Thank you Paul Ryan!  Crisp and clear exposition of both Catholic teaching as well as the role of laity.

I hope our good Bishops read this and re-inform themselves on their proper role in saving souls, and leaving prudential political judgements to an informed laity.

The USCCB has hurt its credibility by its recent negative comments on your approach to the budget.  You are right, and they present themselves as just another ‘big government’ lobby. 

I think this is excellent and this is right where the debate needs to be.  Our debt is immoral as well as ultimately destructive to the very safety net it is intended and pretended to foster.  Well done.

This is the same man who wants to destroy Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid!  Everything for the 1%-nothing for the 99%!  Lets see them raise the taxes on the wealthy!  They (the Republicans) won’t do it!  This is discrimination and the start of CLASS WARFARE on the part of the Republicans!

I applaud your noble sentiments Rep. Ryan, but I fear that until Americans re-discover the merit of proverbs such as “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” we will not see the wisdom in best helping the less fortunate by letting them help themselves.

Well said, Paul!

Now, just keep voting the right way in the Halls of Congress and you will make it easy for the faithful to show their support at the polls.

KC

To Rich Dykstra- When you go to confession you might want to add breaking the 7th commandment (lying) to your list. I’m not one of the 1% but here is a simple question for you- How much is enough.
Read the current column “Devious Taxation” by Walter Williams- an African-American economist.
“Here’s my fairness question to you: What standard of fairness dictates that the top 10 percent of income earners pay 70 percent of the income tax burden while 47 percent of Americans pay nothing?

The fact that the income tax burden is distributed so unevenly produces great politically borne fiscal problems. People who pay little or no income taxes become natural constituents for big-spending politicians. After all, if you pay no income taxes, what do you care if income taxes are raised? Also, you won’t be enthusiastic about tax cuts; you’ll see them as a threat to your handouts.”

I guess you see the simple rule- Spend only as much as you take in as a threat to your handout. Try being an ant once and not a grasshopper.

Dear Mr. Rich Dykstra.  Speaking as someone who hope to one day be in the 1%, I have but one question.  How much of my money do you consider to be your fair share?

“This is the same man who wants to destroy Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid! Everything for the 1%-nothing for the 99%!  Lets see them raise the taxes on the wealthy!” Rich Dykstra

Mr. Dykstra, you have a lot to learn about economics, reality, bearing false witness and stealing, the latter of which are both mortal sins.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, the top 1% of income earners currently pay 36.7% of the income taxes even though they account for only 16.9% of income. The bottom 50% of income earners pay 2.3% of the income taxes even though they account for 13.5% of income. The bottom 47% of income earners pay no federal income taxes whatsoever. Highly disproportionate in all cases. Care to tell us where you fall on the scale? Class warfare indeed.

Far from wanting to destroy social security, medicare and medicaid, Paul Ryan has seen the writing on the wall regarding unfunded liabilities - entitlement spending - and sees the ensuing trainwreck that could lead to the bankruptcy of federal, state and local governments. Something which you would probably have no problem with until you called 911 and there was no operator, no police officer, no firefighter or no paramedic to respond to your plaintive wail. No civil servants to build and repair roads. No hospitals to treat the sick. No schools to educate our children. No military to defend the Republic. Ryan wants to slow the rate of growth of these misguided ponzi schemes in an attempt to sustain their viability, not kill them. LBJs Great Society has been an abject failure and has only succeeded in creating class warfare guerillas like yourself with your socialist entitlement mentality of beggar-thy-neighbor.

People like you are quite adept at emoting but you come up quite short when it comes to critically thinking and telling the truth.

To Rich: It is so tiring to see the same empty sayings again and again- “Paul Ryan wants to destroy Medicare….etc. ” How can you possibly believe this? Have you ever taken 2 minutes and read or listened to Paul Ryan talk? He in fact wants to SAVE Medicare for future generations, because if nothing is done it will be insolvent, and very soon. Raise taxes on the wealthy, fine, but do you think that will solve our problems? You could confiscate all the wealth of the top 1% and it wouldn’t be enough to run our government for 6 months. Then what do you do? What will you do when you can’t wage your class warfare (and yes, it is the democrats who have been waging class warfare since the day Obama got elected). If we don’t change our ways we are in deep deep trouble. Please get off the envy rage and start thinking of ways to work together.

Ryan is a cafeteria Catholic. Throw the poor under the bus and take care of the rich.  Read Matthew 25.

As always, a thoughtful and informed piece.

I am not aware of the Bishops being concerned or making recommendations where the USA can get out of their growing $15 TRILLION dollar debt.  The bigger the debt the bigger the burden on working families.  The higher the taxes, the more corporations leave the Country and there are fewer jobs.
Perhaps they should stick to Saving Souls and the Fundamental Rights of ALL men in strict accord with the Gospel as stated in the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” - #2245 & 2246.

CCC - QUOTE: ” 2411 Contracts are subject to commutative justice which regulates exchanges between persons and between institutions in accordance with a strict respect for their rights. Commutative justice obliges strictly; it requires safeguarding property rights, PAYING DEBTS, and fulfilling obligations freely contracted.  Without commutative justice, NO OTHER FORM OF JUSTICE IS POSSIBLE.

One distinguishes commutative justice from legal justice which concerns what the citizen owes in fairness to the community,  and from distributive justice which regulates what the community owes its citizens in proportion to their contributions and needs. ”  UNQUOTE

Paul Ryan wants to destroy Social Security and Medicare? Too late, according to the government, both program will run dry around 2033.  Medicare has only until 2024. These realities are in large part due to the pay-as-you-go set up, where today’s workers/tax payers pay for those who are currently retired. There is no Social Security/Medicare lock box where the funds you personally pay in will go back to you with a modest amount of interest.  The other part of the problem is that the Baby Boom generation contracepted and aborted away their children—or should I say worker/tax payers?—who might have helped to keep the system going.

Paul Ryan isn’t perfect and neither is his budget—I cannot understand the for the life of me why the budget can’t be balanced TODAY as oppose to some ten years down the road. Nevertheless, its a start.  Congressman Ryan does not deserve the critcism thrown his way by bishops or Georgetown profs.

Mr. Dykstra,  THOU SHALL NOT STEAL;  THOU SHALL NOT COVET THY NEIGHBORS GOODS;  THOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBORS; and THOU SHALL NOT KILL (including innocent babies) says God.  What don’t you and your liberal Democratic politicans not understand? He made His commands pretty clear to the rest of us.

I have been a Union Rep for 30 years and the voting record for
for Republicans for the bargaining unit is lesss than 3%.Also I have never seen a Repulican at any of my Union Conventions.Read the Catachism
of the Catholic Church.Then read your Compendium of the Social Doctrine.
How does the Catholic Church=Conservative politics.Any good Union person would say a fair day’s pay for an honest days work and to be treated fairly in the work place.Subsidary you people own it now.

Conservative Catholics ...fine.  Let’s talk Catholic Peace and Justice and include Paul Ryan’s budget. 

Ryan talks about healthcare costs, doesn’t really address the need for healthcare for all those people who need it - a doctrine among all Christian religions, that is to help the poor. 

More specifically, why, WHY don’t Republicans/Conservatives ever look at our defense spending?!  The USA is #1 in the world in spending on the military.  If you combine #‘s 2-11, they still don’t add up to what the USA spends.

So, yes, “Paul”, spew your rhetoric and make believe you’re a good, practicing Catholic but God forbid, don’t touch all that military money.  Cut that in half and we still spend more than any other country, that’s a fact, look it up and then our budget could really be solved.

Oh wait a minute, it’s just easier to go this route because it’s “unpatriotic” to take away from defense spending.  Give me a break!

Nobody has claimed raising taxes on the wealthy will solve our debt crisis, but it is an integral part of the balanced approach to raise more revenue. At the same time, Paul Ryan is one of many Republican congressmen who pledged to build a mountain of debt by borrowing and spending, instead of having the wealthiest nation on Earth take responsibility for its own bills. Ryan is directly responsible for the $15.5 trillion in debt, debt he deliberately approved and legislated for when he vowed to never raise revenue. It’s important to understand he did not sign a pledge a “no more spending” pledge, and even more important to know he approved of borrowing to pay the bills. He is a charlatan and fraud. Stop debating and protesting him and vote him out this November.

Rich

Catholic social teaching does not equal Marxist redistribution.  Communism has been completely refuted by both JPII and BXVI.  Marxism and its derivatives destroy wealth and societies.  Capitalism or a juiced up version of distributism are the only systems that can possibly allow at least a chance of all members of society participating and thriving economically.  Neither will ever be perfect, but, then this is a fallen world…and not Heaven.  But, poor people can’t donate to care for their churches, or charities, or other poor people…which is what all of us but the technocrats will be if we keep going down this road.

You cannot be both a repulican and a Christian, they are two opposed ways of looking at the world. The top 1% pay so much of the income tax burden because they have an unfair share of the income. For the most part from inherited wealth they did nothnig to earn.

And the bottom 47% pay plenty of taxes, just not income taxes. Read the gospels, please. Jesus was far far far to the left of Obama.

If you want to live a dog eat dog world where the strong survive and the poor are used, abused, then disgarded that can be your choice. But you cannot take take option and be a Christian.

Looking at the article and the foregoing comments show how the Register is stepping into precarious territory by letting a politician use their space to make a political statement.  While I certainly have more confidence in Congressman Ryan’s shepherding of the budget than the Obama administration’s, Congressman Ryan also defined himself as a member of the morally questionable ‘party first’ Republican establishment when he endorsed Moderate Mitt over Rick Santorum.  Even if Romney can lead the US out of the economic mess, he has neither the vision nor the interest to rebuild the moral fabric of the country.  So the country may (or may not) regain economic prosperity, but it loses its soul.  Ryan had a choice between party and economic interests or moral regeneration.  He chose the money.

