Abortion And Other Political Issues

[Iacobus]

JP2 doesn't think so.

Did the Church, as a state (The Papal States) fund art?

[JP2Iloveyou]

Shawn has already taken care of a couple of my points, but let me just reiterate that defense is a legitimate function of government. It is something everyone pays for that everyone benefits from. As for Haliburton, I was unaware they were receiving government funds. Do you have evidence of this accusation?

As for Bill Gates, whether or not it makes him hire a new employee or not, is beside the point IMO. It is his money! He earned it. Does he have more than he needs? Yes. Absolutely. Does that give the federal government the right to confiscate it? I don't believe it does. Reasonable people can disagree on this point just as reasonable people can disagree on how best to help the poor. Both sides have the same end in mind, the means of accomplishing it are different. Since neither side is advocating anything intrinsically evil, both claims are legitimate.

As for the arts mocking the Blessed Mother, I clearly remember a case a year or two ago when an image of Our Lady was "adorned" in human waste, funded by Uncle Sam, who is really funded by Joe Taxpayer.

You may call DoD a government drain. I disagree. But that's OK. Reasonable people can disagree on this point as well. That's one of the benefits of living in a country like the United States. One needn't worry that having a different viewpoint will cost him his life like people once had to in Iraq, for example. An inalienable right which was won, by the way, by the Americans winning the Revolutionary War. So, if an anti-war protester is going to be accurate, he or she should not exercise his or her right to free speech. (This is not directed at you Iacobus because I don't believe you have said you are anti-war, nor do I interpret that from your posts, but some people are, so I thought I would share my point.)

Finally, the war in Iraq. I fully support our efforts and I believe the war is just. I think that the burden of proof lies with me, since I am advocating supporting the war, but to save time, exactly which criteria of the Just War doctrine do you disagree with?

Also, I don't think John Paul has ever said the war was unjust. I've heard a lot of reporters put words into his mouth making it sound as though that were what he were saying, but I've never seen a direct quote. If you can find me one, I'd be happy to look at it.

[Pio Nono]

JMJ
4/18 - Divine Mercy Sunday

Regarding the Pope's stance on the war in Iraq, he's never actually made an "official" statement. In fact, when the Papal spokesman was asked at a press conference (before the war) what the Pope thought of an American war with Iraq, the spokesman's answer, to paraphrase, was...

"No one wants war, ever. But the Pope is not a pacifist."

[Iacobus]

But Rome did much to try and prevent the war.

[CreepyCrawler]

Sometimes I get mad about the war because it's caused so much anger to build up in Iraq and terrorism is flourishing, but then I think about if I were an Iraqi, I'd be happy to be rid of Hussein because before the war, no one was helping them, other countries were just embargo-ing them. After the war, the international spotlight is on them and I think other countries are getting involved to help build a better state than there was before. So at least there's hope. I'm not for the war, but I have to force myself to not look at it from my American perspective (I'm talking about myself, not anyone in particular on this board). And since we're in now, we can't leave, so we'd better try and do the best job we can. I'm not a polsci major, though, so forgive me if this is overly simplistic.

[Iacobus]

We need to stay. But I think the reasons for going in were iffy.