For the benefit of those who do not read RTE directly online below are five responses to the subject message that are now part of the original online posting – including one from a Rabbi. Click on the blog to check to see if there are more responses – such as to any of the comments below.
--- Response #1 – SC Businessman ---
Doug - I usually send on your emails to a select group of friends. Art is a retired (he retired at 55 and is now 63 +/-) reconstructive Maxillofacial surgeon from NYC, and is now a Rabbi here. He is also one of the few Democrats in the area, although not too far out in left field. I thought you would find his reply interesting. I did.
--- Rabbi's Response ---
THE POPE IS ACTUALLY JUST TEACHING PURE UNADULTERATED CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE .
WE DON'T HEAR IT OFTEN SO IT SOUNDS AS IF HIS RANT IS HIS AND NEW.
WHEN WE STUDY THE EARLY CHURCH OF PAUL, IN ROME, AND IN MANY OTHER TOWNS, THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY WERE, WHAT WE WOULD CALL TODAY, COMMUNISTIC. EVERYONE WOULD GIVE EVERY WORLDLY POSSESSION ONE HAD TO THE COMMUNE, AND IT WOULD BE REDISTRIBUTED ACCORDING TO NEED.
IN POINT OF FACT, IN AN ODE TO THE MEMORY OF THIS, CATHOLICS STILL PRACTICE RITUAL COMMUNION.
JUDAISM NEVER WENT SO FAR. THEY ACCEPTED THE FACT THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE RICH AND POOR, AND FOLKS IN BETWEEN. BUT, THEY LEGISLATED LAWS OF 10% TITHING (A FLAT TAX!!) FOR ALL, SO THAT THE POOR, WIDOWS, ORPHANS, COULD LIVE.
FARMERS COULD NOT HARVEST THE CORNERS OF THEIR FIELDS, SO THAT THE POOR COULD COME AND GLEAN FREE FOOD, BUT NOTE, USING THEIR LABOR TO GATHER THE CROPS.
AND THEY HAD MANY LAWS PROTECTING THE WORKER.
AS FAR AS CAPITALISM, A JEWISH MERCHANT COULD ONLY HAVE A SALES PRICE OF A PRODUCT OF NO MORE THAT ONE 6TH HIGHER [ 17%] OF WHAT HE PAID FOR IT, UNLESS HE AND THE 'MADE AWARE OF' BUYER, AGREED TO PAY MORE.
AND THEY HAD LAWS ON HOW CONSUMERS WERE TO BEHAVE ALSO.
SO WHILE THE EARLY CHURCH DID AWAY WITH CAPITALISM AND JUMPED INTO COMMUNAL COMMUNIST LIVING, JUDAISM PROMOTED CAPITALISM, BUT NOT 'UNFETTERED' CAPITALISM.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE USA HAS TRIED TO PROMOTED 'FETTERED' CAPITALISM, SINCE THE SHERMAN ANTI- TRUST ACT OF 1890.
AND HAS TRIED TO CONTROL UNIONS SINCE THE TAFT-HARTLEY ACT OF 1947.
OF COURSE IT IS ALWAYS EASY TO DERIDE SMALL BUSINESSMEN LIKE OURSELVES, FROM A BALCONY, WEARING A GOLD CROSS, THAT IF MELTED INTO COINS, COULD FEED A SMALL AFRICAN NATION.
--- Rabbi's Response ---
THE POPE IS ACTUALLY JUST TEACHING PURE UNADULTERATED CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE .
WE DON'T HEAR IT OFTEN SO IT SOUNDS AS IF HIS RANT IS HIS AND NEW.
WHEN WE STUDY THE EARLY CHURCH OF PAUL, IN ROME, AND IN MANY OTHER TOWNS, THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY WERE, WHAT WE WOULD CALL TODAY, COMMUNISTIC. EVERYONE WOULD GIVE EVERY WORLDLY POSSESSION ONE HAD TO THE COMMUNE, AND IT WOULD BE REDISTRIBUTED ACCORDING TO NEED.
IN POINT OF FACT, IN AN ODE TO THE MEMORY OF THIS, CATHOLICS STILL PRACTICE RITUAL COMMUNION.
JUDAISM NEVER WENT SO FAR. THEY ACCEPTED THE FACT THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE RICH AND POOR, AND FOLKS IN BETWEEN. BUT, THEY LEGISLATED LAWS OF 10% TITHING (A FLAT TAX!!) FOR ALL, SO THAT THE POOR, WIDOWS, ORPHANS, COULD LIVE.
FARMERS COULD NOT HARVEST THE CORNERS OF THEIR FIELDS, SO THAT THE POOR COULD COME AND GLEAN FREE FOOD, BUT NOTE, USING THEIR LABOR TO GATHER THE CROPS.
AND THEY HAD MANY LAWS PROTECTING THE WORKER.
AS FAR AS CAPITALISM, A JEWISH MERCHANT COULD ONLY HAVE A SALES PRICE OF A PRODUCT OF NO MORE THAT ONE 6TH HIGHER [ 17%] OF WHAT HE PAID FOR IT, UNLESS HE AND THE 'MADE AWARE OF' BUYER, AGREED TO PAY MORE.
AND THEY HAD LAWS ON HOW CONSUMERS WERE TO BEHAVE ALSO.
SO WHILE THE EARLY CHURCH DID AWAY WITH CAPITALISM AND JUMPED INTO COMMUNAL COMMUNIST LIVING, JUDAISM PROMOTED CAPITALISM, BUT NOT 'UNFETTERED' CAPITALISM.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE USA HAS TRIED TO PROMOTED 'FETTERED' CAPITALISM, SINCE THE SHERMAN ANTI- TRUST ACT OF 1890.
AND HAS TRIED TO CONTROL UNIONS SINCE THE TAFT-HARTLEY ACT OF 1947.
OF COURSE IT IS ALWAYS EASY TO DERIDE SMALL BUSINESSMEN LIKE OURSELVES, FROM A BALCONY, WEARING A GOLD CROSS, THAT IF MELTED INTO COINS, COULD FEED A SMALL AFRICAN NATION.
--- Response #2 ---
I can see the Pope's position. The Catholic religion works similar to socialism - if you don't join or are not born into it you are not allowed to participate in some of the church rituals. Other churches I have been to do not give you a label. Only one they have in common (other churches) is you can't get into heaven unless you believe in Jesus as your Savior. That is it that I know of.
--- Response #3 ---
Dead on commentary. Unfortunately it appears the Pope is a member of the "Jesus was a Socialist" congregation which of course is absolute nonsense.
--- Response #4 – Economics 501 ---
Doug - your arguments are strong for capitalism. Send this to the Vatican along with reference to Matthew 25:14-30, parable about how 3 men used their God given talents, with a lesson that one should develop these talents. Then ask the Vatican to explain which system - socialism or true free market (not corrupt crony) capitalism would best apply to this parable. Surely the latter wins as it motivates one to further develop their talents. The former often leads to a growing lazy Dependency on Government class.
--- Response #5 ---
GREAT ARTICLE - Love the sentence "capitalism fails miserably when compared to heaven or utopia" !
Doug - I found Rabbi Art's comment, "In point of fact, in an ode to the memory of this, (communal living) Catholics still practice ritual
ReplyDeletecommunion" to be misleading. The sacrament of Holy Communion is the reception of the Body and Blood of Jesus under the auspices of bread and wine. It is not in memory of leading a communistic life. Jesus gave us this sacrament at the Last Supper, telling his apostles, (and us) to do this in remembrance of Him.