Excellent!  This is how an authentically Catholic politician should function.  Our political dynamic has been to bribe current voters with money stolen from future generations and borrowed from China.  We need other “Catholic” politicians, including those on Team Obama, to come forward and to show their cards, keeping in mind Catholic social teaching.  They should thoughtfully outline how to keep America from going over the cliff. Please stop trashing one another.  Keep in mind the common good.

Both John Paul II and Benedict XVI have addressed the sin of mortgaging the future generations by saddling them with our debts. Debts according to our Church are a sin. The Holy Fathers also talk about becoming too reliant on the state to provide solutions and take away the initiatives of the people to make moral decisions. I think the wealthy pay more than their fair share now and I am but a poor Catholic teacher. They also contribute heavily to charities. On the other hand while poverty is not a sin, sloth, greed, avarice, hatred and gluttony are. Too many people today want something for nothing and resent others success. And our profligate spending is gluttony. I hope all of us will work for the future, remember our charities and be honest on taxes but we need to avoid anything that smacks of Liberation Theology. A and the social policies advocated by the current administration and MSNBC strike me as Christ disguised as Karl Marx, which the current and last popes condemned. Lets work together and end this. But lets use the Bible and the Church as guides and not socialism.

Excellent column, Mr. Ryan. I especially like how you refer to this as “our budget.”  Certainly everyone has noted how our current president refers to everything as “my plan,” “I have decided,” etc. etc.  One would think he was a king. In so many ways this administration has led to a government by fiat, certainly not one of by the people.

As Jesus said, “It is as easy for a Rich man to get to Heaven, as it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle!”  Money has never been my God! I don’t want what I am not entitled to, but what I am entitled to, I don’t want taken away by Rich Republicans who have it ALL! This present Republican Party has done more to harm and destroy The USA than anyone before it! Add recent rulings of the Republican dominated Supreme Court, and they are “driving the nails in the Coffin” with rulings like “Corporations are People!” Our Government is BOUGHT by the Rich Corporations.  We have Government of , by, and for the Corporations-NOT the people!  The people need to take back the Government from the REPUBLICANS!

The United States ALONE accounts for 41% of the total military spending for the entire planet earth. (Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute @ SIPRI.org)
BOTH political parties are responsible for this immoral budget - which has absolutely nothing to do with Social Security or Medicare or Food Stamps for the have nots OR tax cuts for the haves.
Bottom line: there is already PLENTY OF MONEY but it is just being spent on weapons not people.

It is clear that those who are attacking Congressman Ryan are mathematically illiterate and ignorant of the fiscal realities of the present government.  As someone who worked for the federal government for 35 years and continue to follow federal government issues, it is clear to me that these same people are dead wrong in their thinking.  For example, defense spending is such a small percentage of the budget that even zeroing it out would not solve the problems caused by these entitlement programs.  It is the same thing as these plans to rape the so-called rich - many of whom are the very people who own the businesses that supply the jobs we need.  These people are spewing the same rhetoric as the socialist/communists of the last decade and, if we follow their path, we will go down the same road to economic and moral destruction.  Their plans to rob and confiscate are very unChristian.

Thoughtful discussion! I’m no theologian, but at this point in my faith journey, I believe that my rights, given to me by my Creator and “guaranteed” by the Constitution of the United States, are individual rights.  I also believe that the responsibility to care for the poor, the sick, and the disadvantaged is an individual responsibility.  To quote Sister Connie Driscoll: “When you’re funded by the government…you end up toning down moral messages of responsibility and hard work.”  I believe in limited government.  I believe that social welfare programs funded by the government are inefficient, too easily defrauded, and lack compassion.  It is very difficult for a government bureaucrat to walk with someone who is suffering.  Mr. Dykstra wants “the people to take back the Government from the Republicans!”  I think we need to make the government - especially the federal government - smaller and get it out of the way.  Then, as individual Americans, we can step forward and take care of each other.  I suspect that will also help to balance the federal budget and reduce the federal deficit.

I trust Our Church to teach what Our Church teaches regarding social justice, and that’s why I stand with the Bishops of the USCCB and not Paul Ryan.

Republican propaganda… is this the Drudge Report or Huffington Post?  Faux News?

There is nothing Catholic about Mr. Ryan who is nothing more than a lap dog sycophant for the depraved elite oligarchy that promotes the cultural war against Holy Mother Church; perpetual unjust wars for the last 60 years; corporate welfare hogs; and whose constituency stole billions from middle class tax payers.

What I find most disingenuous about Representative Ryan’s comments is a complete failure to acknowledge how his proposed budget would hurt vulnerable populations. To claim there will be no negative impact to the poor in the short-term is a complete and utter falsehood. Painting programs that serve the poor with one broad brush as ineffectual and counterproductive to economic growth is simply being dishonest and is indicative of the major dysfunction of our current political climate – all policy is driven by a self-destructive dedication to political ideology rather than empirical evidence. The reality is that things are way more complex than the simplistic platitudes Ryan graces us with here. From a moral perspective, the Bishops are completely right in being wary of what House republicans are proposing.
While there are a plethora of economic theories around how economies grow, ALL of them speak to the importance of HUMAN CAPITAL is moving economies forward – high quality early childhood education, investments in education and job training, and access to college are all critical to a growing U.S. economy.  The Ryan budget does not support these ends. Without question, this is the most short-sided component of the House budget. These investments will mean more for economic growth than increasing the military budget.

Thank you, Mr Ryan for being willing to sacrifice and do the difficult work for this country. Our family is praying for you and for our country.

We keep being told that the rich, the “job creators”, need to pay lower taxes so that they can create those jobs. When will they start? How much of the national income and wealth will they take before they start creating jobs? The top 1% of Americans owned 42.7% of the entire financial wealth of the country in 2007. They own more today. Let’s all hope and pray that they will start creating jobs - and create them in this country, rather than abroad - before they own 100%.

USCCB Meets With President, Congressional Leaders to Urge Protection for the Poor in Debt Agreement
July 21, 2011
“As the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, we come here not to advance a particular plan, but a fundamental moral principle: put the needs of the poor first in allocating scarce resources,” said Bishop Ramirez. “As religious leaders, our concern is not which party wins the current political battles, but we know, if we don’t speak up, who is likely to lose: the families trying to feed their kids, the jobless looking for work, the children who need health care, the hungry and sick and hopeless around the world.”“As Christian leaders, we are committed to fiscal responsibility and shared sacrifice. We are also committed to resist budget cuts that undermine the lives, dignity, and rights of poor and vulnerable people,” the leaders wrote in a statement. “Therefore, we join with others to form a circle of protection around programs that meet the essential needs of hungry and poor people at home and abroad.”

I don’t believe that Rep Ryan disagrees with the USCCB position.  He is just in a position to see that the promises of the federal government cannot be sustained.  Our approach to helping the poor has to change.

I don’t hear Representative Ryan, speaking out about the evil of abortion and I believe until we have ended this evil, as well as contraceptives and etc. no matter what he and the others do to help our economy, it won’t work.  As the late Pope John Paul II, said during one of his visits to America, “WOE to American and any Country that provides abortions.”

Mr. Ryan supports Mitt Romney. He even collaborated with the Mitt
by giving away 500 “sub sandwiches” to the voters on election day
(I believe it was in New Jersey.) This is a federal offense.
By supporting Mitt he is supporting war with Iran which Romney
promises if elected.Mitt declared his support for war with Iran
at one of the debates.
Both John Paul II and Pope Benedict have been very vocal about
the middle east wars and US participation. There is only one
candidate who understands Catholic social teaching,the just war
theory and economics.He isn’t Catholic. That is Dr. Ron Paul.
How I wish the editors and writers of the NCR would study writings
of the good Dr. Paul who is truly conservative and 1000% pro life.
With that knowledge you will spare Catholics your praising of
neo-cons such as Santorum and Paul Ryan.

As I understand it EWTN has bought your newspaper. I wonder if
Mother Angelica knows of your bias against a good man. If she does
I doubt she would like it because I know that she is the most honest
and honorable woman in our Country.

even Catholic.

Congressman Ryan’s statement, “The debt is weighing on job creation today,” is an assertion without any basis in fact. Congressman Ryan’s assumption that the entire debt situation problem is to be addressed by expense reduction rather than revenue enhancement is likewise nonsensical. He is blinded by his heretical devotion to and adoration of von Mies (sp?) and Hayek. He may think he is following Catholic doctrine, but his actions in politics make him a devoted member of the ‘Church of Ayn Rand.’

The principal of subsidiarity is not merely one of dumping problems on the one’s closest to those problems, but rather of addressing problems at the lowest level where an ability to deal with them is present, and ability both in finance and in program. Where problems are the most severe they are not confined to one municipality, one county, one state, or one region, and the governments closest to them may be the least able to respond with relevant knowledge and finance.  The Federal government can in full honoring of subsidiarity be that government with the most flexible financing and most thorough knowledge resources.

Congressman Ryan’s approach to national problems resembles the image of a cancer patient being treated for his cancer by his general practitioner, because his home town GP is ‘closest’ to the problem. The regional cancer center would be barred from helping and its budget radically cut, because its share of hands-on patients was a very small part of the overall cancer problem, all of those patients being able to get care from their own hometown GP’s.

That is not to say there may not be some federal program that has outlived its usefulness, but Congressman Ryan’s approach that essentially eliminates all federal programs other than defense, is a meat cleaver approach to surgical needs.

