The Popes and Democracy - Part IV. The Master Plan of the Devil 42. The Family Tree of Modern Errors

We have seen the development of modern errors. The fact that the evolution of modern society over the last four centuries is seldom seen as the work of the Devil, must indeed be very pleasing to him. If we are blind to his cunning, how could we avoid being mere pawns on the chessboard of his fight against God? Here, now, for the convenience of the reader, is what could be called "The family tree of modern errors". It has not the ambition of being exhaustive, but rather of showing at a glance the rational development of the chief modern errors, with a short definition of their tenets and what they involve. First read the table across, and then down. With a little attention, the reader cannot fail to see the development from one error to the next.

Philosophy (Either as a formulated doctrine, or as a general outlook.)	Economics	Politics	Education
Rationalism (Man is reasonable. Human reason counts more than Divine Revelation.)	No immediate consequence in Economics, Politics, and Education, because Rationalism, which is purely a philosophical option, has not yet produced its fruits.
Positivism (Human reason alone is to be trusted, and especially what can be experienced through the 5 senses.)	Liberalism (Being reasonable, man must be free from all authority and restraint.)	Liberalism (In Politics, Liberalism gives birth to Democracy.)	Liberalism (In Education, Liberalism gives birth to Secular schools.)
Human Messianism (It is usually called "Humanism", but this term has been avoided in this booklet because it has at least 3 different meanings. Human Messianism hold that man alone, through the exercise of his reason, can work out his happiness on earth.	Capitalism (Happiness can best be achieved through the free use of money and credit.)	Liberal Democracy (Being free and reasonable, every man must have a share in government. He will have that share through Universal Suffrage.)	Secular Education (Being free and reasonable, the children of men must be able to "think for themselves" and not be subjected to a religious "bias". Accordingly, schools are secularised, i.e. taken from the Church. But religious instruction is not yet wholly suppressed.)
Human Messianism evolves more and more toward Materialism (earthly happiness through the use of reason applied to material goods).	Bureaucratic Plutocracy (But the free use of money enables some groups to become very powerful. They soon control the State itself; and the State becomes bureaucratic, or, rather, plutocrats use bureaucracy in the name of the State in order to better organise the use of money and credit for their own benefit. In short, Capitalism takes over the State.)	Pluto-Bureaucratic Democracy (Being now controlled by Finance (Plutocrats) and by party committees; people are no longer really free, although the deceptive appearances of freedom are retained (Pius XII). It is the economic subjection of the masses - (Pius XII again). This is the so-called "Free World" of today, and the first form of Sociocracy.) (Sociocracy is that form of human organisation wherein society counts more than individuals.)	Secularist Education (as above, but teaching is becoming increasingly positivist in outlook. This distinction between Secular and Secularist education is justified by facts, and has been acknowledged by the Bishops of America in their 1961 Annual Statement: "At first" we read, "there was no intention of excluding religion, but the rising measure of secularism has produced the school without religion.")
Materialism (The happiness of man on earth is to be found only in material goods.)	Socialism (Aware of the evil nature of Capitalism, which they wrongly equate with private ownership, Socialists want to break the power groups of the plutocrats, and organise the use of money on behalf of the people. Thus, Materialism, which was brought into our way of life by private Capitalism, is now set up as a doctrine by Socialism. It receives the official seal of the State. In short, the State takes over Capitalism.)	Socialism or Social Democracy (Since Economics always govern Politics in modern times, a guided economy necessarily involves a guided Democracy along socialistic lines. Socialism, in fact, virtually admits that man is not unselfish, therefore, not really reasonable. Socialism is really a reaction, but so radical a reaction that it takes us back to pre-Christian times. That man may be redeemed by grace does not occur to Socialists. Therefore, man must be controlled by law and regulations. This is the second form of Sociocracy.)	Laicist Education (We take a step further now. A materialistic philosophy is introduced into text-books. Secular education took the schools from the hands of the Church; Secularist education tried to suppress religious instruction; Laicist education now introduces anti-Christian ideas. A gradual and logical development. Note, however, that belief in a Supreme Being of some sort is not yet explicitly rejected, but the name of God is generally avoided.)
Technolatry (The Cult of Technology, -which was already evident in Bureaucratic Plutocracy and Socialism, is now raised on the altar of the State. It holds that only material welfare counts, and that it can be best achieved through a complete devotion to Science. Man comes to worship the work of his own hands.)	Communism (Since economics rests on Labour as well as on Money, Labour itself must now be organized. In other words, Socialism organises money, Communism organises labour as well. Man becomes a complete slave in order to manufacture - in theory, a greater number of goods.)	Communism (By virtue of the same law which made Liberal Democracy subject to money groups, and Social Democracy subject to State control, the economics of Communism deprive man of all civil rights in order to better use him as a working unit. Suffrage has now become a farce. This is the last form of Sociocracy.)	Atheistic Education (Dialectical Materialism is now the main subject of the curriculum; it impregnates all other subjects. Religion is "scientifically" exposed as a superstition, and the existence of God is explicitly denied. The cult of Science (Technolatry) is taking the place of God. Thus the work of the Devil is near completion.)