilight of the gods: precisely there where the Marxist ideology of liberation had been consistently applied, a total lack of freedom had developed, whose horrors were now laid bare before the eyes of the entire world." - Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Truth and Tolerance, 116



P.S.

Notice which Pope was the one who says that no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism.

Out of all the Popes, it was Pope St. John XXIII who said it.

Amen! As Jesus told us, you can't serve two masters. Christ and the ideology of socialism are inherently incompatible.

 

[Fish and Bread]

Christ and the ideology of socialism are inherently incompatible.

Christ and the ideology of vulture capitalism are inherently incompatible.

 

[brewmama]

It is interesting that you want a return to the tax structure under Kennedy, the tax structure that was the result of the major decrease in the marginal tax rate.

Do you understand that we would need to DOUBLE rates to reach the Kennedy rates.
=========
We NEED to get back to a system where the very rich pay a marginal tax rate HIGHER than that of the average worker. Under the present system, their marginal and average rates are LOWER.

The highest income tax rates (including federal, state and parole taxes) is highest among the shrinking middle class. The poor have payroll taxes, paid by them and their employers.
=========
There are many who have proposed a flat tax, except for the very poor. The resultant rate is always much HIGHER for the rich.
=========
BOTTOM LINE
US personal rates for those who earn more than $200K a year are much too low. On the other hand, corporate taxes rates are too high, and contain unnecessary loopholes that impede competition.

Funny how you twist and falsify things. Showing how tax cuts are a benefit to the economy in no way equals a return to that specific tax rate. Tax cuts under Reagan also greatly increased treasury revenue, but since the Democrats reneged on spending cuts we still got deficits.

You also seem to believe the falsehood that the rich don't pay taxes, or very little taxes, when in fact they pay pretty much ALL the taxes. This has been demonstrated over and over.

I believe it was Steve Forbes, a Republican, who wanted flat taxes, and was eviscerated for it by the left, as told in Bernard Goldbergs's book Bias.