A Catholic Framework for Economic Life...

The issue of religion and politics has become an all but too common topic in political debates. I guess most people, like me, want to know where politicians should draw the line when it comes to including their religious views with their standpoints on certain campaign issues. I know that religion is where most of us grasp our sense of morality and foundations between what is right and what is wrong, but religious views have seemingly established the framework of political. Since my background focuses primarily on International Relations, I came across an interesting document that outlines certain economic policies that pursue Catholic ideals.

In 1996, the American bishops of the Catholic Church issued the following statement entitled, “A Catholic Framework for Economic Life.” Within this document, the bishops explain 10 principles that are directly drawn from Catholic teaching on economic life:

1. The economy exists for the person, not the person for the economy.

2. All economic life should be shaped by moral principles. Economic choices and institutions must be judged by how they protect or undermine the life and dignity of the human person, support the family, and serve the common good.

3. A fundamental moral measure of any economy is how the poor and vulnerable are faring.

4. All people have a right to life and to secure the basic necessities of life (e.g., food, clothing shelter, education, healthcare, safe environment, economic security).

5. All people have the right to economic initiative, to productive work, to just wages and benefits, to decent working conditions as well as to organize and join unions or other associations.

6. All people, to the extent they are able, have a corresponding duty to work, a responsibility to provide for the needs of their families, and an obligation to contribute to the broader society.

7. In economic life free markets have both clear advantages and limits; government has essential responsibility to provide for the needs of their families, and an obligation to contribute to the broader society.

8. Society has a moral obligation, including governmental action where necessary, to assure opportunity, meet basic human needs, and pursue justice in economic life.

9. Workers, owners, managers, stockholders and consumers are moral agents in economic life. By our choices, initiative, creativity and investment, we enhance or diminish economic opportunity, community life, and social justice.

10. The global economy has moral dimensions and human consequences. Decisions in investment, trade, aid and development should protect human life and promote human rights, especially for those most in need wherever they might live on this globe.

Taking a look at these principles definitively shows how current economic policies within the U.S. share the views and goals of the Catholic Church. The one’s that are most apparent are the Catholic views of all people having the right to life and to secure the basic necessities of life. Indeed in the U.S. debates on abortion and social welfare are always key topics on politicians’ campaign agendas. We have actually seen such views flourish as programs like Social Security still play overwhelming roles in today’s society.

Furthermore, their view on having government intervention in an economy of free trade is one that surprises me the most considering current negotiations within the World Trade Organization (WTO). Foreign economic policy has been one of the greatest issues for the U.S. to date with respects to globalization and an internationally integrating world economy. Nevertheless, taking into account the current Doha Round of negotiations facilitated by the WTO, attempts to lower trade barriers around the world, permitting free trade between countries of varying prosperity are still high on the priority list.

I guess my point here is that religion and politics seemingly go hand in hand. In order to participate in political debates, you must develop a credible viewpoint. And most of the time our views are inspired by religious ideals; despite the fact that we might nit be aware of it.