And then there is the question of revenue. American taxes on business are the lowest they’ve been since the Great Depression, and considerably lower than those prevailing during the boom years of the 1950’s. The notion that the so-called 1% are the job creators is a slogan. Yes they are those who make hiring decisions, but no, they do not make those decisions in a vacuum of themselves and their booty. They make those decisions in response to stimuli provided by the economy. If I make widgets, I am not going to make them unless I can see a market for them. And it would be pointless for me to hire people until I need them. Demand drives the market, and demand is provided by consumers, whether industrial or citizen consumers.  That the “job creators” are job creators is a meaningless truism, in that they make the decision to hire, and write the payroll checks, but they do so in response to some other stimuli.

The diversion of corporate earnings to the few at the top, rather than sharing with the folks on down the pecking order to and including the least of all, all of whom are in one sense a sine qua non of the success of the whole, has reduced the comparative buying power of the many whose cash income resources at this time as a ratio of the whole is the lowest since the Great Depression. Golly, not much demand? Lay off workers?

First - let’s stop with the word play.  “Revenue Enhancement” means “we want to raise your taxes.” 

Second - if we were to take every penney of the defense budget (almost almost $684 billion in 2011,) and use that same amount every year until the national debt is payed off (almost $16 trillion), we would be without a military budget for 23 years.  And this assumes that the national debt will not increase during those 23 years.

We don’t have a taxation problem, we have a spending issue.

“To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt…. I am for a government rigorously frugal and simple.” Thomas Jefferson, Paul Ryan.

“To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt….I am for a government rigorously frugal and simple.” Thomas Jefferson.

@Liz: “Paul Ryan gave away 500 sub sandwiches”. This is feeding the hungry, a corporal work of mercy and a consumable item. It is only when you take away that it becomes illegal. no carry out.

So many of the religious “progressive” community serve as little more than “envy worshipers” instead of worshipers of Jesus.  In order to establish a behemoth socialist ruling tier in government, it will soon enough become apparent that the 50% of all citizens who pay NO federal income tax at all will be asked to begin to “shoulder the burden” of contributing some kind of a “fair share” for their own benefits rather than mere indignant rhetoric. Promoting class envy of the top 10% tier of income earners who pay 70% of all federal taxes, will be unavailing and we need to define what we consider as a fair share to begin with.  If half the congregation paid nothing to the church, how long would it be before the church would have to close its doors?

@Austin: “
Ryan is a cafeteria Catholic. Throw the poor under the bus and take care of the rich.  Read Matthew 25.”

Sure. Read the rest of the Bible too. Taking care of our brothers is but one of His commandments, and doesn’t invalidate the rest of his teachings. Nowhere does He tell us how we HAVE to accomplish Matthew 25, either. He leaves that up to us. So while you’re slinging “cafetaria Catholic” at Ryan, be sure and look at your own tray to see just how picky you’ve been yourself at the lunch line.

I want to defend the Paul Ryan budget. Our current federal budget has been so mismanage, along with debt obligations and overregulation by the Obama administration and the Democratic Party. We are now on an unsustainable path. The engine of growth has been stalled.
This hurts the poor more than anything else.
As a DAV Vietnam veteran. I understand the importance of veteran’s benefits.
In the state of California, they are talking about building a high-speed rail project that could cost over billion dollars. If Amtrak is having trouble, attracting customers should be a warning to those who think this is a good idea.
You need only look at the country of Greece, which is in a financial mess. The United States is going that same path.
I grew up poor. I’m not rich, but I understand the importance of a job. Its means I have money to pay my bills. Plus, money to donate to my local church. Who are now able to help others.
Paul Ryan is a good man.

According to the group Citizens for tax justice, between 2008 and 2011 26 major American corporations paid no net federal income taxes. If they would have paid the 35% corporate rate we would have over 78 Billion more to pay down the debt and preserve the social safety net that is a must for any civilized Christian country.

Everyone I know wants us to be vigilant in stamping out fraud and abuse in those social programs. My husband and I haven’t made it to where we are today without managing our money smartly.

Bottom line: the 1%‘s and corporations have got to pay their fair share. No free rides and no hiding assets overseas.

The social teaching of the Church repeatedly warns against concentrating responsibility and authority in centralized government. 

The principle favored by the Church is called “subsidiarity.”

The following two links explain church teaching regarding this principle (with links to Church teaching documents):

http://allhands-ondeck.blogspot.com/2009/09/health-care-reform-another-bishop.html

http://allhands-ondeck.blogspot.com/2009/06/president-obama-and-catholic-social.html

I liked Rich Santorum, but he’s no longer running.  So we need to get real now, and take steps to see that ANYONE BUT OBAMA is elected in 2012.

We aren’t voting for a pastor.  We need a President, and one with at least a moral compass, who is not in the Pocket of Planned Parenthood.  President Obama is the most gay-friendly, abortion loving President in US history.  It is ungodly.

Catholics need to support the National Day of Prayer this year, getting on the same page with fellow Christians, on Thursday, May 3rd, from 12 noon-1PM, and no clergy need be there.  It could just be a simple, lay-driven time to pray for our country to repent and turn to God.  Oh, I forgot, President Obama almost boycotts the National Day of Prayer.  Sigh.

The only way I can bring myself to a poll booth this fall is if Mr.Romney pledges to pass this bill.

Let us give Senator Ryan applause for even considering Catholic social teaching when writing laws.  I agree with him.  We as a Church need to get off government dependence for our charitable works.  In St Mathew’s Gospel, chapter 25, Our Lord commissions His disciples, the Apostles, the Church—- not Ceasar, not government- to feed, cloth, and comfort the poor.  The Catholic Church has been reliant on government for too long for our charitable funds.  Let us as Catholics take Jesus at His word and care for the least of our brother without the help of an athestic government. Oh- and this will take sacrafice—something our culture abhors.

@Keith - For example, defense spending is such a small percentage of the budget that even zeroing it out would not solve the problems caused by these entitlement programs.

I don’t know if Keith is a liar or really just clueless, but the Defense budget is anywhere from 15 – 20% of the total budget. It is always one of the 3 largest expenditures, along with social security and medicare/Medicaid.  Eliminating the Defense budget completely would cut the annual budget deficit in half. The occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan have been financed through some creative government accounting where they were considered apart from the “normal” Defense budget. Eliminating all military spending would reduce the annual deficit by about 75% percent. Of course, there is no practical way to reduce the Defense budget to zero, but any intelligent discussion of trying to reach a Clintonesque balanced budget or budget surplus will have to include some reduction of the Defense Department.
On the other hand, all expenditures for welfare and food stamps amount to less than 10% of the military budget. Eliminating those costs would not have much affect on the deficit. This information is not difficult to find, simply google “defense spending as a percent of the budget” or some such thing. Exact numbers will vary depending on the methodology used, but Defense is always in the top three.

Sergio quoted a leading politician when he said “We don’t have a taxation problem, we have a spending issue.”

The Republican Party’s position on taxation reminds me of a husband who quits his job, then complains about the wife’s spending. Yes, they have a spending problem, but it was caused by the voluntary shrinkage of income. The spending problem is the result of the self-inflicted wound on the tax side.

Under Clinton administration tax rates, we showed an annual surplus and were paying on the debt. Under Bush II that revenue stream was cut down, and two wars were run off budget, and remarkably enough, the debt doubled. Republican revenue cuts and spending spikes.

If we go back to Clinton or Reagan tax rates, we can afford the present budget and pay down the national debt, at least as soon as the recovery matures. As the debt shrinks the interest owed will shrink and efforts to help the least among us can resume.

Thank you Rep. Ryan for this wonderful piece.  I find that there are too many among the faithful view who take the call for social justice too glibly… They equate our need to actualize our faith by securing human dignity for all with simply voting for people and supporting policies where somebody sperepresentativends someone elses money.  When we each pass o n, we will be judged by what we did… Not on which budget we voted for.  It may be easier to pass the buck and let our representative take care of our duty to our brothers but no budget can do for our families what we wont do for ourselves. Therefore a moral budget isnt one that collects power in politician’s hands but one that empowers individuals and families to act responsibly for themselves and those in their community.

Rich, Rick, et al

You know what is really going to hurt the poor?  When America can no longer function as a country because our economy collapsed once and for all.  Don’t you understand that we’ve run out of other people’s money?  We have to tighten the bootstrap now…so it is even more dystopian later on…

That’s the brutal thing about math…it doesn’t care if you disagree or think it is mean…it is just math pure and simple…

These are the same Bishops that stood up for the Church’s position on contraception.  If they were right to “get political” then, they’re right now, too.  Ryan brought the Church into it when he claimed his plan flowed from Catholic principles.  In response, the Bishops have every right to correct him.

According to 90 Professors at Georgetown University, there is little to nothing “Catholic” in Paul Ryan’s budget plans.  He, like all Republicans, would like to take away ALL entitlements.  If you can’t make it on your own-TOO BAD!  As Ron Paul said,” if you can’t afford Health Care Insurance, find a Catholic Hospital to take you as a charity case.”  If that fails,you just die!?  Yes, Republicans have great Christian compassion!

Rich Dykstra comments that “According to 90 Professors at Georgetown University,there is nothing “Catholic” in Paul Ryan’s budget plans.”

You mean the Georgetown University that honors pro-abortion politicians and even covered the IHS symbol at Gaston Hall at the request of our Prsident.

http://www.pewsitter.com/view_news_id_17646.php

And why don’t we talk about Georgetown’s Lenten student activities.

