Our speaker March 12th outlined ten social precepts gleaned from the Catholic Church's documents on economic justice.  Below are the goals Ben listed:

1)     A just wage, which provides for the necessities of life, education for the children, savings for security in old age and hardship, and one which does not require that both parents be employed to supply for the family's needs;

2)     Unemployment benefits to provide for times of insecurity and hardship;

3)     Restraint in material consumption to enable us to assist the poor.  The Church also exhorts companies and the media to exercise restraint, and not to inflame desires for material goods and the multiplication of wants;

4)     Healthy and safe working conditions, appropriate to the physical capabilities and limitations of the laborers;

5)     The right to the organization of labor, trade unions, and collective bargaining;

6)     Time for rest and religious observance;

7)     Access to education which enables universal participation in market opportunities, and the realization of the full creative potential of each individual;

8)     Careful and sustainable use of the Earth's resources, allowing all people and generations the use of its bounty;

9)     Protection and care for those in other countries who produce the goods we consume, and international cooperation in ensuring universal recognition and protection of human rights;

10)     Non-exploitative and humane treatment of immigrant labor, without distinction in wages or working conditions.

Phew!