Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: smith_c@ncsatl.uucp Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: A Dialogue with Rome: part I Message-ID: Date: 29 Nov 89 04:25:36 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: National Computer Systems, Atlanta, GA Lines: 29 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , conan@wish-bone.berkeley.edu (David Cruz-Uribe) writes: > Xavier Rynne (a > pseudonym) in his four volume work on Vatican II, clearly identifies > (then) Monsignor Ratizinger as being squarely in the liberal/pro- > gressive camp. ... > I found this very interesting in light of his reputation as the > Pope's conservative theological watchdog. A conservative is a liberal who's been mugged. Father Ratzinger got "mugged" by liberation theology, I think. At least, for me, the very idea combining biblical and marxist themes to manufacture revolutionary class struggles in pursuit of social justice turns my stomach. Social justice and communism should never be spoken in the same breath or written in the same sentence, pardon me for breaking my own rule here. It seems to me that liberation theology puts the cart before the horse: Social justice first then salvation. Communism is inherently evil. The Book of Common Prayer defines sin as when we misuse our freedom to disobey God. Communism, being a system which seeks to accomplish the two major goals of eliminating all religious belief/practices from the face of the earth and spreading communism (recursive documentation), is evil by nature and those who practice communism sin against God. Now, it's my understanding that some communists are very religious; how they reconcile their beliefs with communism's goals is beyond me. Daniel Ortega, whom I despise, is a daily communicant. Some may view my belief concerning the sinfulness of communism too political; Communism is a political system which seeks to destroy religion and it is for this reason that anyone who propogates a system which seeks to destroy religion sins against God. Sincerely, gatech!ncsatl!smith_c