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Creative Minority Needed

Posted by Mike on Friday, October 09, 2009 2:48:27 PM
http://westernperspective.blogspot.com/
Benedict XVI, reflecting on dwindling church attendance among Christians in the post-Communist Czech Republic, told journalists en route to Prague "that normally those who determine the future are the creative minority."

In America, Jews have always filled this role of helping to set the agenda. Recent trends show that while most Americans still believe in a Supreme Being and profess to being Christian, fewer and fewer young people identify with any particular religion. This means that for the future, Christian believers who are regular church goers will have to become another creative minority lending new ideas and a unique moral perspective to the increasingly secularized society at large.

Europe is also heading in the same direction, with fewer and fewer Christians who practice their faith regularly. Also, the European Union continues to be reticent about expressing constitutionally the formative influence of Christianity in shaping European culture over the centuries. Both America and Europe are becoming dominated by secular, cultural elites, out of touch with the vast majority of citizens.
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Pope's Social Encyclical Spells Good News for Economic Recovery

Posted by Mike on Sunday, July 12, 2009 10:11:37 PM
http://westernperspective.blogspot.com/
Benedict XVI recent encyclical Caritas in Veritate heralds a global economic recovery in the near future. The encyclical's completion was delayed over a year because of the world financial debacle. Benedict offers helpful suggestions for restructuring the world's economy which will benefit rich and poor alike.

The gist of the message is for man to organize business and financial activities using a holistic approach which takes into account all aspects of the person, not just material gain or profit. The State no longer has as much sway in the global economy. The traditional divides between the private and public sectors, and between enterprises for profit and for non-profit, are to a large extent no longer applicable. New forms of business organizations involving cooperative agreements are now competing within the market economy.

Benedict warns of catastrophic results unless the world economy becomes structured to serve man through authentic integral human development. This means that workers must themselves have a sense of ownership with regard to their productive resources. Furthermore, there must be a deep respect for the dignity of the person and of human life, as well as staying in touch with spiritual values to make the system work.

In a nutshell, it does not do any good in the long run to allow the rich to draw profits at the expense of the poor or the world's environment. Economic growth is a shared responsibility at all levels. Charity is needed within the framework of accepting the truth about man's nature and existence in accordance with a providential plan.
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