Originally posted by KellyJayYou need to stop listening to the rubbish being taught in many churches and read and follow the words of Christ. Do you understand what CHrist said here :
It isn't that being rich is evil, but living for it, making it the goal in your life.
You can be tested with riches or getting a lot, it is harder staying focused with
a lot than with losing all you have or having nothing. No one is made evil or
good by the amount of money or wealth they have or lack. Where ever your
heart is, that will be what drives you.
Kelly
Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
If the man were to sell what he has and give it to the poor then he will also become poor. If then the man follows the commandments of Christ he will have treasure in heaven.
It should be obvious that the poor has a distinct advantage over the rich. Christ says that very clearly :
Mark 10:23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
You are so far removed from the teachings of Christ its not funny.
Originally posted by SuzianneSo why do you think that so many Christians are OK with capitalism? It seems to me that because we live in a capitalist country, they filter their perception of Jesus through that capitalist lense. They are forcing their conception of Jesus to conform to their particular expectations.
This^
/agree
"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." -- 1 Timothy 6:10
2 edits
Originally posted by rwingettI don't agree that capitalism is compatible with the Bible, but neither do I agree that communism is necessarily endorsed by it. Have you ever considered the Bible's condemnation of the rich as an expression of the fundamental opposition of God's Kingdom to the money-based kingdom of men? In which case, communism and capitalism would be rejected equally, since both relegate power to money.
The bible is filled with passages against the rich. It's one of the most frequently recurring topics. It's amazing, though, how so many Christians will simply ignore that and pretend that capitalism is somehow compatible with Christianity.
1 edit
Originally posted by epiphinehasHe does not know the difference between socialism and communism, its hardly likely that he will know what capitalism is either and even less likely what is compatible with scripture and what is not.
I don't agree that capitalism is compatible with the Bible, but neither do I agree that communism is necessarily endorsed by it. Have you ever considered the Bible's condemnation of the rich as an expression of the fundamental opposition of God's Kingdom to the money-based kingdom of men? In which case, communism and capitalism would be rejected equally, since both relegate power to money.
1 edit
-Removed-A society with people "having all things in common" is a practical reality. It already exists for the Hutterites. They have 483 colonies, with nearly 50,000 people, where they hold all things in common. It's not a "fairy-tail dream-world", but, rather, is a living reality. In my opinion, they are following in the footsteps of Jesus a lot more closely than you are. Your concern for the "real world" amounts to nothing more than your willingness to accommodate injustice and inequality and thereby help perpetuate them indefinitely. In order for the Kingdom to come, you have to quit accommodating the "real world." When you do that; when you quit helping to perpetuate inequality and injustice; when you build a just world, then you will look up and see that the Kingdom is all around you.
But you continue with business as usual as you wait for Jesus to come back and do all the work for you. Well I say that he is waiting for you to quit accommodating the real world and do something on your own. If you build a more just world, free from injustice and inequality, then the spirit of Jesus will flow into that world and it will have his blessing. The "second coming", Divegeester, will be a spiritual one, not a physical one. And all you have to do to actualize it is to quit accommodating the "real world." When you do that, then you will look up and see that the Kingdom is all around you.
Originally posted by epiphinehasI think you've just been conditioned to hate the word "communism". Or to view it as being necessarily equivalent to Soviet despotism. That's fine. Choose whatever word you like for a society where people hold all goods in common.
I don't agree that capitalism is compatible with the Bible, but neither do I agree that communism is necessarily endorsed by it. Have you ever considered the Bible's condemnation of the rich as an expression of the fundamental opposition of God's Kingdom to the money-based kingdom of men? In which case, communism and capitalism would be rejected equally, since both relegate power to money.
Originally posted by robbie carrobieI know fully well the meanings of socialism and communism. And I remain supremely uninterested in listening to you pontificate on their differences.
He does not know the difference between socialism and communism, its hardly likely that he will know what capitalism is either and even less likely what is compatible with scripture and what is not.
-Removed-...She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy...
There are 2,200,000,000 Christians in the world. If they all followed this passage in Proverbs and helped the poor and needy as commanded by Christ, who they hypocritically claim to follow and worship, poverty might be eradicated.
-Removed-proverbs 31 does not endorse capitalism. It was written in the age of agrarian based economics, which is similar to the fuedal Lords and serfs of Europe pre-capitalism. The economic system was dependant upon amassing huge stores of food, which would then support not only oneself, but ones slaves, workers and their families etc... That is a far cry from what we know today.
Originally posted by DowardI'm sure he's aware of that. For convenience we are using the term 'capitalism' to mean any system of private ownership. And I have been using the term 'socialism' to denote any system of communal ownership. Although neither term is necessarily applicable to antiquity, they make for convenient stand-ins.
proverbs 31 does not endorse capitalism. It was written in the age of agrarian based economics, which is similar to the fuedal Lords and serfs of Europe pre-capitalism. The economic system was dependant upon amassing huge stores of food, which would then support not only oneself, but ones slaves, workers and their families etc... That is a far cry from what we know today.