Economic Justice!

While studying in the Ph.D. program at the University of Notre Dame, one of the seminars I was blessed to have taken was a course called "Christianity and the Living Wage." This course outlined the Catholic Church's recent social teaching on economic justice.

Yes, the Catholic Church is firmly Pro-Life. And yes, the "liberal" side of the Political Spectrum is not too fond of Catholic Teaching.

But, the Church is also the primary voice for true and lasting economic reform!

Secular thought usually drifts between socialism (Marxism even!) on the Left and unbridled laissez-faire capitalism on the Right!

But, the Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ founded by the Apostles, teaches that both private property is to be affirmed, but also that workers (which are all of us!) deserve fair and just economic compensation for our labor!

In fact, John Ryan was an early 20th century reforming priest who helped the U.S. rise out of its quagmire of economic degradation through petitioning the government for a fair wage (minimum wage legislation), anti-child labor laws, and the 40 hour work week.

But, whether it is the corporate elite who siphon millions, even billions of dollars off of us, while we hard-working Americans struggle living "paycheck to paycheck," or whether it is the socialist governmental dynamics of local, state and federal bureaucracies that shield what little tax revenue that comes in for the hiring of their cronies, the Catholic Church offers an alternative!

So, fellow Catholics (and Protestants!) let us join together and hold Wall Street accountable for its financial malfeasance! Hold them, and not we the tax-paying public, responsible for the debt-machine called capitalism! Also, although laissez-faire capitalism is unethical, let us also hold the Political Left accountable! Welfare really does produce squalor, not urban redevelopment. Communism and Marxism really are idealistic in theory, yet pernicious in practice leading to human rights abuse after human rights abuse.

In the end, Jesus Christ will return, and His People will Reign! Wall Street will be a greased slide to hell itself. The federal government will be no more (replaced by Jesus' bodily REIGN on earth!). Finally, every tear will be wiped away, and no pain will exist. This final "City of God" (to quote St. Augustine) is what we as Christians live for, but as we await Christ Jesus' physical return, let us at least make sure that the billionaire boys club and the nanny-socialist state called the Democratic Party are held accountable to CHRISTIAN LAW!

Amen and amen! Come LORD JESUS, come.

Love in Jesus the Messiah-Christ, Rob