As i began to read Marx and Engels, it reminded me of the biblical messages i grew up with
By then, I had spent several years realizing that things were not right in our society. And now I saw there were other ways to organize an economy that reward people for their work and enable them to sustain themselves. Capitalism was doing that for some, but it was leaving a whole bunch of other people to suffer and die. And I learned that these class issues could not be divorced from race and gender
There is nothing in the Bible that suggest anything close to Marx and Engels, or any other socialist view.
In fact Capitalism is all throughout the Bible. I could give you dozens on dozens of examples, but here's one to start with, for men trying to find a wife.
Proverbs 31, describes the Christian wife of noble character.
A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value. She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants. She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong. She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for they are all clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known at the city gate, where he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants. Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well: “Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!”
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.
So what can we learn from this in relation to the topic? In verse 13, it says she carefully selects flax and wool, and works them with her hands, and is like a merchant ships bringing food from afar.
What does that mean? Capitalism. Making a profit. She's buying goods, and selling them.
If you even try and question then, then look at 24 where it says she makes garments, and sells them to the merchants. Capitalism. Owning the means of production.
Then you look at property rights in verse 16, where she buys a field, and plants a vineyard. Again, property rights, and capitalism.
And this is qualities of a woman the Bible says a man should look for. What does that tell you about the Biblical view of capitalism?
We know all women work hard, and that is in the Jewish book, not the Christian book. We are to follow Jesus and not Paul.
So you are saying that Paul, a man who died for his faith in Jesus, and wrote the majority of the NT, is not to be follow? G-d had Paul write most of his book. We are following the Bible. And Jesus never wrote a book. Everything you know about Jesus, was written by other people.
Do you follow Luke? Or Mark? Or John? You either believe the whole Bible, or none of it. If you don't follow Paul, then you don't follow Jesus either, because Jesus sent Paul to write his book for us.
You don't get to pick and choose what you part of the Bible you believe. It isn't a buffet, or a choose your own adventure book.
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You don't get to pick and choose what you part of the Bible you believe. It isn't a buffet, or a choose your own adventure book.
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they had you in mind when they wrote it -
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Christianity in the 4th century was dominated in its early stage by Constantine the great and the First Council of Nicaea of 325, which was the beginning of the period of the First seven Ecumenical Councils (325–787), and in its late stage by the Edict of Thessalonica of 380, which made Nicene Christianity the state church of the Roman Empire.
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they spent a 100 years, 4oo years after the events of the 1st century to write and complete the christian bible - "the religion of the roman empire" -
it is you who has no idea who wrote that book or ... the 1st century religious itinerant, the book is supposedly based on. and is a political document disguised as a religion. for the mentally and emotionally - - > depraved. andylooser.
Sorry, but your opinion or the opinion of someone else doesn't trump Scripture. God is fully able to keep his Word intact through the centuries and He did. The Holy Spirit works through God's chosen. Too bad for you and others who attempt to destroy God's Word.
How has he kept his word intact??
There are millions and millions of Bibles all over the planet and millions and millions of people who believe it is God's Word.
Its not the word of God, God didn't tell many men to write the books and Jews wrote the OT and the NT.
Why are there two stories in Genesis about the beginning of time? Did god change his mind?
Jesus was a socialist whether you like it or not.
I love that. You can't find a single instance where Jesus said government should control the means of production and distribution. But somehow he's a socialists, and despite dozens of counter examples throughout the Bible, your only response is "Whether you like it or not"... as if that's an argument, or changes any of the facts we presented, or the fact you didn't present any evidence.
We're just supposed to take your word on "faith"..... How ironic that is for a socialist to be saying that.
Are you done here? Or do you want to just keep repeating the same false claims forever?
As people around the world celebrate Christmas, it is worth remembering that Jesus was a socialist. Of course, he was born long before the rise of industrial capitalism in the 19th century, but his radical ideas have influenced many critics of capitalism, including many prominent socialists and even Pope Francis.
Pope Francis has consistently criticized the human and spiritual damage caused by global capitalism, widening inequality, and corporate sweatshops. Last week, he blamed the “god of money” for the extremist violence that is taking place around the world. A ruthless global economy, he argued, leads marginalized people to violence.
In 2013, he released a remarkable 84-page document in which he attacked
unfettered capitalism as “a new tyranny,” criticized the “idolatry of money,” and urged politicians to guarantee all citizens “dignified work, education and healthcare.”
Jesus Was A Socialist | HuffPost
Unfettered capitalism and greed at the top. We have rich socialism, why not the working man and poor socialism.
You are wrong. Jesus was not a socialist at all.
"rise of industrial capitalism in the 19th century" Capitalism always existed.
Matthew 25, starting in verse 14:
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[
a] and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents,[
b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.[
c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The story of the Minas, spoken by Jesus himself, is a direct affront to all things socialist and affirms Capitalism.
The employer gives some of his wealth to his servants to invest in whatever productivity they can. The servants are expected to work with what their employers gives them to produce a profit for the owner of the capital.
The first two work do well, and work hard to gain a return on the investment. The third one sounds much like the socialists and left-wing people we have in America today.... claiming that the employer, the capitalist, was a "hard man" who harvested where he did not plant, and gathered where he spread no seed.
Jesus said such people were "wicked and slothful", just as they are today. Sitting around complaining they shouldn't have to pay for health care, and demanding ever greater government benefits.
To each of the people who produced a profit for their work, more wealth was given to them. To the wicked and lazy person, what little they had was taken from them.
This is completely the opposite of Socialist ideology, where the poor are given more, the more poor and lazy they are. Where people say that if we cut welfare, the poor children will just starve to death on the streets.
In short, Jesus was the first proponent of Capitalism, before Capitalism existed as a word.
Lastly, Jesus spoke of such people "And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’"
As will all socialists and left-wingers when the time comes.