Anno Domini

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.

In the naïveté of youth, erroneous opinions are formulated in the cauldron of inexperience. When I arrived home from my freshman year of college, I told my grandmother that I didn't see anything wrong with communism since our Lord Jesus Christ forewarned us of the evils of greed and wanted us to share our goods with the poor.

In the Acts of the Apostles it states, “And they shared all things in common.” My grandmother nearly had a heart attack and rattled off a litany of the evils that our great grandparents had suffered under such an evil totalitarian regime! Age and experience have showed me the errors of my thought.

In the Acts of the Apostles it also states, “There was no needy person among them, for those who had property would sell them and bring the proceeds and lay them at the feet of the Apostles who distributed to each according to his needs.” In Christianity, proper economics is done through charity and justice. In communism, evil people and regimes confiscate other people's wealth and distribute the stolen money according to political expediency, not justice. The right to private ownership is a fundamental God-given right and our Lord Jesus Christ foretold, “The poor you will always have with you and you can help them” through charity, not forced confiscation.

Many ignorant politicians and even some pastors have embraced the heresies of liberation theology and communism. A classic example is to allow open borders so that people can illegally enter this country. I had to gently reprimand several Christian pastors for their misguided compassion. I told them I would gladly help anyone to the best of my ability who had been forced into exile and was in need, however, I would take them into my house and take care of them. I would not expect my fellow industrious worker and taxpayer to pay for my charity. Anyone who wants to give any marginalized person help or give exiles amnesty should open their rectories and homes to feed, clothe and educate them and not allow the government to be a thief and steal from those who work hard to take care of their families. Blessed Mother Teresa owned nothing which allowed her to take care of the poor for the love of Christ. She didn't steal from others to take care of them. They gave through charity, not confiscation.

Communism, nazism, fascism, modernism, freudism, and even capitalism are the product of man's futility. There is only one truth, and you can find Him in a manger. Give to God what is God's, and to Caesar the light of truth, the King of Glory. Glory to God in the highest!

Richard Mahoney