For that week Georgetown’s feminist and homosexual clubs, such as GU Pride, put on a Gomorrah festival about alternative lifestyles called ‘Sex Positive Week.’”

“...according to The Newman Club, featured a speaker for Black Rose, which ‘provides a forum for many different expressions of power in love and play. This can include dominance & submission, bondage and discipline, fetishism, cross-dressing, to name a few.’”

“Ash Wednesday’s talk was ‘Torn About Porn,’ advertised as a ‘discussion about arguably alternative forms of pornography that are not supposed to be exploitative, but rather radical and empowering.’”

“Saturday’s talk was by a pornographic film director and was titled ‘Relationship Beyond Monogamy.’”

http://www.academia.org/campus-peep-show/

I think I’ll pass on Georgetown’s ability to discern what is Catholic and what is not.

“if you can’t afford Health Care Insurance, find a Catholic Hospital to take you as a charity case.”  If that fails, you just die!?  Yes, Republicans have great Christian compassion!”

So we are to be Christian by being be irresponsible and create a permanent underclass entirely dependent on the State’s welfare teat? And pay for that at the expense of future generation because to heck with them, we need our fix now. This is Christian? This is compassionate? I don’t see it.

Yes, the Church and other charities should be the prime provider of charitable works of mercy. There should be a real separation of Church and State which leaves the works of mercy in the hands of the churches and keep the state out of social programs. Our society developed its social programs from its Judeo-Christian roots, but along the way our society has lost its need for God. Now we want to put all care for the individual in the hands of secular states? Are we gluttons for punishment?

No one gives thought to the ills of society created by state sponsored entitlement addiction. Teen sex and pregnancy, abortion, single mothers having children out of wedlock, deadbeat dads, easy access divorce, two years of unemployment with no incentive to search for work, mortgage bailouts, bad decision bailouts, union bailouts. All enabled and paid for with taxpayer money just so politicians can grease the wheels and buy back votes.

It’s depressing enough to wonder if we should just allow things to go on as they have for the last 50 years and break the bank. That may be the only way to fix society.

Did Jesus petition Rome to feed the poor or did He admonish you and I?

Did God help Moses throw-off the yolk of tyranny on the Jews whose work enriched [other] governments and impoverished the workers?

Jesus directed you and I to feed the poor, not Bill Gates.

And God worked to free His people. Today, some posters want to enslave us to the whims of yet another government and Paul Ryan is working to free us.

Once I was very, very poor, then I read in the Bible that I should give to the poor. So, I worked really, really hard and now I can proudly say, I help the poor. And what is more, the poor I help are now in a position to help others, and so they do and so it continues. About 154 families to date without the intercession of government. Think about it.

Rep. Ryan claims to “eliminate special-interest loopholes that go primarily to the influential and well-off” as a way to balance the lower tax rates the wealthy will pay. But his budget does not specify what these loopholes are. When it comes time to specify them, lobbyists will work their magic and the loopholes will stand. That’s why the net result of the Ryan budget will be both to hurt the poor AND to make the deficit bigger.

Mr. Dykstra, Georgetown U and several other Jesuit Universities are not Catholic, even though they advertise themselves as Catholic.  In fact as a parent, I believe they are fraudulent in advertising themselves as such.  They promote abortion, homosexual activies, etc., that violate required Catholic beliefs.  If you want to quote a real Catholic educational facility see the “Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College”.
In addition, for TRUE teaching of Catholic Faith, read the “CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition”, not some ignorant professors who think they know everything and yet refuse to go to the source - the Catholic Church’s CCC.

Mr. Muder - nothing will make the budget deficiet bigger than the re-election of OBAMA and his big spender Administration and Democratic Senate - who want to make all persons beholding to the Government.
The first responsibility of elected Officials is to pay the DEBTS of the USA - according to the CCC #2411 - Without COMMUTATIVE justice, no other form of justice is possible - paying debts.
Jesus never taught that the Government should help the poor, but we as individuals must. - Check out the Bible.

Sergio - thank you for your post about the “Catholic” universities. Similarly, the University of San Diego had a Drag Queen Rally two weeks ago, agaisnt protests from conservative Catholics, like me, and alumni.

So much for the wisdom of Catholic University Boards of Trustees and their Presidents and Advisors.  They may as all be New Age Feminist-type nuns, keepers of the gates at seminaries, that brought us the Lavendar Mafia, and all the problems that came with it.

Government cannot be all things to all people, and trying to do that (here in the US and overseas) is breaking us.  It is the Church, a well-run, church that needs to help the poor, giving so much back to the community that they deserve to not be taxed.  What they’d give back in community help would be worth MORE than any federal or state tax.

That’s how the Christian Church ought to be, and CAN be.  Many churches (Catholic and non-Catholic) are doing that now, only not en masse.

Paul Ryan is in harmony with Church teaching on social justice and is taking his ideas from the COMPENDIUM OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH

(full text here: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html)

An excerpt:

“187. The principle of subsidiarity protects people from abuses by higher-level social authority and calls on these same authorities to help individuals and intermediate groups to fulfil their duties. This principle is imperative because every person, family and intermediate group has something original to offer to the community. Experience shows that the denial of subsidiarity, or its limitation in the name of an alleged democratization or equality of all members of society, limits and sometimes even destroys the spirit of freedom and initiative.

The principle of subsidiarity is opposed to certain forms of centralization, bureaucratization, and welfare assistance and to the unjustified and excessive presence of the State in public mechanisms. “By intervening directly and depriving society of its responsibility, the Social Assistance State leads to 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”[400]. An absent or insufficient recognition of private initiative — in economic matters also — and the failure to recognize its public function, contribute to the undermining of the principle of subsidiarity, as monopolies do as well.”

Dear Mr. Ryan,

You recently expressed an interest in what St. Thomas Aquinas said, and not in what Ayn Rand said.  You have forcefully rejected Rand’s nasty Social Darwinism, but I believe that you have not yet accepted Catholic doctrine.  I have taught philosophy and religion for 35 years, and I know what Aquinas said about our responsibilities to the poor.  Forget about what the Society of Jesus said in their condemnation of your budget plans.  This is about the salvation of your soul.  I hope that you will reconsider your half-way conversion after you read the following: 

“St. Thomas accepted an unequal distribution of private property but also approved of the regulation of private property by the state. He also said that while the ownership of goods should be private, the use of goods must be in common (so that the poor and needy can have their share) or must be in service of the common good.”

Your budget plan is not in the service of the common good, and therefore you are at odds with what Thomas Aquinas said.

Sincerely,

L.S. Carrier
Emeritus Professor of Philosphy
University of Miami

Mr. Carrier, respectfully, the operative word is private [the ownership of goods should be private], placing Mr. Ryan on the proper moral side of St. T. Aquinas’ argument. The world has tried transferring the common good into the hands of government and those failed experiments affirm St. Aquinas.

Since Mr. Ryan’s plan favors the private sector and given the free exercise of will, the private sector can choose to help or not to help the poor. Those choices will be worked out by God in good time.

As a philosopher, have you considered the beneficiary in the exchange between a donor and recipient and what the lesson means? Does God want fewer poor? Or does God want more charitable souls?

My hope is that you and I do give more to the poor than say, Biden or Gore.

And now I ask L.S. Carrier, Emeritus Professor of Philosphy, Univeristy of Miami, how much of my money, is your fair share?

We have an individual responsibility to care for the poor, who will always be with us. No collective or approved special interest group is going to get into heaven for voting for a thug to loot others “for the poor” so THEY can feel all virtuous.

For all of Paul Ryan’s critics there is one word for the alternative - “Obama.” God bless you Paul Ryan. You will make a fine president one day.

http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/hunger-food-nutrition/upload/Letter-to-House-Committee-on-Agriculture-2012-04-16.pdf

Congress faces a difficult task to balance needs and resources and allocate burdens and sacrifices. Just solutions, however, must require shared sacrifice by all, including raising adequate revenues, eliminating unnecessary military and other spending, and fairly addressing the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement programs. The House-passed budget resolution fails to meet these moral criteria. We join other Christian leaders in insisting “a circle of protection” be drawn around essential programs that serve poor and vulnerable people. I respectfully urge that the committee reject any efforts to reduce funds or restructure programs in ways that harm struggling families and people living in poverty.

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Dear ANNE who posted on Friday, Apr 27, 2012 10:14 AM (EST):

“Mr. Dykstra, Georgetown U and several other Jesuit Universities are not Catholic,”

I do not think it is possible for us lay people to deprive the Society of Jesus of being considered Catholic. The Society of Jesus is profoundly Catholic and among other things extremely intelligently Catholic.

“They promote abortion, homosexual activies, etc.,”

Now that is fiction. I am not saying you lied, for undoubtedly you believe what you wrote, but I spent some years getting a degree from a Jesuit university, and never once ran into any such ideas being promoted by Jesuits.

“OBAMA and his big spender Administration and Democratic Senate - who want to make all persons beholding to the Government.”

Odd ... politics, sociology, and history were my undergraduate focus, and other than working with the Church and ultimately for the Church I have always followed politics with some interest. And again I have never gotten the slightest indication that what you wrote is accurate, no matter how sincerely you believe it.

“The first responsibility of elected Officials is to pay the DEBTS of the USA - according to the CCC #2411 - Without COMMUTATIVE justice, no other form of justice is possible - paying debts.”

Those debts, of course, were run up by Republican administrations to the extent of doubling the national debt before the current administration took office; and the new administration was inheriting a depressed economy (which reduces revenues) and some absurd tax cuts. For Republicans to start talking about debt now, is a very sour joke—it is as if the Republican husband quit his job (thus cutting family revenue) and is now telling the wife she’s spending too much. The answer is to restore taxes to a rational level of, let’s say, Ronald Reagan’s leaving office, or Bill Clinton’s leaving office, and see what happens to the debt. When George W Bush took office, Clinton had been paying down the debt.

