Christian Economics

by Most Rev. Dr. Robert M. Bowman, Presiding Archbishop, United Catholic Church

It is accepted as a given, at least in these United States, that Christianity and Free-Market Capitalism are inseparable. To those on the right, it is an article of faith. "That government governs best which governs least." "Godless Communism." "In God’s order there are no schemes of wealth distribution which under the government forces productive citizens to give the fruit of their labors to those who are nonproductive." (Pat Robertson in The New World Order, page 228.) Laissez faire, tax cuts, slash government spending, downsize, balanced budget, welfare reform, tax relief, flat tax, deregulation, capital gains tax cuts, eliminate the income tax, disband the IRS — these make up the economic litany of conservative Christians. Capitalism and family values go hand in hand. Even liberals seldom badmouth capitalism. They just want to make it a little more compassionate, tinker with it at the margins. But abandon it, or make major changes in it, heavens no. Without capitalism, we’d no longer be a Christian country. God gave us the free market for a reason.

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