On the Other Hand

Upon further reflection, I have a few concerns about the Vatican's document on the economy.  (See yesterday's post for info and links.)

The document is vague enough for people to read into it what they want, politically. That's not a good thing with our current economy as seriously stalled as it is.

 It is also a bit Utopian. I have concerns that this wouldn't be able to work in the "real" world--especially with rich nations such as the United States.  At the moment, we can't straighten out our own political system and I don't currently have much confidence that we could be a part of an international financial authority without looking after our own interests to the detriment of poorer nations.  I think the document's authors were thinking of a way to get Europe to focus on its financial difficulties but over-reached a bit. The Utopian nature of a document like this is to be expected (it is from the Church after all) but their attempt to propose specific, political solutions is problematic. It is a common problem with Western theology.  (How many angels can fit on the head of a pin...)

It is ironic that the document calls for a world banking authority and also for subsidiarity--doing things at the most local level possible!  Knowing how large organizations often end up, a far-reaching body like this would likely prevent things from happening at the local level.

I'm wondering if some of the problems in  this document aren't a symptom of some more systemic issues--a top-heavy hierarchy that is by definition a bit separated from the everyday goings-on of local people.  The average person-in-the-pew right now is virtually begging the bishops to become humble followers of Christ--admit their mistakes, learn from their mistakes and become true servant-leaders in the style of Jesus.

Our Church needs that.  Our world needs that.  

Vatican Document on World Finances Released

The Vatican did indeed release a document on the world economy today.

In it, they suggest an impartial "world Authority" that would serve the common good.  This world Authority would be developed gradually, making sure not to serve the interests of "private lobbies or national governments... A person is not made to serve authority unconditionally" the document says. "Rather it is the task of authority to be at the service of the person, consistent with the pre-eminent value of human dignity."

The Vatican, in keeping with Christian teaching, sees this world Authority being "in service of various member countries according to the principle of subsidiarity".  Subsidiarity is the idea that nothing should be done by larger governing bodies that could be done at the more local level.  In short, "Think globally, act locally."

The document, entitled Towards Reforming the International Financial and Monetary Systems in the Context of Global Public Authority, says "the global social justice" policy "seems most urgent" and calls for "financial and monetary policies that will not damage the weakest countries; and policies aimed at achieving free and stable markets and a fair distribution of world wealth."

As much as many of us in the richer countries bristle at the idea of any sort of distributism (also known as "distributivism and "distributionism") it is the fair and Christian thing to do. We are our brothers' keepers and half the worlds children live in poverty. Catholicism is a global religion and the Church is rightly concerned with justice and basic rights of all her children.

To read the entire document visit Whispers in the Loggia.  For more info on distributism, visit The Distributist Review and this page on Distributivism and Catholic Social Teaching.

The Pope and the Economy

I read something intriguing the other day.  The rumor is going around that tomorrow the Vatican will publish a document on the world economy.

The article on Our Daily Thread predicts the document will follow the path laid out by Pope Benedict in his Caritas in Veritate.  In it he says that corporate profit should be for the common good.  The Holy Father has said that said people should be able to make a living that supports their family in such a way that children are able to be educated and not have to go out and work themselves.  Workers have the right to organize and to have their voices heard.  Countries that lower worker protection and abandon "wealth redistribution in order to increase the country's international competitiveness," the Pope says, "hinder the achievement of lasting development."

He comes down on the side of government involvement in the economy when he says “Grave imbalances are produced when economic action, conceived merely as an engine for wealth creation, is detached from political action, conceived as a means for pursuing justice through redistribution.”  Benedict seems to be saying here that both economic action and political action are needed to get an economy going. Wealth creation alone, it seems, is no guarantee of enough good jobs at high enough wages to support a population.

This wealth-creation-as-sole-solution seems disturbingly close to what the Republican Party in the United States is doing.  We are living now with those "grave imbalances" and with the social unrest that they cause. The 2 parties refusal to work with each other and the unhealthy concentration on raising money to get elected has left the majority of Americans struggling.

Bad Times as a Gift from God

It occurred to me recently that the bad times we have all been experiencing are a gift from God. As a collective whole, our society has gotten to the point where many of us expect a certain lifestyle. This should not include anything we have not planned for--not emergencies, not setbacks and certainly not (unplanned) children.