“Jesus never taught that the Government should help the poor, but we as individuals must. - Check out the Bible.”

Thou Pharisee. The question is not whether Jesus taught that the Department of Health and Welfare should support the poor, the question is, ‘what can we discern that would be an effective thing to do in the 21st Century to implement Jesus’ principles.’  Jesus did not live in a society of over 200,000,000 people transacting business across a whole continent, nor did Jesus live in an industrial civilization, nor did Jesus enjoy modern communications. In Jesus’ Nazareth every poor person was known (or known of) by someone not poor who lived within a few miles of the poor person(s) and might well see them daily. No longer so. (I live in a community of about 50,000 people and have no idea how many ‘poor’ people are here, where they are, or what their circumstances are—now try New York City or Los Angeles.) Jesus would have little patience with our relying on individuals to do enough right things to alleviate the plight of the poor, all the poor, in all the places where they are.

Nanabedokw’môlsem,  I also went to a Jesuit University.  They do NOT USE the “CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition” as a student text book.  They teach their own version of the Faith or they would use the CCC.
QUOTE: ” The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I approved ... and the publication of which I today order by virtue of my Apostolic Authority, is a statement of the Church’s faith and of catholic doctrine,  attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture,  the Apostolic Tradition and the Church’s Magisterium.  I declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion. ” UNQUOTE – Pope John Paul II. (pg 5)
QUOTE: “....the Catechism has raised throughout the world, even among non-Christians, and confirms its purpose of being presented as a full, complete exposition of Catholic doctrine, enabling everyone to know what the Church professes, celebrates, lives, and prays in her daily life.” UNQUOTE – Pope John Paul II (pg xiv)
Please use the Newman Guide for authentic Catholic Colleges and Universities in the USA.
If anyone has not read the CCC, their ability to know the truth of what the Church teaches is limited and may or may not contain inaccuracies due to human error - purposeful or otherwise.

To all the critics who have questioned the points I raised in my letter to Mr. Ryan,I do not question your sincerity, nor do I question the sincerity of Mr. Ryan.  But concerning the theology, I fear that you are mistaken.  To say, “The poor will be with us” is one thing, but to refuse to let government help them when the private sector will not is another.  I stand by what I said were the views of St. Thomas Aquinas. I do not ask that others give me their money, but I do ask those of the Catholic faith to let government help those who cannot help themselves.  We all know that we should cast our bread upon the waters, but when the private sector is greedy there is not enough bread to feed the hungry. I stand with principled Catholics everywhere who say that God needs, not only individual good works, but a communitarian effort to better the lives of those who are not so fortunate as we are.

To L.S. Carrier I also do not question your sincerity, so let me just clarify my point.

I see someone in need and God urges me to act on it.  I give that person $10 to get a meal for that day.  I also inform that person of the locations of the local shelters, take time to listen to what that person has to say, be empathetic, provide some words of encouragement and let that person know that Jesus will never fail them.

The government sees someone in need, takes $100 from me, keeps $30 for itself, pays it’s newly hired “charity” staff another $30, spends another $30 in publicity to make sure the world knows how good the government is to the poor, give the remaining $10 to the person in need, tells the person in need what a rotten person I am for not wanting to give up $100, and then tells the person in need that if they vote for them, they will get another $10 next week.

In the meantime, I’m out $100 that I could be using to help those in need, but the government doesn’t want that.  They don’t want people helping other people to overcome their obstacles and succeed.  What the government wants is to create dependance, because dependent people are easier to control.  Dependency is what takes away peoples dignity. 

As Christians we are against dependency upon drugs, alcohol, pornography, sex, gambling, even eating and shopping, and rightfully so, because the addictions become a god to the addicted and turn the person away from the One True God.

How strange then that so many Christians see no issue with creating a dependency on government handouts, and even get upset when other Christians point out that it was President F.D. Roosevelt who said in his 1935 State of the Union address.

“The lessons of history, confirmed by the evidence immediately before me, show conclusively that continued dependence upon relief induces a spiritual and moral disintegration fundamentally destructive to the national fiber. To dole out relief in this way is to administer a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit… It is in violation of the traditions of America.”

A troubling aspect to this entire discourse has been ignored.  Be we Democrat or Republican, Catholic or Protestant, there is a spiritual attack taking place which has been hidden.  Did you know of all the world’s missionaries (Catholic and Christian alike) 88% are from the United States.  We are (and have been) the most generous nation on earth —and for good reason.  As we have been blessed, so too, we have been a blessing to others in the name of Jesus.  We have been blessed abundantly as no other nation.  Increasingly, though, higher taxes by Federal, State and Local governments severely impact Christian people from tithing and charitable giving.  This has a negative (even Satanic) effect on our ability to share and bear witness of the saving gospel of Christ to the lost.

Dear Sergio,

You have a misguided impression of how government works. It certainly does not want “to create dependence.” Government is what is required for living in a civilized society; otherwise, we’d be at each other’s throats because of our animal natures. It would be, as Homer, Aristotle,Hobbes, Kant,and others have said. Government asks us to yield some liberties in exchange for a peaceful society. Peaceful societies are maintained by ensuring that there is no great class inequality, for that foments revolution.  When private donations are insufficient to combat inequality our government, “to ensure domestic tranquillity,” must step in. So government action to help the poor has two goals:  the Christian one that commands us to love thy neighbor, and the practical one that keeps our society in equilibrium.  This is a “win-win” situation. FDR was correct in saying that continued dependence is destructive. But no one is arguing for continuing dependence—only a helping hand to escape the Pit of Despond.

@L.S. Carrier:  I hope you agree the United States cannot absorb the world’s poor in perpetuity.  This is not social justice nor is it biblical.  I have a problem with an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles leading the charge for “rights” for people here illegally.  And this Auxiliary Bishop is not even an American citizen.  This is not justice.  It is stealing.

Sergio, it would be nice if every needy person had someone nearby at the time of need to help meet that need. However, especially in cities and megacities, the needy are often congregated in neighborhoods far from the people with a hand that might hand, a hand that sleeps in a gated community. And there’s a paradox about charitable giving and taxes. The higher the rate of taxation, the greater the portion of any deductible gift that is ‘subsidized’ by the government.  To pose an extreme hypothetical, if the rate of taxation in the top bracket were 100%, then it would cost no one a dime to donate everything in that bracket to charity.

Charitable giving in the 1950’s as a percentage of all earnings was far higher than it is today. And, in those days, the top bracket was somewhere around 93%.

Therefore, it seems at least arguable that the higher the taxation, the more generous the donations.

And the most generous donor may of may not donate to a charity that actually and efficiently knows who, where, most needs help.

Dear L.S.,

I respectfully disagree.  You have a greater chance of a peaceful society when there is equality of opportunity.  Equality of results will never, ever, occur.  We are all equal in the sense that Christ died for all of us.  Yet not all of us will enter the Kingdom.  We all have an equal opportunity, but we will not have an equal outcome.

The way government should combat inequality is by championing equality of opportunity.  Allow people to become the best versions of themselves by making sure that no one is held back. 

Our curret system of throwing money at whatever the problem seems to be, has not worked.  L.B. Johnsons war on poverty has been effect since the 1960’s, that’s over 40 years, and during that time, conditions in our inner cities have only gotten worse.  Why would anyone believe that “spending more” would make the situation any better.

And as for exchanging liberties for peace, I will quote Benjamin Franklin who said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

While we may disagree, it has been a pleasure and an honor to have corresponded with you.  You are a true gentleman/lady (sorry, don’t know what the L.S. stands for), and I appreciate your thoughtful opinions.

God Bless.

Dear Nanabedokw’môlsem

—“And there’s a paradox about charitable giving and taxes. The higher the rate of taxation, the greater the portion of any deductible gift that is ‘subsidized’ by the government.”— 

Are we confusing the result with the intent?  When a charitable contribution is made so as to decrease your yearend tax burden, is it really charity.  In addition, notice how you can deduct money and goods donated to charities, but you cannot deduct for time given in help of the needy.  More on this later.

Also, let’s speak clear English. When you say that a deductible gift is ‘subsidized’ by the government, it sounds like the government is giving you something for doing something good.  The reality is that the only thing the government is doing, is allowing you keep a slightly larger portion of your own money.  In other words, they are not giving you anything, they are just taking less away from you.

—“Charitable giving in the 1950’s as a percentage of all earnings was far higher than it is today. And, in those days, the top bracket was somewhere around 93%.”—

I think most would agree that there was a different sense of moral responsibility in the 1950’s than there is today, people felt a stronger moral obligation to help those in need then people do today.  This leads to what I was hinting at earlier.

For many, knowing that a portion of their taxes is going to help the needy, allows them to rationalize that they have done their part.  They see someone in need and say to themselves, “Hey!  I pay taxes to make sure things like this do not happen.  Why doesn’t the government do something about this?”

Jesus calls us to personally serve, and no amount given to charities or in taxation absolves us of that responsibility.

The combination of excessive taxation and charitable giving for personal financial gain is akin to the parents who provide their children with all the material things but do not provide of themselves.

And with regard to the high taxation rates in the ‘50s, were you aware that tax revenues collected since the ‘50s has been stable at around 18% to 20% of GDP.  It seems counter-intuitive, but when tax rates go up, people find ways to shelter their money and pay less tax.  See the link for a more detailed explanation.

http://blogs.marketwatch.com/fundmastery/2010/07/02/does-hiking-tax-rates-raise-more-revenue/

I’m all for helping those in need, I just think that we as Christians, can do a much better job of it than the government .

