The Pope solves it all for us in his new social encyclical. Read it on-line here and trust no MSM source's characterization of it.Deal Hudson has an interesting take --he says Benedict here "tightens up" Church social teaching. Sounds plausible, but I'll have to see for myself.
A foretaste, from section 43 on rights and duties:The reality of human solidarity, which is a benefit for us, also imposes a duty”. Many people today would claim that they owe nothing to anyone, except to themselves. They are concerned only with their rights, and they often have great difficulty in taking responsibility for their own and other people's integral development. Hence it is important to call for a renewed reflection on how rights presuppose duties, if they are not to become mere licence. Nowadays we are witnessing a grave inconsistency. On the one hand, appeals are made to alleged rights, arbitrary and non-essential in nature, accompanied by the demand that they be recognized and promoted by public structures, while, on the other hand, elementary and basic rights remain unacknowledged and are violated in much of the world.
Update: I love this Pope! He's calling for reform of the United Nations!