It does not even occur to us any more to help each other and so many children are being raised without any knowledge of a Power higher than themselves. It is no wonder these children are now rioting throughout the "civilized" world for the latest toys. This is, apparently, what this generation considers "civil disobedience." I would suggest to them that they read up on Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi's philosophies and find out what civil disobedience is really all about.

I think this economy is a gift to us from God, frankly. We need some shaking up--our whole society does. Since we don't seem to appreciate what we've been given, it is being taken away so we learn to feed each other instead of sitting at the table with our too-long chop sticks starving because we don't see the option of sharing.

Gandhian Economics

I've long thought that some basic things need to change about our society.  The current economic crisis is (perhaps God's way of) providing us the opportunity to begin to change the way we look at things, the way we spend money and the way we treat each other.

In his article Economic Crisis or Non-Violent Opportunity?, Michael Nagler asks the question: What is an economy for? Gandhi's vision, Nagler says is that

The real purpose of an economic system is to guarantee to every person in its circle the fundamentals of physical existence (food, clothing, shelter) and the tools of meaningful work so that they can get on with the business of living together and working out our common destiny.

Our economic system, fueled by intrusive, ubiquitous advertising, is based on buying things we don't need.  This does tend to fuel jobs, but, increasingly, they are overseas and do not fuel our economy at home.  Gandhi's idea is to have a local economy--one where producers and consumers are neighbors and have each others' best interests at heart.

The cornerstone of this philosophy is one of trusteeship.  If we look at our "possessions" as being held in trust rather than outright ownership, we can begin to divest ourselves of the innate selfishness that is part of our current consumer culture.

Jesus told us the parable of the rich fool.  (Luke 12: 16-21).  In it, the rich man decides to store (hoard?) his surplus grain instead of using it to feed the poor.  He makes grandiose plans for his future in light of his new-found riches.  God then says to him, "You fool!  This very night your life will be demanded back
from you and who will get what you have prepared for yourself?"

Nothing we have is really ours.  It is only on loan to us to use for the greater good of those among whom God has placed us.  Material goods are not given to us to hoard or use like an addictive drug.  If we each lived in godly simplicity, we would all be closer to the love of God which is a triune one of relationship with others.

This, and all hardships are allowed to come for the greater good.   That is how God works.  Lets try to learn the lessons we are meant to learn.

Catholic Social Justice and the Economy

Mark Shea, a popular Catholic blogger, has written a very pertinent piece on Catholic social justice and the economy.

In it he says, basically, that among many who consider themselves serious Catholics, there are those who talk a lot about the efficacy of sacrifice for women experiencing an unexpected pregnancy, but nothing about the sacrifice the rich must make to serve the poor.

He quotes a reader who initiated the conversation:

We are a religion demanding that the now-pregnant mother of three others must be willing to risk her life during her pregnancy, or to carry to term the product of a rape.

But the 8 digit earning executive gets a pass in his responsibility to continue to create jobs because his taxes are nudged up a wee bit since that's the way the market works. This wealthy man could not possibly be expected to do such oddly heroic things as hire workers when his jets are getting extra taxes.

His enormous excess personal wealth must remain intact and this is held as morally acceptable and in some quarters morally commendable.

If a minor increase in taxes plagues those with excess luxury so much that they do not do what is right and just with their means, they are not living Christian lives.

Pope Benedict had this to say about economics and the Christian: (emphasis mine)

The dignity of the individual and the demands of justice require, particularly today, that economic choices do not cause disparities in wealth to increase in an excessive and morally unacceptable manner, and that we continue to prioritize the goal of access to steady employment for everyone. Lowering the level of protection accorded to the rights of workers, or abandoning mechanisms of wealth redistribution in order to increase the country's international competitiveness, hinder the achievement of lasting development.

Many of us have born the burden of a job loss brought on by a company paying a bit too much attention to "international competitiveness" and not to the larger picture.  The companies that survive (and they are few and far between) are those who look at the dignity of their workers and the integrity of their organization instead of short term (Pope Benedict says "sometimes very short term") profits for the few at the top.

The Uneasy Marriage of Religion and Politics
The difficulty in this country is one of melding religion and politics.  So far, in the United States, there has never been a political party that has followed all the teachings of the Church.  To be with the church on life issues, but not on poverty and social justice issues may be a "conservative" stance, but it is not the Church's stance. To work for issues of social justice while ignoring the pre-born is also not the Church's stance.

