Can a Catholic Be a Democratic Socialist?

Just to repeat for you dopes who missed the obvious, the question and answer were all in the first post.

Question:
Can a Catholic Be a Democratic Socialist?
or, Can a Christian Be a Democratic Socialist?

Answer: NO

For Catholics, The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modern times with ‘communism’ or ‘socialism’” (2425). This does not mean, however, that Catholics can embrace a kinder, “Christian” socialism in its place. Pope Pius XI famously declared, “Religious socialism, Christian socialism, are contradictory terms; no one can be at the same time a good Catholic and a true socialist” (Quadragesimo Anno, 120).

For all Christians, Catholic or otherwise: Democrats are the party of Socialism, Sodomy (gay marriage), Infanticide (late term abortion). Those are plain facts. No Christian, be they Catholic or otherwise, can be a democrat.

There, I helped out all the dopes, haters and leftists.

There is nothing remotely totalitarian or atheistic about socialism or communism.
In fact, all families, religious orders, small tribes, etc. are always socialist and communist.

You know nothing about socialism or communism because capitalists always try to destroy or discredit anything good.
For example, with the Russia, the Germans sent Lenin in specifically to sabotage Russia in order to get them out of WWI, and Stalin murdered all the communists, so that he could create the single most capitalist society ever.

Tell me any family or religious order that is not socialist and communist?
You can't because they are all socialist and communist.
 
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We don't know what Jesus said, but the sermon on the mount addresses three of the Roman laws that were cruel and unjust. Are you Jewish? What's all this hate crap?

{...
In almost all cases the phrases used in the Beatitudes are familiar from an Old Testament context, but in the sermon Jesus gives them new meaning.[10] Together, the Beatitudes present a new set of ideals that focus on love and humility rather than force and mastery; they echo the highest ideals of Jesus' teachings on spirituality and compassion.[10]
...
The longest discourse in the Sermon is Matthew 5:17–48, traditionally referred to as the Antitheses or Matthew's Antitheses. In the discourse, Jesus fulfills and reinterprets the Old Covenant and in particular its Ten Commandments, contrasting with what "you have heard" from others.[15] For example, he advises turning the other cheek, and to love your enemies, in contrast to taking an eye for an eye. According to most interpretations of Matthew 5:17, 18, 19, and 20, and most Christian views of the Old Covenant, these new interpretations of the Law and Prophets are not opposed to the Old Testament, which was the position of Marcion, but form Jesus' new teachings which bring about salvation, and hence must be adhered to, as emphasized in Matthew 7:24–27 towards the end of the sermon.[16]

In Matthew 6 Jesus condemns doing what would normally be "good works" simply for recognition and not from the heart, such as those of alms (6:1–4), prayer (6:5–15), and fasting (6:16–18). The discourse goes on to condemn the superficiality of materialism and calls the disciples not to worry about material needs, but to "seek" God's kingdom first. Within the discourse on ostentation, Matthew presents an example of correct prayer. Luke places this in a different context. The Lord's prayer (6:9–13) contains parallels to 1 Chronicles 29:10–18.[17][18]

The first part of Matthew 7, i.e. Matthew 7:1–6 deals with judging. Jesus condemns those who judge others before first judging themselves: "Judge not, that ye be not judged."

In the last part in Matthew 7:17–29 Jesus concludes the sermon by warning against false prophets.
...}
 
LOLLLLLL. Thanks, I needed a belly laugh

Human evolved as primates, that originally lived in trees for safety.
For whatever reason humans came down from the trees, they had absolutely no means of individual defense.
No claws, fangs, armor, speed, etc.
So humans, just like Meerkats, used empathy and tight social cooperation in order to survive.
Which means humans voluntarily sacrifice themselves for others.
It is in our DNA.
Those who are selfish and would not do that, not only are defective, but a threat to the survival of the human species.
 

Fr. Altman: You cannot be Catholic & a Democrat. Period. (Part I)​





Fr. Altman: Liberal Catholics are Wolves in Sheep's Clothing (Part II)​




Sorry, that was so wrong, it was stupid.
For example, "Liberal" just means one puts importance on individual liberties.
That is not left or rights, or partisan at all.
And it is incredibly immoral to claim one has to belong to one particular political party, in order to Catholic.
The Church is very clear, that is totally false.
 
There is nothing remotely totalitarian or atheistic about socialism or communism.
In fact, all families, religious orders, small tribes, etc. are always socialist and communist.

You know nothing about socialism or communism because capitalists always try to destroy or discredit anything good.
For example, with the Russia, the Germans sent Lenin in specifically to sabotage Russia in order to get them out of WWI, and Stalin murdered all the communists, so that he could create the single most capitalist society ever.

