Friday, December 22, 2017

Christian Intellectuals and the Road to Socialism

From Town Hall Finance-

Distributism ideology always leads to socialism

Christians are concerned about the rise to dominance of transgenderism and same-sex marriage in the US. But they shouldn’t worry because R.R. Reno, editor-in-chief of First Things, has the solution: a kinder, gentler capitalism. His essay last October spawned a series of rigorous rebuttals at Public Discourse, the last of which is here. Reno lamented the economic “freedom” that Michael Novak promoted in his classic book, The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism, has destroyed morality in the country:


"The 'new birth of freedom' that Michael championed largely came to pass. And it has tended to weaken the two other legs holding up society: democratic institutions and a vital religious and moral culture. Michael observes that 'greater incentives will stimulate greater economic activism.' True, but he did not recognize that ever-greater economic activity can crowd out political engagement and sideline religious and moral authority. This is what has happened. Capitalism, now global in scope, is swallowing up more and more of civic life, so much so that in some contexts economists and policymakers present free market principles as ironclad laws about which we have no choice. Dwindling manufacturing jobs, technological displacement, global flows of labor and capital—we are told we have no alternative. This is a cruel reversal of what Michael commended as the source of freedom and openness [...] We are drowning in freedom [...] Age-old expectations of marriage and children have become choices. We can even choose to become male or female.

More here-

https://finance.townhall.com/columnists/rogermckinney/2017/12/21/christian-intellectuals-and-the-road-to-socialism-n2425756

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