Why is Western Europe atheist?
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Jane_the_Bane
Gaia's godchild
- Feb 11, 2004
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Christians were communists before Marx ever came up with the term, true.
They did not stay so for long, and the dominant mainstream even started to persecute and kill those who'd challenge the societal status quo by claiming that you could not be simultaneously rich and a good Christian (at least not as long as there were poor people in need of help). Even the Fanciscans barely escaped such a grim fate by being assimilated into the church and abandoning a vast portion of their foundational ethics.
What baffles me about criticism aimed at communitarian lifestyles is that proponents of radical individualism tend to smear it as "shirking responsibility". I'd say the exact OPPOSITE is the case. Solidarity entails MORE individual responsibility - even if the burden carried by each individual diminishes when it is shared between more people.
You not only acknowledge your social responsibility towards those less fortunate than you, but you also recognize that your own conduct has a direct impact on the prosperity and happiness of all others involved. If I neglect my duties, or act irresponsibly, that has a negative effect on EVERYONE, myself included.
They did not stay so for long, and the dominant mainstream even started to persecute and kill those who'd challenge the societal status quo by claiming that you could not be simultaneously rich and a good Christian (at least not as long as there were poor people in need of help). Even the Fanciscans barely escaped such a grim fate by being assimilated into the church and abandoning a vast portion of their foundational ethics.
What baffles me about criticism aimed at communitarian lifestyles is that proponents of radical individualism tend to smear it as "shirking responsibility". I'd say the exact OPPOSITE is the case. Solidarity entails MORE individual responsibility - even if the burden carried by each individual diminishes when it is shared between more people.
You not only acknowledge your social responsibility towards those less fortunate than you, but you also recognize that your own conduct has a direct impact on the prosperity and happiness of all others involved. If I neglect my duties, or act irresponsibly, that has a negative effect on EVERYONE, myself included.
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