Tell me any family or religious order that is not socialist and communist?
You can't because they are all socialist and communist.
You really should have a conversation with people who have lived under Communism. They aren't fans to put it mildly.
 
Can a Catholic Be a Democratic Socialist?


The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modern times with ‘communism’ or ‘socialism’” (2425). This does not mean, however, that Catholics can embrace a kinder, “Christian” socialism in its place. Pope Pius XI famously declared, “Religious socialism, Christian socialism, are contradictory terms; no one can be at the same time a good Catholic and a true socialist” (Quadragesimo Anno, 120).

OP comment: Democrats are the party of Socialism, Sodomy (gay marriage), Infanticide (late term abortion). Those are plain facts. No Christian, be they Catholic or otherwise, can be a democrat.
NO. Neither can a free thinking human be a socialist or a communist.
 
Except Jesus never talked about homosexuality, and abortion is mentioned NOWHERE in the bible. (In fact, the bible doesn't seem to consider even newborns to be people, much less fetuses.)

The teachings of Jesus are downright socialistic. The rich are going to hell, if a man asks for your coat, give him your shirt as well, render unto Caesar what is Caesar's.
You cherry pick and misrepresent
 
Take this with a grain of salt as I am from the South where Catholism isn’t the primary denomination, but I find that many, not all, Catholics in the US see it almost something they were born into, not something they actually follow or believe. They don’t go to mass and they follow politics first. If the left-wing politics happen to agree with Catholicism, great, but it makes no difference to most of them. Many Catholics come across like many leftist Jewish folks who are quick to claim to be Jewish, but it isn’t about religion at all, but more about race, ethnicity, culture, etc.

Any religious Jewish person or Christian that votes for the Democratic Party, is clearly voting against their best interest if Judaism or Christianity is first and foremost in their lives. It is worth noting that religious Jews are far more conservative than secular ones.

Well, dun-der, Cleetus, they aren't like the evangelicals that seek to control every aspect of their lives, so there's that. Nope, Catholics don't feel the need to grovel in front of an invisible sky pixie every day.

Now, you are on to a couple of points. Yes, a lot of Catholics aren't very devout like they were in previous generations. The Catholic Church largely tries to keep out of politics, because they don't belong in politics. (Unlike the Evangelicals and Mormons, who preach a message that is opposite of what Jesus stood for).

1645357803469.png
 
You really should have a conversation with people who have lived under Communism. They aren't fans to put it mildly.

As opposed to what? Given that 63% of people think this country is on the wrong track at any given time no matter who is president, I don't think that we do much better.

The fact is most of those European Countries are run by people like Putin who used to be Communists, so what is your point, exactly?
 
Just to repeat for you dopes who missed the obvious, the question and answer were all in the first post.

Question:
Can a Catholic Be a Democratic Socialist?
or, Can a Christian Be a Democratic Socialist?

Answer: NO

For Catholics, The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modern times with ‘communism’ or ‘socialism’” (2425). This does not mean, however, that Catholics can embrace a kinder, “Christian” socialism in its place. Pope Pius XI famously declared, “Religious socialism, Christian socialism, are contradictory terms; no one can be at the same time a good Catholic and a true socialist” (Quadragesimo Anno, 120).

For all Christians, Catholic or otherwise: Democrats are the party of Socialism, Sodomy (gay marriage), Infanticide (late term abortion). Those are plain facts. No Christian, be they Catholic or otherwise, can be a democrat.

There, I helped out all the dopes, haters and leftists.
 
The baby-killing sodomy supporter thinks he understands Jesus. What a joke

Just to repeat for you dopes who missed the obvious, the question and answer were all in the first post.

Question:
Can a Catholic Be a Democratic Socialist?
or, Can a Christian Be a Democratic Socialist?

Answer: NO

For Catholics, The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modern times with ‘communism’ or ‘socialism’” (2425). This does not mean, however, that Catholics can embrace a kinder, “Christian” socialism in its place. Pope Pius XI famously declared, “Religious socialism, Christian socialism, are contradictory terms; no one can be at the same time a good Catholic and a true socialist” (Quadragesimo Anno, 120).

For all Christians, Catholic or otherwise: Democrats are the party of Socialism, Sodomy (gay marriage), Infanticide (late term abortion). Those are plain facts. No Christian, be they Catholic or otherwise, can be a democrat.

There, I helped out all the dopes, haters and leftists.

1645359308924.png
 
Well, dun-der, Cleetus, they aren't like the evangelicals that seek to control every aspect of their lives, so there's that. Nope, Catholics don't feel the need to grovel in front of an invisible sky pixie every day.

