Someone asked me what I think of the Pope's new Encyclical...My reply...

I haven't read it yet, but Raymond Arroyo - The World Over- talked about it with Fr. ? (can't remember his name,we DVRd it last Fri).

I find Francis Beckwith's review about it very helpful and as I posted on FB just now, I agree with him wholeheartedly. The Catholic Church condemns Socialism. Captialism is the best system the world's ever had, but if God is removed from the individuals life, and then society at large, replaced by relativism, then of course, greed and avarice will all the more abound in corrupt souls, no matter what govt. system they adhere to, so that'a my 2 cents. Now for my nickle's worth:

Remove God and Govt. becomes "god" and that isn't good for the common good at all, but causes more harm, more destruction to people than any free market or private sector system would. In a free market, some men/women are bad, some aren't. Some are great, some aren't. But the people DO have choices. But natinoalized and regulated to death, (no pun intended) Companies forced to send jobs and work to places abroad means we all suffer,having to pay exhorbitant prices for our goods/services/food/ etc. Taxing the 'rich' to redistribute their wealth is evil. Jesus is not Robin Hood. He'd never say "Steal" to give to the poor. He said, "Give to the poor" for that is compassion. And there are many wealthy people who are good...and many middleclass like us who tithe and give to the poor. When Govt. demands and makes us 'give' by stealing from us...that is evil... and corrupt as hell. But beyond all economics is the Right to Life of every person, born or not born.

Remove the respect of that Right and be prepared for the judgment of God. No nation, no country can legally kill 4000 babies a day, 50 million to date, and think it's going to survive forever. Now that killing babies is deemed a "right" by law, well, the U.S. is in for one helluvaride in a handbasket to same, and we'd all better wake up and smell the sulphur. God wants more than ever to give us freedom, and a happy life, but when we've turned our backs on Him and made killing innocent life - inside the womb - to be legal, merely a "woman's right" then WOE to us. God's Mercy is deep and vast, but His patience and mercy will one day be exhausted...that's reality. Man-made Utopia on this planet, is not.

Judgment is coming soon. The thing is, it could be at any moment for any one us, not knowing when we're going to die. Hence the need to "live right and holy" as we are called to live. Once our last breath has left our lips, judgment isn't far off...but it is "now." A greedy, mean coporate CEO can be a badass, no doubt, and cause much pain to many, and his company will fail. The end. Then if those people who've lost their jobs have faith, or turn to God in their pain, they'll find a new job, or another calling, they'll have the freedom to do so. But a brutal dictator, despot, or tyrant is a helluva lot worse, bringing hoplessness and ruin to a whole country taking away our freedom and most especially our FREEDOM of RELIGION!

Ok, that was more like a dime's worth. : )