Friday, April 8, 2005
There is much in Pope John Paul II's thought, as expressed in both his writings and his life, for libertarians to admire:
a.. By his words and his example, he affirmed the dignity and rights of every person, regardless of country or creed.
b.. He did much to inspire the peaceful resistance that ended decades of Soviet tyranny in Eastern Europe.
c.. He spoke for peace and mutual respect among nations, and against aggressive wars, including the U.S. war against Iraq.
d.. He had a qualified but very real appreciation for the free market, proclaiming it morally as well as economically superior to socialism.
e.. He was skeptical of government attempts to solve social problems, preferring that they be addressed by the voluntary associations of civil society.
Pope John Paul II didn't propose a political blueprint, and his social thought can't be tagged with any ideological label. But he was a true friend of freedom, and he'll be badly missed.
Thomas Gillooly
Forest Hills
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Tom G's Letter to Editor about the Pope's passing
The letter ran in the Trib but noticed online in the Libertarian discussion email list.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
3 comments:
Oh yeah??
http://www.counterpunch.org/connolly04052005.html
Thanks for the pointer. Interesting read.
Here is a mini-quote:
"16. All initiatives for democratization of governance of the Catholic Church which began in the 1960s and 1970s were stopped in their tracks by Wojtila. American Catholics no longer talk about lay input into major decisions of the Church. The many talented laymen and laywomen who run the day-to-day operations of Catholic parishes and diocese are treated with highhanded disrespect, and the most talented have left or are in the process of leaving."
The Pope also did a lot of wrong. The Catholic church's stance on a lot of issues are old and outdated.
Post a Comment