God Bless

Kudos to the Register for posting and printing an article that openly disagrees with the USCCB.  I just wish this dissent was not partisan in state politics.

To my dear Sergio and all my thoughtful critics:  I have enjoyed the give-and-take on Catholic theology and how it applies to present-day problems regarding what is rightfully the sphere of government and what is rightfully a matter of religion.  I don’t think there are any easy answers to the questions we have been debating, but, as Virgil said in the Aeneid:  “Facilis desensus Averno.” My good wishes extend to you all.

Leonard Samuel Carrier

I think Mr. Ryan needs to go back to his self proclaimed Ayn Rand roots and stop mocking Catholicism with his wor and deeds. Disgraceful. Both him and the NCR for giving a venue for his forked tongue. What next, the pro gay viewpoint?

Politically I agree with the congressman. However freedom as politically defined is not part of Catholic social teaching. Yes we are free to choose,  but only for good. We are not fee to choose evil,such as abortion. Second, the church has never adopted a specific type of government other than to say that what ever government is in place it must respect natural law. My guess is the church could aaccept a dictator (king) who supports natural law and religious freedom. Catholic social teaching is neither liberal nor conservative republican nor democratic

Rep. Ryan is a rare and courageous man.  His thoughtful application of Catholic teaching to the problems and challenges we face is both insightful and admirable.  I pray that he is heard, and that he inspires many, many others to apply deep thought and prayer to the way they make decisions and vote.  We need this level of rigor and integrity in order to reverse the troubling trends we are seeing in our nation and our society.  God bless Rep. Ryan, and all of us.

Yesterday I heard on tv, of a “SECRET” memo by Republicans, saying that Romney must approve Gay Unions in order to beat Obama!  More Republican Hypocrisy!

Thank-you for sticking your neck out. We have your back.

The budgets began to balance under the Clinton Administration. Tax cuts were implemented under the subsequent Bush Administration, and, sure enough, expenditures began to exceed receipts once again. What’s more, two wars began to be prosecuted under the Bush Administration without raising appropriate revenue to fund these adventures. The Bush tax cuts have thus far survived the wars! To not expect the development of sizable deficits under such circumstances constituted the denial of arithmetic.

Now, sir, your remedy is some belt tightening for the most vulnerable among us. Of course, that was to be expected in the days when you proudly proclaimed the influence of Ayn Rand on your political philosophy. But now you are trying to cast your proposals as consistent with, indeed born of, Catholic social teaching. The U.S. Catholic Bishops were quick to point out that your plans for the United States and Catholic social teaching have very little to do with each other. Still you persist, apparently hoping that you will be able to convince Catholics that you have a better handle on what Catholic social teaching is than do the Bishops.

Subsidiarity certainly is a part of Catholic social teaching. It stands for the proposition that a higher level of society should not perform what can be done at a lower level. So if you ever demonstrated that the social welfare programs of the federal government could and would be performed better, or even as well, at the state level, then you might have a point. But you haven’t demonstrated that.

For example, how would you redress resource disparities from state to state? Poorer states would have fewer resources to take care of social welfare issues than would rich ones, but it is to be expected that the poorer states will have greater percentages of poor people in them. Thus, fewer resources would be available in states where they are most needed.

Also, how would you avoid a “race to the bottom” among the states? Social welfare costs money, which means taxes are needed. But in competing for businesses states are already incentivized to have low taxes, and the same disincentives apply for the creation and maintenance of state social welfare programs. If, through some notion of subsidiarity, states were given complete responsibility for funding social welfare it is hard to imagine that they would not compete among themselves to provide the lowest level of services to the indigent. Do you have a better way than centralized distribution of funding to avoid this outcome?

What is profoundly difficult to understand is your belief that replacing Medicare with a system where the elderly will purchase insurance for themselves is of a piece with subsidiarity. Do you really believe that one elderly person seeking health insurance would be able to bargain for the same prices and terms as would the federal government?

You referenced the Holy Father a couple of times in your article, and when both the Pope and the federal budget simultaneously enter my mind I can’t help also thinking about U.S. military spending. The U.S. military budget amounts to about 40% of the total arms spending around the world. Our nearest competitor in this regard is China, at about 8% of total world arms spending. Do you think we could shave off a little of this, and still be safe from invasion?

The reason I mention the Holy Father in this connection is that I imagine you having a conversation with him in which you acknowledge the size of our military spending in comparison with the rest of the world, but explain to him that you can’t see your way to any cuts in military expenditures. You also tell him that neither you nor Grover Norquist can see why something like the present prosecution of a war should call for a raising of revenue, so the neediest among us are going to have to learn to do with less, whether or not it will be adequate. What do you think he would say?

I realize you think cutting taxes will enhance revenue because of an enhanced economy, but the truth is you can’t predict that. Lowering taxes on the rich doesn’t guarantee that they will spend the money in economy enhancing ways, and it is the anticipation of an improved economy through lower taxes that makes you confident that those lower taxes will somehow paradoxically result in higher revenues.

Besides, the health of the economy isn’t solely the result of marginal tax rates. It seems intuitive that tax rates have some impact on the economy, of course, but there your ideas don’t match up with history. Our economy has never been better than it was in the early 1960s when the top marginal rates were 70%. 

I’m not persuaded any more than the U.S. Bishops that your budget proposal has much to do with Catholic social doctrine.

Thank you, Congressman Ryan for trying to do something about this budget.  I agree with you.  I can’t for the life of me understand how others don’t see that if we just keep spending and spending, there will be No programs for anybody.  I am disappointed that even our bishops who are educated don’t realize or don’t want to realize that reality.  I work for the government and believe me there is a lot of waste. (I could write a book on that.) I do think you should get rid of some agencies - like National Endowment for the Arts to start with.  Good luck to you but I’m afraid your budget doesn’t stand a chance until we get a new president.

Whether you agree with Rep. Ryan’s article or not, I think we can all agree that we appreciate his willingness to write the article and encourage people to dialogue with him about the facts…

Mr Ryan,

Please do not “give up”.  It is my impression that you are fighting “the good fight” I wish I could do more to support your efforts. My thoughts and prayers go with you. 

Clancy O’Houlahan
Department of defence cilivian, serving in Korea, father of 19 Americans.

Sadly it is the Catholic Church that is on welfare.

Having failed in our mission to do God’s will we have asked the govt to force the american citizens and non-believers do God’s will. 

But God’s will cannot be done through coercion. That is why God gave us free will.  Is it social justice to force the unwilling to do your mission?

Now we have corrupted our govt, given it powers that is was not intended to have—the power of coercion, which it now uses to promote abortion, contraceptives and war.

We cannot have it both ways.  We cannot sell our souls to the govt to have them take over our mission of charity without giving them the power to force secularism on the unwilling, force charity on the unwilling, force war on the unwilling, force the culture of death on the unwilling.

We create power in the govt by giving it God’s mission and it uses that power to suspend free will and corrupt Christ’s church.

What more can I say? Mr. Ryan’s budget will hurt those who can least afford it. As for those who think otherwise, please reflect on this: Facilis desensus Averno.

Seems the Bishops have ALWAYS failed to connect the dots regarding American taxpaying Catholics and the social gospel.  If the Bishops advocated for lower taxes, taxpaying Catholics would have more disposable income to contribute toward sharing the gospel, missions and Catholic charities.  The Bishops would then have less need to rely upon US government subsidies.  In the end, it is best if the government had no hand at all in Catholic and Christian operations.  When you receive government funds, there are always strings attached.  The Bishops need reminding they are Bishops of ALL Catholics—not just the poor.  The old saying is vaild—-the Bishops can be so heavenly minded that they end up producing little earthly good.

Rob, you make some excellent points. Surely the job to heal the sick and to attend to the needs of the poor belongs to the Catholic Church. But a total Christian anarchy requires consistency. Do we leave civil marriage to the State? How about the question of abortion? I’ll go out on a limb and guess that you wouldn’t approve of total government nonintervention in these areas.

The Catholic mission is to transform all of society, not just individuals. If a Catholic finds himself in government service, it is for him to carry out his calling in a Catholic manner. It is a hard sell for me that doing so would entail cutting off established social services in the mere hope that something else will arise to take their place.

If Mr. Ryan is serious about a Catholic approach to these issues, and sincerely believes that attending to the needs of the poor will be better served at a state or local level, then it is for him to outline how that will be effectuated. He can’t just drop the poor and elderly like a bad habit and hope others will step in to attend to these matters. What’s more, he cannot claim the mantle of Catholic teaching for his program when he has no authority for doing so, and when there is plenty authority to the contrary.

Jack, Congressman Ryan’s home Diocese Bishop was on EWTN’s World-Over with Raymond Arroyo a few weeks back.  The Bishop said that Congressman Ryan meets with him and is correct in his interpretation of Church teaching.

In addition please read the “CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition” regarding “COMMUTATIVE JUSTICE” #2411 which includes PAYING DEBTS “without which no other form of justice is possible”.
Our government is approximately $15.5 TRILLION dollars in debt due to government overspending and waste.  We are no longer a prosperous nation.

You may be confusing our obligation to the poor as taught by Jesus, with the obligations of governments for the common good of all its citizens.
No where did Jesus say anything about governments.

If you can, you may want to dig a little deeper into your own pockets to help the poor.  Individuals who have, do have an obligation to help those in need.

Some appear not to have read the “CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition” and are making or repeating personal opinions rather than that of the Church.  When you want to know the truth of what the Church teaches and requires of each of us read your CCC.

