Capitalism and Christianity
At some point in my life, I would like to study this more in depth, but alas, I know little about the bible. I only have one class by Jay Holstein under my belt. And who knows what to trust with a post-modern interpreter like Holstein?
But I will say this...I do not understand how true Christians can support capitalism. Or at least free market economics. I have heard many Republicans say things like "America is a country based off of Christian ideals" --listen, I understand that to Christians every man was created equal, but I'm just not sure how far the Christian influence extends beyond that. I know our founders were Christian, but if Fred Phelps is right about one thing, it might be that the U.S.A. is not a Christian state (God, please don't let Fred Phelps be right about anything else).
Ok, I can see it coming from a mile away. "What?! Are you saying Jesus was a Communist? Communists are a Godless people. They are a violent people. They hate individual rights. Jesus wasn't like that at all!"
You may cite two pieces of evidence.
#1 - Marx called religion the 'opiate of the masses', and pretty much wanted to abolish religion, because it took away power from the state.
#2 - Luke 20:25 "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." --Jesus Christ
First I shall address these criticisms, and then I will show you my positive evidence for my case.
#1 - Ok, so Marx hated religion. And so does Castro. But people are so quick to make a giant logical leap from communism to capitalism. Alright, obviously Jesus wouldn't like throwing away religion. But does this really mean he would throw the baby out with the bathwater and reject communism? I mean, communist theory has been revised quite a bit...but it is still communism. Or, maybe its called socialism. But the point is, to me it seems like Jesus would love some kind of reformed communist state in which the government ensured citizens weren't starving, homeless, or jobless. Don't call it communism, but don't tell me that its libertarian, laissez-faire capitalism.
#2 - Read the context! Jesus can be interpreted here as either a) Keeping good with the Romans (he is talking to spies), or b) Giving the lesson that even Christians need to pay taxes and follow laws according to their political leaders. Alright, so Jesus would not like the idea of a revolution against the government. Obviously! He hates violence. He promotes love above all, 'love thy enemies'. Sidepoint--Marx was not for armed rebellion. He theorized that communism would gradually take over as a natural result from capitalism's flaws....oh wait...social security...medicare...public utilities...FEMA...Oh my God, Marx was right? Its hard to believe how brilliant Marx was, considering how much hatred people have for him. Maybe they saw Rocky IV too many times? Read the Communist Manifesto if you don't believe me. Everything Marx predicted has begun to come true, though not at the pace he predicted.
The only thing Marx got wrong (that I can think of now, it having been a couple years since I read the Manifesto) was his failure to predict labor unions.
So, I have shown two objections to be mostly unfounded. What is my evidence for Jesus as communist?
Book of Acts
32 Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. 33With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. 35They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means "son of encouragement"). 37He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Have you ever read any stronger red propaganda than this paragraph in your life? The U.S.S.R must have something to do with this!
Ok, so maybe a system like the one above wouldn't work. I don't know...maybe it would. I am a socialist, so I think a system sort of like this would work. I have an idea in my head. But I am not saying this system would work. I am saying that if you truly are a Christian, than shouldn't this begin to shape your political views on the economy? Can you really be more than a Fairweather Christian if you vote Republican? I am not sure...I guess socially the republicans are closer in line with Christian ideals, so its sort of a toss up. But my point is that I don't understand Christians. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Christianity or Christians. But I don't know why so many people call themselves Christians, but only believe the parts of the bible that fit in with how they want to live. What makes people be able to pick and choose what holy scripture is really holy?
I just don't understand how we can be 85% Christian in the U.S., with all these greedy filthy rich business people running around trying to figure out how they can get more money, when things like "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:25) are in the bible.
I know its easy to rip a religion apart when you are agnostic, but feel free to respond and terrorize my cloudy reasoning process.
