CATHOLICS VERSUS SOCIALISTS

Robert, once again is mistakenly equating Socialism with Communism and is taking his Catholic Church stance against it preferring I guess the most right wing forms of capitalism which the Vatican endorses.

The Catholic Church considers Socialism as incompatible with its teachings, even though other Christians believe that the Bible's call to help the poor and Jesus's teachings are compatible with socialist principles.

Here are some of the Catholic Church's tenets against Socialism:

Private Property. 

The Church teaches that people have a natural right to own private property and that Socialism takes away this right. The vast wealth that the Vatican controls in real estate, banking, art treasures and stocks and bonds fully matches this.

Subsidiarity.

Catholic teaching relies on subsidiarity, which means local communities, families, and lower groups should solve local problems. It mistakenly believes that Socialism places total control in a central government. The Catholic Church does this while weekly promulgating Vatican forms of propaganda in order to have those local communities toe the 'company' line in all forms of life and social interaction e.g. sexuality, abortion rights. marriage and relationships, gender issues and yes, tithing to the Church.

Materialism.

Popes have argued that socialism views humans only as economic cogs of a machine and ignores concepts of spiritual life and the existence of gods. As per above this hasn't stopped the Catholic Church from selling indulgences (which led to the split off of other forms of Christianity through Protestantism), tithing church communities and accumulating fortunes.

State Power.

Historical and modern socialist states have unfortunately often promoted state atheism and attacked religious freedom. This has been yet another mistake of the warped Socialism that became Communism and is largely historical - a fact that the Vatican chooses to ignore - and still pushes this line.

Why do many other Christians support socialist ideas?

Early Christian Community.

The Book of Acts describes early believers sharing their possessions and giving to anyone in need. 

Focus on the Poor.

Jesus told his followers to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and care for the vulnerable.

Economic Justice.

Christian socialists hold that an economy based on cooperation rather than fierce competition fits better with Christian love. 


The problem seems to be in the confusion between Socialism (with a capital) and Communism.

Communism is a cynically adapted and warped form of Socialism where altruistic socialist ideas and wishes have been bent to suit dictatorship forms of government which, going by Orwell's Animal Farm theme benefits the top few to the detriment of the less privileged - a very ugly form of capitalism really.

The Catholic Church seems to be a right wing, capitalist institution that at times (1920s to 1940s for instance) verges on Fascism. This anomalously coexists with the fact that the majority of Catholics worldwide come from impoverished countries and communities and are not of the wealthy classes. They are however ruled in their communities by Catholics who are part of the elite and powerful who use the Church for their own agendas whether political, moral or social.  It's kind of like Robert who (now or in the past) voted National instead of Labour even though his personal needs would be better met by a Labour government.