From David Davies re Catholics in public life. (Letters to the Editor).

I was very interested in Daniel Callam's article 'Catholics in public life' (C.I., July/Aug, pp. 38-39), being all too aware of how so many Canadian Catholic politicians from Pierre Trudeau to Jean Chretien, from John Turner to Allan Rock, have sponsored and supported anti-religious policies.

Every one of these Catholic politicians has had a full responsibility and opportunity to inform their conscience on their moral and religious obligations and to act in accordance with them. Since the Catholic Church is clear on the major moral issues that politicians face today, to differ with the teaching of the Church on key issues of faith and morals upon which the Church has spoken is to excommunicate oneself, not to exercise freedom of conscience.

Compare Joe Borowski's fight against abortion, and his faith, commitment, and perseverance described by Lianne Laurence in the same issue, to John Turner's passive acquiescence in permitting unrestricted abortion. Joe Borowski is the hero, Turner is not.

I did not understand why Father Callam decided to focus on capitalism as the prime source of evil in our society. I see his logical connection between greed and capitalism, but I see greed as a personal sin, and I see capitalism as a social mechanism enabling a market economy, not as something inherently sinful.

John Paul II's encyclical Centesimus Annus defends the market economy as the source of wealth and well-being for people. While the encyclical avoids the use of the word 'capitalism' because it has become so politicized, it quite explicitly states that the creation of wealth is not for personal indulgence, but to do God's work. Creating wealth is no sin; being unduly attached to one's wealth is a sin.

The greatest instances of moral deviance in our society today are sins of concupiscence, not greed--sexual promiscuity, contraception, abortion, and homosexuality. The greatest power permitting these immoralities in our society is our government, by means of human rights commissions, judicial decision-making, and school curricula. Corporations are primarily reactive, not initiating. It was Morgentaler and the Supreme Court that promoted abortion, not. General Motors. It makes a lot more sense to attack unaccountable, undemocratic governments, like our own here in Canada, than corporations.

I am particulary sensitive to anyone blaming capitalism for the world's ills because so often that is a signal to me that the writer to some extent has bought into a Marxist vision of the world. That often leads to the contaminated package of dissent--individualism, feminism, and sexual freedoms demanding abortion and homosexual "rights".

I agree with him that "Christianity Forms society or, to a greater or lesser extent, withdraws from it", but maybe not for the same reasons. Society is an expression of culture, and the 'cult' in culture is the set of religious values that shape that culture. In our case, it is Christianity.

I altogether agree with him when he says, in capital letters, 'CHOOSE YOUR SIDE.' Until our Catholic hierarchy puts that question to every Catholic, the Church will continue to become less and less relevant to Canadian Catholics as their uncorrected drift into secular agnosticism continues.

Orangeville, ON