It presents a conundrum for thinking Catholics before every election, but our lives should reflect both life and social justice issues.  We should not just pull a lever (or fill in one of those damnable bubbles) every year (or every 4 years) and feel we've done our duty by the Church.  We need to write our representatives on both sides of the aisle and insist that they do what is best for the country, which includes a safety net for the poor and respect for all life.

A political party which hijacks one issue over another while ignoring an entire group of its constituents in need does not deserve to be held up as the only party for "real" Christians. Such Pharisaical attitudes were precisely the kind of thing Jesus spoke out against. Having the outward trappings of faith without the real concern and love for others is no faith at all.

We are in a crucial time in this country We need to pull together to make sure that all of us have a means to make an honest living and all of us have access to the basics: food, clothing, shelter and dignified healthcare.

No one political party will save you. Only God has done that.  We need to show His love to the world.

Prayer to St. Joseph for Employment

With the economy the way it is, I was happy to see this beautiful video today showing a prayer to St. Joseph for employment.

Money Will Vanish

This is from the Holy Father's Address at the Synod on the Word of God. He reflects brilliantly on the present human condition and how God is the only solution. Something to meditate on in the closing weeks before the elections in the U.S. and Canada.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord speaks to us about the two possible foundations for building the house of one’s life: sand and rock. He who builds on sand only builds on visible and tangible things, on success, on career, on money. Apparently these are the true realities.

But all this one day will vanish. We can see this now with the fall of two large banks: this money disappears, it is nothing. And thus all things, which seem to be the true realities we can count on, are only realities of a secondary order. He who builds his life on these realities, on matter, on success, on appearances, builds upon sand. Only the Word of God is the foundation of all reality, it is as stable as the heavens and more than the heavens, it is reality.

Therefore, we must change our concept of realism. The realist is he who recognizes the Word of God, in this apparently weak reality, as the foundation of all things. (A) realist is he who builds his life on this foundation, which is permanent.

Can't say it better than the pope!

What does God have to do with it?

I can't help but think that the current economic crisis we are in is in some way related to our materialistic, relativistic, culture-of-death, live-for-the-moment, constant-search-for-pleasure lifestyles. We have been brainwashed in this country, to believe that we will get, and indeed, deserve, something for nothing.

Stuff.

It's what makes the world go 'round. It is not even on the radar screens of most Americans that someone wouldn't (or *gasp*--shouldn't because they can't afford to) buy something they might want.

Oh, sorry, need. We need all this stuff.

An increasing number of Americans are either actual or de facto atheists, living as if, (if not actually professing that) there is nothing beyond this short 70 or so years we each have on this earth. It is no wonder, then, that we are in our current economic fix.

We can't even imagine there would be any alternative than to keep printing money and bailing out financial institutions whose only fault is that they gave credit to people who couldn't pay back their loans.

Because we all have to have more stuff.

Most of us no longer question that the sole purpose of a business (or even a "job") is to "make money."

Profit.

That is all.

Why, what else would there be?!

The idea of providing a true service to society, much less having an actual vocation or calling to do something particular for a living, is beyond the scope of many in modern society. Such attitudes lead to unfair treatment of workers, cheating one's customers, and increasing blindness to ethical business practices. Good workers lose their jobs because they are too expensive to retain. Loyalty and job performance take second place to the bottom line.

I honestly don't think most people can wrap their minds around the idea that the true purpose of commerce might just be to serve the public--prospective customers, employees and society at large. Nor does the necessity of sacrifice cross the minds of most of us when it comes to doing our jobs. (Yes, even *that* job. Even the job that you feel is debasing, demeaning, or difficult, or, God forbid, boring.)

When there is nothing beyond our own eyes and brains, our world is limited to ourselves.

The current state of our economy and our country is the result.

Like the ruins of an old grave, the Judeo Christian worldview is collapsing. We just may be witnessing the advent of a new Dark Ages, where our old ways of looking at ourselves in relation to each other and to our Creator are all but forgotten.

Pope Benedict XVI has said that he sees Christianity as being smaller but more authentic in the future. I think we are on the cusp of that future today.