Now, you are on to a couple of points. Yes, a lot of Catholics aren't very devout like they were in previous generations. The Catholic Church largely tries to keep out of politics, because they don't belong in politics. (Unlike the Evangelicals and Mormons, who preach a message that is opposite of what Jesus stood for).

View attachment 603902
Some Catholics don't go to mass everyday now?
 
Can a Catholic Be a Democratic Socialist?


The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modern times with ‘communism’ or ‘socialism’” (2425). This does not mean, however, that Catholics can embrace a kinder, “Christian” socialism in its place. Pope Pius XI famously declared, “Religious socialism, Christian socialism, are contradictory terms; no one can be at the same time a good Catholic and a true socialist” (Quadragesimo Anno, 120).

OP comment: Democrats are the party of Socialism, Sodomy (gay marriage), Infanticide (late term abortion). Those are plain facts. No Christian, be they Catholic or otherwise, can be a democrat.


So, in order to analyze democratic socialism, we must distinguish social welfare policies Catholics can reasonably disagree about with socialist policies no Catholic can support.

The government can provide benefits to people through social welfare programs such as food stamps or education grants, and people are free to gauge and debate the effectiveness and value of such programs. John Paul II warned, though, that if the “welfare state” grew too large, it would result in “a loss of human energies and an inordinate increase of public agencies, which are dominated more by bureaucratic ways of thinking than by concern for serving their clients, and which are accompanied by an enormous increase in spending” (Centesimus Annus 48).

In contrast to social welfare programs, the government could provide these goods directly through socialist programs such as government-run schools, hospitals, and grocery stores. Since socialism is often gradually introduced to societies through public policy, Catholics should approach with a healthy dose of skepticism government policies that seek to nationalize entire industries.

Of course, the existence of some nationalized industries does not mean a country has embraced full-fledged socialism. For example, having government-run schools in the United States does not mean we are a socialist country such as the Soviet Union (though that wasn’t for a lack of trying).

In 1922, Oregon tried to outlaw private and religious schools, and it was only a 1925 Supreme Court decision that kept the state from winning a monopoly on education. Pope Pius XI quoted this decision in Divnii Illius Magistri when he wrote, “The child is not the mere creature of the state” (37). Contrast this with Karl Marx’s collaborator Friedrich Engels, who dreamed of a time when “the care and education of the children become a public affair; society looks after all children alike.” In fact, in Sweden (a country many Democratic socialists hold up as an ideal), homeschooling is illegal, and in neighboring Finland private schools are practically nonexistent.

In the United States, the government on many levels provides many health care services. Yet a fully socialist health care system—an idea that more political candidates are beginning to float and more voters entertain—would be another example of central planning that should concern Catholics.

If the government has the only say over what services a hospital offers, then Catholic hospitals (to whatever extent they could remain identifiably so) could be mandated to provide contraception and to perform sterilizations, abortions, and so-called “sex-reassignment” surgeries, among other morally objectionable things. There would also be concerns about the state’s rationing of health care, potentially denying certain ordinary treatments to disabled patients and imposing euthanasia in their place.

Tempting though the idea may be to some, it’s hard to see how Catholics can help create, in Meyer’s words, “a democratic road to socialism.” The Church’s condemnations against socialism would have remained the same even if Lenin, Mao, Pol Pot, and other socialist leaders had been elected through a democratic process. Moreover, the Church has been aware of a peaceful “moderate socialism” for a long time and still rejects it as being a promotion of Christian values under the socialist banner with an eye toward enacting true socialism in the future.

Pope Pius XI said, “Such just demands and desire have nothing in them now which is inconsistent with Christian truth, and much less are they special to socialism. Those who work solely toward such ends have, therefore, no reason to become socialists” (Quadragesimo Anno 115). Thirty years later Pope John XXIII reaffirmed the Pope’s contention saying:

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. (Mater et Magistra, 34)​

As we show in our new book Can a Catholic be a Socialist?, socialism is evil in principle because it deprives people of their natural rights and treats them as products of the state to be sculpted and used instead of creations of God to be dignified and respected. Furthermore, socialism is unworkable because it doesn’t “see the world as it really is” and, as a result, leads to physical evils such as food shortages and the neglect of natural resources and environments. The physical and moral evils of socialism become clear once one examines the history of both socialism and the Catholic Church’s response to it.
 
Repeat: ". . . . socialism is evil in principle because it deprives people of their natural rights and treats them as products of the state to be sculpted and used instead of creations of God to be dignified and respected. Furthermore, socialism is unworkable because it doesn’t “see the world as it really is” and, as a result, leads to physical evils such as food shortages and the neglect of natural resources and environments. The physical and moral evils of socialism become clear once one examines the history of both socialism and the Catholic Church’s response to it.
 

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