Dear Mr. Reno, editor of First Things

I don't know about the progressive because I'm a conservative, former liberal, humanist and Democrat. But I do know how disappointed I was in the December issue, "Crisis of our Time." If I could have found your e-mail, I would have said,

"What are you thinking? Capitalism is more dangerous than powers of government and you're leaning to Francis' view?"

Really? Name any global capitalist cabal that has murdered 100 million of its customers as the USSR and China did in the 20th century! What about the kings, monarchs, tsars, caliphates, Imans, and tribal leaders of past eras? Who do you think was at the foundation of 18th c slavery if not the petty tribal and Islamic leaders of that era who sold souls to slavers? Do you think capitalists have killed more of their citizens than they did? Only mosquitoes have killed more people than governments. /And statist governments are the worst.

Indirectly I suppose you could say the abortion industry is capitalism, but in the United States it is the plank of the Democrat Party, and it has destroyed millions of lives and caused American families to decay at the roots.

I've eagerly read your columns with each issue; now I could cry. I'm a Lutheran so technically have no skin in your game, but I do know the Roman Catholic church is the greatest defender of social and political rights in the world, the only entity strong enough to stand up to powerful government interests, especially Marxists. Once you weaken that with this drivel that Francis is promoting, the 40,000 Protestant groups and denominations might as well fold their tents and let the culture die.