Congressman Ryan is absolutely correct.  He is not throwing anyone under the bus.- This is absolutely false.
Liberation Theology is against Church teaching.  It violates the Commandment of “Thou shall not Steal”, and the 10th Commandment of “Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s goods”.
Some of you put being a Democrat above being a Catholic.

The CCC is clear regarding” SUBSIDIARITY” - # 1883, 1885, 1894, 2209.

“ The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I approved ... and the publication of which I today order by virtue of my Apostolic Authority, is a statement of the Church’s faith and of catholic doctrine,  attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture,  the Apostolic Tradition and the Church’s Magisterium.  I declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion. “  – Pope John Paul II.  (pg 5)

THe USA government’s (under Obama) idea of ‘giving’ includes: having us all pay for abortion (both in the US and abroad); having us all pay for contraceptives including those supporting the homosexual lifestyle, forbidding prayer in the public schools, supporting Planned Parenthood with our tax dollars, etc, etc. and cutting 1/2 Billion dollars from Medicare for the elderly under Obamacare - while the US goverment continues to grow.

@Jack Qurik who writes [The Catholic mission is to transform all of society, not just individuals.]  Jack, who says the mission is to transform all of society?  It’s not going to happen.  Not now, not ever.  Christianity transforms people individually, not on a collective basis.  Jesus told his apostles to share the gospel and then keep moving and even shake the dust from their feet when no one would listen.  Christians and Catholics alike are not responsible for the results of sharing the gospel since that is the work of the Holy Spirit.  We are only responsible to do what Christ asked.  We should work toward ending poverty and abortion, but government programs and bureaucracies are no substitute for people individually and personally coming to Christ first.  The idea of changing a person’s condition or circumstance can only truly be effective when their heart is also changed.  The reality is that few people in ratio to the world’s total population will ever truly accept the gospel.  The mantle of how Catholic gospel teaching is applied cannot be uniform from nation to nation.  The church can present a framework in which to operate, but neither the Pope nor the Magisterium can mandate how its people make application.  Progressives and Socialists believe more taxes enable the government to care for people.  Unfortunately, most of our Bishops are in this camp.  What they fail to see is that higher taxes only stranglehold productive citizens (including Catholics) from doing far more in the name of Christ than any government can ever do.  Government agencies can tend to someone’s material needs, but they do not address one’s spiritual needs.  Even Catholic church agencies can fall prey to this disconnect.  You cannot heal the whole man without also addressing the inner man. 

Above one writer said “In addition please read the “CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition” regarding “COMMUTATIVE JUSTICE” #2411 which includes PAYING DEBTS “without which no other form of justice is possible”. Our government is approximately $15.5 TRILLION dollars in debt due to government overspending and waste. We are no longer a prosperous nation.”

I am amused how often people forget that at least half the current debt was caused by a Republican administration that 1) induced Congress to give away a huge amount of federal revenue, and 2) ran two wars “off budget”. People who now call for cuts in spending to fix the problem are like a husband who quits his job, then comes home and complains the wife spends too much.

That one also said, “You may be confusing our obligation to the poor as taught by Jesus, with the obligations of governments for the common good of all its citizens.
No where did Jesus say anything about governments.”

Well, Jesus did not live in the 21st Century in an industrial or so-called post-industrial world. Then every prosperous person could see the local poor people; that’s no longer true. Then every poor person could see the prosperous ones. That’s also no longer true. Now we have whole regions where poverty is endemic and epidemic, and local knowledgable resource people have no where enough resources to respond. Further, if the well-to-do ignore their responsibilities, or insufficient among them in number or amount of help are willing to contribute, it is not enough to say they may go the Hell while the poor live in earth’s equivalent of Hell. Jesus had very little patience with Pharisees who dwelt upon the letter of the law, rather than the purpose of the law. I suggest you do the same as the Pharisees.

Another one said: “THe USA government’s (under Obama) idea of ‘giving’ includes: having us all pay for abortion (both in the US and abroad); having us all pay for
contraceptives including those supporting the homosexual lifestyle, forbidding prayer in the public schools, supporting Planned Parenthood with our tax dollars, etc, etc. and cutting 1/2 Billion dollars from Medicare for the elderly under Obamacare - while the US goverment continues to grow. “

Presently the government does not pay for abortion, nor for contraception. Voluntary prayer and private prayer is welcome in the schools: government mandated prayer is not. 99% of the business of Planned Parenthood has nothing to do with abortion, but rather with basic health services for the poor, such as children being sick. The cuts from Medicare have nothing to do with day to day services as I myself have experienced. Savings are anticipated from taking a preventative care approach, rather than a pull-out-all-the-stops approach for the same people when sick. Thus I have a broad based physical exam looking over me thoroughly for things that may be going wrong or be about to go wrong, and heading them off. This is far less expensive than dealing with my ills one by one as they become acute. And, dear friend, the government does not continue to grow. Their are fewer federal employees today than a year ago.

Whatever the source of your information, you had best regard it as suspect.

Anne: You say “We should work toward ending poverty and abortion, but government programs and bureaucracies are no substitute for people individually and personally coming to Christ first.” So by that logic should we set aside any political efforts to end abortion? Of course not. The Church and the State are not the same thing, but that doesn’t absolve us of being Catholic in the manner that we approach our citizenship. The notion that poverty is not a proper matter of State concern flies in the face of the entire body of Catholic social teaching going back to Rerum Novarum.

You accuse some Catholics of preferring their political party over their faith. For quite awhile I have seen that operating with the political left, most notably with the issue of abortion. But when I witnessed the spectacle of a prominent Catholic conservative periodical bending over backwards to support the invasion of Iraq, indeed, calling for a revisiting of the Just War Doctrine, I began to see that political loyalties have a misplaced priority on both sides of the political spectrum. This realization was further cemented with the conservative Catholic commentary on Deus Caritas Est. 

Now we have Mr. Ryan touting his budget as of a piece with Catholic social teaching. The Catholic bishops have already weighed in on that point, and you are weighing in with your dissent. The extent to which his budget really partakes of subsidiarity is the issue. Thus, it is no answer to simply refer to subsidiarity in support of his budget.

There is, to be sure, the practical matter of the budget. One area to consider is our military budget. The U.S. military budget amounts to about 40% of the total arms spending around the world. Our nearest competitor in this regard is China, at about 8% of total world arms spending.

America’s legitimate defense needs could easily be satisfied with far less. The poor and elderly among us cannot. What is the Catholic answer to this dilemma? To ask the question is to answer it.

@Jack Quirk & Môlsem

You both are willing to give power to the govt and then complain when they do not follow your rules.  The left will claim morality by enslaving citizens to use their money to feed the poor, but the poor get poorer while the govt strangles business and promotes abortion.  The right will serve God through enforcing peace in other nations with the US military, but there is never peace as they kill in the name of peace.  And both the left and the right do this by taking $1.6 Trillion from our children and unwilling citizens who are forced to pay taxes under threat of prison.

The problem you both have is that you have no faith in God but you have faith in the govt.  You wield the govt like a gun to the head to force Americans and other countries to do “God’s will”.

We have wars because the govt has so much power that we cannot control Washington anymore.  We have corruption and lobbyists because there is too much power and money changing hands.  We have poverty because we are robbing our citizens of jobs so Washington can buy votes by handing out money to green industry or the oil industry.

You are to blame.  You on the right and the left who have sold your souls to the govt to absolve yourselves of personal responsibility.

Imagine how many people could be employed by private individuals or private business if the govt did not steal $1.6 trillion from the economy.  Imagine people having free will to spend, save, employ or give to charity.

No.  Your god - the govt - does not believe in free will.  It takes what it wants from the citizens.  It wastes most of that labor and productivity on things that are not important and not appreciated.  And the govt god violates your will with the stroke of a pen.

We have no right to execute our mission through the govt, but much worse, we are stealing power, freedom and property from others in the name of God and using it to corrupt and destroy this nation.

There are roughly 3 million people in this country incapable of working a job, $30 Billion dollars would feed all of them.  Are we so sure that we cannot feed the truly needy?  For less than $1 a day the Catholics alone in this country could pay that fee. 

If we had faith.

Jack, you still have not read your CCC.
You also were untruthful about Congressman Ryan doing “away” with helping those TRULY in need. Those truly in need are those who are unable to help themselves. - Please give us all the pages and line numbers where this takes place in his proposed budget.

How you can mix murder (abortion) supported by mostly Democrats with Ryan’s budget, I do not know.

It is Obama and the Democratic Senate who want to CONTINUE funding Planned Parenthood and abortion. The Republican House voted to stop the funding - most of the vote in the House and Senate was along Party lines.  Senate bill - (H Con Res 36) April 14, 2011, and House Bill H Con Res 36, April 14, 2011.  You can find the Roll Call votes on the official government sites on the internet.

Helping to create jobs by lowering taxation and not over-regulating is what helps the poor. They need to be able to work. Jobs leave the Country, private business does not expand or is not created when the Government over-interferes in private business. People under 50 also need the freedom to determine if they want their own money to participate in Social Security for their own retirement. NOTHING is in the bill that will lower Social Security for those on or near retirement age.

Obamacare cuts $500 billion from Medicare for the elderly.  And uses a Panel (Death Panel) of beaurcrats in DC who will make the decisions of what is appropriate for individuals rather than the patient and his doctor. - This is big government at its worst.