Labels: capitalism, Christ, Christian, communism, Jesus, luke, Marx, philosophy
posted by Preston @ 6:15:00 PM
2 Comments:
I think you're pretty much on the money (no pun intended). Look at the televangelists - decked out in their expensive suits and watches. Of all the money coming into their "churches," I'm sure that little of that actually goes to people who need help. Rich Christians seem to forget that the man they worship as the "Son of God" was actually a poor man - born in a stable, raised by a poor carpenter, and then he lived off the charity of others while preaching. And he shared what little he had with the needy. I always love refuting rich Christians with Dante. Dante devised the best tortures for sinners (although he suffered a little from pride, methinks): Gluttons were confined to the Third Circle of Hell (hands trapped in muck, buffeted by cold snow, and hail, etc.), the Miserly were at the beginning of the Fourth Circle (rolling weights symbolic of their wealth to fight against the Prodigal), Usurers are confined in the third round of the Seventh Circle (burning sand), the Simonists (those who purchase/sell ecclesiastical offices) are buried upside-down in the third bolgia of the Eighth Circle, with their feet set on fire, the Grafters hide in boiling pitch/are eaten alive by devils in the fifth bolgia, Hypocrites are in the sixth bolgia, weighed down by leaden cloaks, and Theives are repeatedly bitten by snakes in the seventh bolgia.
Ain't literature fun?
Hello Preston,
You wrote, "I know our founders were Christian." Some claimed to be Christian. Many were deist, not even claiming to be Christians. Jefferson and Franklin were deists. Washington is a little blurry on the subject but was not Christian. Thomas Paine was perhaps the most outspoken deist among them. The list goes on, but those are the most famous names.
I write that as almost an aside, because it is the subject of Jesus being a communist that brought me to your post.
So you further wrote, "What?! Are you saying Jesus was a Communist? Communists are a Godless people. They are a violent people. They hate individual rights. Jesus wasn't like that at all!" I know that this is the argument you are working to refute in your post. However, the thing here is that you are using the term communism exclusively as the connotation given by Marx and his followers and capitalist detractors. However, communism predates Marx and capitalism by eternity. Real communism is not the Communist Party or Marxism.
The spectrum upon which Jesus rests contains zero coercion. The spectrum upon which Marxism and laissez-faire capitalism rest, however, is loaded with coercion. Even the anarcho-capitalists allow for violence in the end to protect their right to form their contracts. Jesus doesn't do that. He said that God and he judge no man. That's been overlooked down through the ages by those who do not want to be confronted by the fullest sense of Jesus's revelation.
The government, the state, under Jesus is righteousness operates in the heart fulltime and always. It has nothing to do with the coercive state of Democrats or Republicans, etc.
As for rendering to Caesar, the point is that God did not invent money (unrighteous mammon). Money comes out from evil. It is a device devised by the selfish. There is no money in Jesus's kingdom. There are no taxes. The children of God are free of taxes in the real Heaven, the New Heaven that will conflate with the Earth as the New Earth. A new spirit will dawn.
You also wrote "Sidepoint--Marx was not for armed rebellion." I understand that you've read some Marx; however, Marx was definitely for civil war. He was for the workers rising up in violence to overthrow the capitalists in the end. What he was against was workers being co-opted into fighting international wars on behalf of the ruling class.
His thinking continued to evolve (or devolve depending upon one's position) after he wrote the Manifesto. In London, he concluded that the social reforms of the capitalist system that he had earlier advocated in the Manifesto were petty bourgeois notions and akin to labor standing still spinning its wheels in the mud. The system had to rather run its course. Capitalism had to be killed off, not crash of its own top-heaviness as the truth describes in The Bible.
You are completely correct though that Jesus is a communist. He was not, however, even remotely Marxist.
I like your questioning mind. It shows that you are open to receiving. Jesus said, ask, seek, and knock. This is in line with what you have been doing.
You wrote, "I guess socially the republicans are closer in line with Christian ideals." Well, here again, how are you defining the term social? In my book, they are not in line with Jesus socially. Jesus doesn't divorce the social from the political from the economic from Heaven.... Jesus's worldview is consistent through-and-through. If one is opposed to Jesus's give-and-share-all economics, how can one be for Jesus's social views? It isn't possible. The Republicans are hypocrites, as are the Democrats.
Preston, why be agnostic when God is righteousness? The spirit of love, the emotion of real love, comes from where? What is manifest?
As for Melissa's comment, she will be better off realizing that the televangelists rich in mammon know full well that they aren't Christians. They know they are hucksters. They know they don't worship the "Son of God."
Please visit my site and read, Jesus is a communist. Leave a comment there. I'd like to see you convert from agnosticism to real Christianity.
God bless,
Tom Usher
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