I think we have a problem here in America, where we've come to make political ideology into a new religion. Many hardcore liberals/leftists treat politics as their religion and church, and many conservatives treat political conservatism as if it were synonymous with Christianity and church doctrine.
Pope Francis doesn't fit into what either of them want, and so both sides are left frustrated and confused.
On the economy/Capitalism, since the late 1800's the Catholic Church has held to a balanced teaching on economics that never completely fit in with Capitalism to begin with. There are some things that are agreed upon, such as the right for me to own my own land, benefit from the work of my hands or the benefits of starting my own business and making money, but Capitalism is not my religion and is not perfect, because there are people who (in Capitalist systems) exploit others and seek the Almighty Dollar even if they have to step on people's heads to do so. Just because someone points out the flaws of Capitalism doesn't mean he's automatically a Communist. There are more options/views on the spectrum than just Capitalist ---> Communist.
And it's very obvious the pope is not a Communist. Communism is an atheistic system which has been clashing with and persecuting Christianity since its inception. Communism is a humanist, atheistic socio-economic construct with horrible, horrible flaws. From Stalin to Pol Pot, these Communist, atheist systems have killed more people in the 20th Century alone than in all religious wars combined in human history. It suppresses human freedom, individual property rights, and attempts to make the State as God.
Yet, Capitalism isn't a perfect little darling. Capitalism is a human construct, a man-made system, so by its very nature it will be imperfect and have flaws. I have no obligation to come out swinging for and dying raising the banner for Capitalism. My loyalty and fighting is first and foremost to the Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
Do I think Capitalism is better than Communism? Yes, I do. I would rather be living here in America than in China, I'll tell you that much! However, this doesn't mean I can't critique Capitalism where it fails. And my Christian identity shouldn't be determined by what I believe or don't believe about Capitalism.
There are people within Capitalism who do exploit other people, whether it's a company CEO who turns a blind eye to the fact that his company uses sweatshop workers or child labor, or that guy who just made the news for upping the price of that HIV/AIDS medication from $13 a pill to $750 a pill. Both situations wrong, and both disgusting. YET, I don't automatically demonize a person just because she makes a million dollars after creating a new technology or heading a big company. There's no moral limit on how much money you could or should make--what's important is what place you give money in your life and how you treat other people.
As for the environment, I do believe that we should not be wasteful and that we should be good stewards. Creation is God's, not ours, so we are to show our respect for God's creative power by being good stewards of His creation. If we can reduce waste, then let's do it. If we can reduce pollution, then let's do it. Want to plant more trees? Cool. However, I do think we need to hear from both scientific sides of the debate when it comes to "climate change." Remember we used to call it "global warming," but when the scientists pointed out that the earth was actually cooling, we changed it to "climate change." It's also no secret that within the scientific establishment, you don't get the research grants or the recognition for coming up with results/findings that don't fit the dominant narrative, so I do think we need to be careful of that and take a look at different scientists' findings, and not just one side.
As for immigration, I'm all for immigration and I admire the people who go through the process to become citizens and embrace our country. My husband is an immigrant. English is not even his first language, but he learned English when he came here to the U.S., went to school, has U.S. citizenship, and holds down a job and supports me and our children. My BFF is Mexican American, also an immigrant. I am especially sympathetic to those who are fleeing persecution and violence in their home countries. I think this is the viewpoint Pope Francis is coming from--following what the Bible teaches about being hospitable to the alien/stranger, welcoming the downtrodden. I believe that's a good thing. With that said, this doesn't mean we should not have any immigration laws or procedures to enforce. For the sake of national security, and just handling the simple influx of people coming in and the physical and financial strain that comes with it, we need an orderly process so that we know who's coming into the country and why. I don't think that's unreasonable at all. If I were to go to Mexico or Central America, or over to Spain, I'm pretty sure I can't just walk in and set up shop. In fact, if I were to give birth in one of those countries as a non-citizen, my child would still be considered an American/American citizen. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Every country has its immigration laws and procedures, and it's their right as sovereign countries. The U.S. also has its laws and procedures, and in some cases our immigration is more generous than that of other countries--but I also acknowledge that we have improvements that need to be made. My best friend that I mentioned, while applying for U.S. citizenship, the immigration office lost one of her papers and then told her that she had to re-file the paper AND pay the $200 filing fee that went along with the paper, even though it was THEIR fault the paper was lost. That really sucks. Going the legal route can be a huge pain and financial strain, so on a human level I can understand the temptation to go a different route, especially if you're coming into the country with very little or nothing to begin with.
However, I dislike how people with genuine concerns are automatically branded as racist or xenophobic and their concerns are dismissed. I think there are legitimate concerns among everyday Americans on how millions of people in the country illegally affect them. As a mom, I'd be concerned if 50-65% of the children at my child's school can't speak English and the school must adjust its services and curriculum to accommodate this, because it does impact the education, time and resources for native English speakers. As an educator, it did become an issue I had to work with when I went in to teach 8th grade or 10th grade English, but half my students barely speak and write English--that is going to affect YOUR child and his/her education, and we already know it's tough for us to get quality public education in this country. There were some jobs as a teacher that I would have liked to apply for but didn't qualify for because I'm not fluent in Spanish. Why do I have to be fluent in another language in order to be an
English teacher in certain cities in the country? That's a legitimate concern. We also have issues with certain emergency rooms in our state being closed down or the taxpayers having to foot the bill for people using the emergency rooms for everyday medical care. I don't know if it's been an issue in your state, but this has happened in California. And when I bring up these concerns, it doesn't mean illegal immigrants are bad people or that I hate them, but I (or people with the same concerns) are just bringing this to the table for discussion. We shouldn't be called names or shut down for bringing these to the table for discussion.
Overall, I was impressed with Pope Francis' visit. He came and preached to us in America. From the President and Congress, United Nations, all the way to everyday people, eating with the homeless, blessing the disabled, and visiting prisoners. He showed Christian compassion and mercy, and a deep love for other people. He wasn't here to be our political football or our political minion--he came to show us how to live the Gospel and to seek God.
Sorry for the long post, but these are my thoughts