Yes, the US government does pay for abortion, both in the US and abroad.  Within a few days after being elected in Jan 2009, Obama signed an Executive Order removing the “Mexico City Policy” which had been in place since President Reagan which had prohibited funding to international family planning groups that provide abortions. You can find this on the internet.
Yes, the government does pay for contraception and expects all other employers to pay for it as well. It is law, since the President signed the HHS mandate recently. You can find this on the internet.
Please pay attention.
Please start reading “LifeSiteNews” on internet as well.

Obama even has his appointed Sec of State, Hillary Clinton lobbying for abortion at the United Nations, and tying US foreign aide to poorer Countries forcing them to pass pro-abortion bills under the guise of women’s health.  You can find this on the internet.

By the way on the internet, please read: “WORTHINESS to RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION, General Principles” by Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict), written in 2004.

NOTHING is PROPRORTIONATE in the USA to the MURDER of approximately 1 MILLION babies in the US each year (not to mention Obama’s foreign aid support of abortion with our tax dollars).
When another candidate is available, Catholics may not vote for pro-abortion candidates and continue to receive Holy Communion - per “Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion, General Principles”.
Catholics are required to Vote - per the CCC.
Public voting records do not lie.

Moslem, you can donate to any Catholic Charity, including but not limited to your local St. Vincent de Paul, the Catholic Charities run by your Catholic Diocese office, the Catholic Charities run by the USCCB, or the Catholic Charities run by the Vatican.  Take your pick.  There are collections at every Parish for these charities, but you can give more at any time if you can afford it by contacting them directly .
The Knights of Columbus also does much charity work. There are too many Catholic organizations to list, and non-Catholic charitable organizations as well.

In addition to funding, you can give clothing and other things that you no longer use.  Go through your home and donate.

Helping the poor as commanded by Jesus, is the responsibilty of each individual. He never said the Government -whether it be the wealthy Roman Government, the wealthy Kings’ Governments are responsible.  Governments do not get to Heaven, people do.  We transform society by our own individual actions. Jesus’s teaching was for all Ages not just for the time He was bodily on earth.

Our responsibility also includes VOTING for moral politicans who will not pass laws that break God’s Commandments.
QUOTE CCC: ” 2286 Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion.
Therefore, they are guilty of scandal who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of morals and the corruption of religious practice, or to social conditions that, intentionally or not, make Christian conduct and obedience to the Commandments difficult and practically impossible.
This is also true of business leaders who make rules encouraging fraud, teachers who provoke their children to anger, or manipulators of public opinion who turn it away from moral values.”  UNQUOTE

We will not find the TRUTH of our FAITH in our personal political beliefs or someone’s magazine articles.
We will find the TRUTH of our FAITH in the “CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition” (dark green cover).

“ The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I approved ... and the publication of which I today order by virtue of my Apostolic Authority, is a statement of the Church’s faith and of catholic doctrine,  attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture,  the Apostolic Tradition and the Church’s Magisterium.  I declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion. “  – Pope John Paul II.  (pg 5)

“….the Catechism has raised throughout the world, even among non-Christians, and confirms its purpose of being presented as a full, complete exposition of Catholic doctrine, enabling everyone to know what the Church professes, celebrates, lives, and prays in her daily life.”  – Pope John Paul II (pg xiv)

“In its very structure, the Catechism of the Catholic Church follows the development of the faith right up to the great themes of daily life.  On page after page, we find that what is presented here is no theory, but an encounter with a Person who lives within the Church.”  “It is in this sense that that the Year of Faith will have to see a concerted effort to rediscover and study the fundamental content of the faith that receives its systematic and organic synthesis in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.”  – Pope Benedict XVI (Porta Fidei, Moto Proprio Data)

For anyone who supports making healthy individuals ‘dependent’ upon the Government, eventually makes the Government their god to whom they own their lives.

Not one complainer of the Ryan budget has yet to point to anything in the CCC or the BIBLE to support their arguments.
Nor have they ‘quoted’ from the Ryan budget, but merely hearsay.  Accuracies mixed with inaccuracies.

I somehow missed this 4 months ago.  I have only one qualm with your budget as presented to me:  Zeroing out WIC.  In what way are the unborn and children born to poor parents under 5 years from birth unworthy of welfare?

Hey, all you critics! Look at Greece. How well do you think the poor are doing there? The problem with Socailism (and Obamaism, a certain hybred of socialism and croney capitalism) is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money. Even the Dems in the Senate voted against Obama;s budgets. Come to think of it, the Dems haven’t passed a budget after Obama got sworn in. Obama has been a failure Unemployment is higer then it has ever been for a long time, and forget the remarks about inheriting the economy. After those failed stimulus programs, Obamacare and Union bail outs Obama owns the economy. And by the way, I have read Pope Leo XIII’s “On the Condition of Workers” and Pope Pius XII’s “On Reconstructing the Social Order.” Unions were meant for protection against injustice. The true essance of these encyclicals were that “employers and workers themselves can accomplish much in this matter, manifestly through those institutions by the help of which the poor are opportunely assisted and the two classes of society are brought cloer to each other” (p.68, On the Condidtion of Workers). This is to be done by a revitalization of Christan virtue. Like it or not many union employed operatives are near socailism in their outlook. They may not admit to it, but it is true. I was a Union Local VP for a while years ago. I saw it first hand. Look at the UAW for example; their wage demands landed them with jobs that paid out more than a number of college graduates did. Now over 70% of GM’s debt is benefit plans. That certainly made cars easier for the poor to afford, didn’t it? And who filled the vacuum? Right, the foreign auto makers. Even Pope Benedict’s “Charity in Truth” promotes the common goal of promoting an economyfor the poor. Remember folks, workers and owners together should look out for the poor, who are consumers and have to bear the cost when either management or the union gets out of hand. Both have the responsibility. It can only be done by true Christianity.

I correct myself. It was Pius XI’s encyclical, not Pius XII.

Have you bothered to read the other 5 encyclicals on the subject?

Socialism is not the point.  Capitalism without the venal sin of ambition or the mortal sin of greed is what we should be aiming for.

Socialism is a failure because it tries to fix inequality in human relationships by addressing the property rather than the humans.

First, until there is an American born Pope, the Vatican will never understand how capitalism works entwined with the American ethos built upon the Protestant work-ethic.  You work hard, apply yourself and you are likely to get ahead in life.  People who are lazy, uninspired and have no initiative are likely not going to do very well and probably will be burden on taxpayer handouts.  It’s simple economics.  Women having 4 kids by 3 different men will make you dependent upon the government and charities for probably most of their life.  And government programs which encourage such behavior are insane.  We are at the tipping point now.  Nearly half the US poplulation pays $0.00 in taxes.  (You can look that stat up).  The idea that Paul Ryan is some Frankenstein monster without compassion is lunacy.  And as for what some goo-goo professors at Georgetown have to say (cloistered in their liberal academia), these people don’t live in the real world anyway.  The Vatican issues encyclicals which are generically applied to the human condition but each nation is not 100% Catholic.  American Catholics can and should vote toward working to implement fairness and compassion in society.  Americans in general would all agree.  How we apply fairness, encouragement and real compassion is in the details.  Enabling people to not mature, not develop good habits, not improve oneself and NOT be their best is totally unbiblical.  You will recall the parable of Jesus concerning the Master with the servant who buried his talents in ground.  Christ expects us all to use our gifts.  Are there some capitalists who abuse their profits, yes.  But they are not the norm.  Unless you can point to another nation other than the United States which has done more to lift and improve the world in terms of poverty, agriculture, science, medicine, education, engineering, telecommunication and in missionary work for the sake of the gospel, then please go away.

“First, until there is an American born Pope, the Vatican will never understand how capitalism works entwined with the American ethos built upon the Protestant work-ethic. “

An interesting thing to say in a Catholic blog- that we need Protestantism.

I reject that philosophy based entirely on your acceptance of the heresy of Americanism.

Hey Ted, that’s a rather hilarious comment since data shows Protestants give more to church and charity than do Catholics.  Moreover, the application of capitalistic principles in the US cannot be applied to every other capitalist nation.  Each have differing laws, taxation and governance.  The Catholic culture of each nation must work to apply Vatican teachings within the framework of their national ethos.

If I accepted Protestant American Relativism, I would not be reading a Catholic blog.  I do not accept mortal sin from my O year old son, why should I be accepting of class warrfare in an economic system (of either the Captial Rules or Social Rules variaty of heresy)?

Hey Ted, Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical was critical of Socialism. So were others. We both are in agreement otherwise regarding your comments on ambition and greed.

Ted:  Do not “most”  (most)  all Americans believe in personal initiative, working hard, helping others and applying oneself to do your best in life?  Do you not instill that “ethos” in your own sons and daughters?  The term “Protestant work ethic” is because they settled Colonial America.  I don’t know how old you are or where you went to school.  Perhaps this term has been erased from current school books.  I learned the term and its meaning in my American history book at St. Joseph’s Catholic Grammar School.

Most Americans are NOT Catholic and do not understand the value of communion and caritas.  I am raising my son to be CATHOLIC, not another moral relativist Protestant. 

I am 41.  My parents and my public schools taught me the Protestant way.  It took me three decades to realize that living a life for Christ and God means a life of service rather than one of personal greed and moral relaativism; I will NOT hamper my son with the expectation that he should care only about himself as an individual.

We are all living on this planet together- we must be unified with each other under our Lord Jesus Christ.  Charity, unity and fraternity are what I will teach my child instead.

Ted, I didn’t know Protestants only care about themselves and their own personal greed.  I’ll be sure to share your Catholic thinking with my bother-in-law who has done missions work in Tanzania building irrigation wells at least seven times over the last 15 years.  His trips have been with members of his church at personal travel expense and at unpaid time off from his employer.  Way to go, Ted.  Moral relativism indeed.