Leahey.org » catholic http://www.leahey.org Skepticism and productivity. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:40:17 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Papal Logical Fallacy http://www.leahey.org/2008/10/09/papal-logical-fallacy/ http://www.leahey.org/2008/10/09/papal-logical-fallacy/#comments Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:17:08 +0000 andrew http://www.leahey.org/?p=589
You may have read recent headlines quoting Pope Benedict giving his professional opinion on the current state of the worlds economies. 
 
Just thought I’d really quickly run down the logical fallacy his Holiness has committed.
 
First, his quote.
”We are now seeing, in the collapse of major banks, that money vanishes, it is nothing. All these things that appear to be real are in fact secondary. Only God’s words are a solid reality”.
His entire premise, as I understand it, is built on a false dichotomy. That is to say, what has been going on isn’t working, therefore my solution is the only viable alternative.  This is similar to the “alternative” healer who, instead of defending his medical modality, points out the less-than 100% success rate of traditional medicine. 
Its possible the worlds economy is built on sand, and perhaps it cannot last, but this in itself does not speak one breath of support for “God’s words”.
Furthermore, religions are a luxury of a civilization with leisure time to spend on them and funds to donate to their support. Benedict’s religion is kept afloat by donations. Donations syphoned from the pool of funds he is chastising as being built on sand.
From a strictly factual stance, he continues to be incorrect. He quotes ”We are now seeing, in the collapse of major banks, that money vanishes, it is nothing.” Which shows a lack of any real knowledge of the financial system, or the current crisis.      

Ironically enough, he is the nephew of Georg Ratzinger, a politician and economist of some note who shared his opinions. Wikipedia quotes:

“[Ratzinger] maintains the ethical principles of Christianity as the only sure basis of political economy and opposes the materialistic system of what is called the “classical political economy” of Adam Smith.”
I am continually astounded at the willingness of religious leaders to step in to arenas outside of their scope and use serious situations for, what amounts to, political purposes.
]]> http://www.leahey.org/2008/10/09/papal-logical-fallacy/feed/ 1