Can a Christian be a Communist?

Albion · Sep 10, 2020

Justin-H.S. said:
This is the version of Bible my old non-denominational pastor used before I became Orthodox.

Yikes. That explains a lot!

Danigt22 · Sep 10, 2020

Hermit76 said:
They're economy isn't planned

They dont show sings of market economy. All of the means of production belong to the people.

Orthodox_Christian · Sep 10, 2020

Justin-H.S. said:
This is the version of Bible my old non-denominational pastor used before I became Orthodox.

I was going to put it away and get another Bible. I haven't gotten around to it yet. I need to go online and buy an Orthodox Bible.

Orthodox_Christian · Sep 10, 2020

Albion said:
Okay. You have a "Bible" that presents itself as something that is not literal but supposedly, allegedly, conveys the "meaning" behind what the Bible says instead--according to the views of the writers of that particular book, that is.

It is not actually a version of the Bible, not translated from the original languages, and is something of an editorial rather than a translation.

I've seen a few other and similar products on bookstore shelves. One that I remember which was no doubt much more extreme was called "The Revolutionary's Bible" or something in that vein. It appeared some years ago when the "flower children" thrilled to anything that denigrated ordinary society and its values. And there are also so-called Bible translations for the environmentally conscious among us, etc.

I'm going to get an Orthodox Bible soon. Hopefully when I read over that same passage again, it might not say things about socialism.

Halbhh · Sep 10, 2020

imisswarmth said:
Please God free every soul to come to You.

Wonderfully, all the evils and wrongs of the world cannot keep God from anyone who seeks Him in the way He has said. Not one thing in this world can block God.

All Glory To God · Sep 10, 2020

No.

Communism advocates for the state or government to be the highest authority,Christianity says that God is the highest authority.

Total incompatibility.

Yeshua HaDerekh · Sep 10, 2020

Aussie Pete said:
The communist regime had a constitution. In the constitution there was freedom of religion. There were many underground Christian groups. I read "Tortured for Christ" by Richard Wurmbrand and Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn. I heard Andrew "God's Smuggler" preach in Sydney Australia. That does not make me an expert by any means, but I know a little of what went on in the USSR.

"After its initial stance of resistance to communist oppression, the Russian Orthodox Church as an institution ultimately survived communist rule through tense acquiescence, with its senior ranks deeply infiltrated by the security state, and opponents driven out. It was in this form that the Church emerged in the 1990s." From an article by Peter Welby, consultant on religion and global affairs.

Well I did not read anything, I saw it with my own eyes.

Halbhh · Sep 10, 2020

Danigt22 said:
They dont show sings of market economy. All of the means of production belong to the people.

Fortunately in the perfect world to come, all the wrongs of this world will be gone, and none will be going hungry, unloved, or any other such. The original desire/urge/hope for a true community-ism, brotherhood/sisterhood of all, will actually be realized fully.

Christ is the Way there.

The only way there, even.

Danigt22 · Sep 10, 2020

Halbhh said:
Fortunately in the perfect world to come, all the wrongs of this world will be gone, and none will be going hungry, unloved, or any other such. The original desire/urge/hope for a true community-ism, brotherhood/sisterhood of all, will actually be realized fully.

Christ is the Way there.

The only way there, even.

I agree, most of the economic politics are ways to tackle the scarcities problem we have. I believe that a mix economy, capitlist with moderate regulations that bring equal oportunities is the goal. Such as tax payed Colleges and a universal healthcare that dont exceed 20% gpd expenses combine.

Lukaris · Sep 10, 2020

Orthodox_Christian said:
I'm going to get an Orthodox Bible soon. Hopefully when I read over that same passage again, it might not say things about socialism.

If money is tight, I would recommend a KJV as a primer & you can find one for $1 at Dollar Tree: King James Bibles - Dollar Tree, Inc.

I am not a paid spokesman for this store either. Seriously though, the KJV is a safe bet. Marxists would never want God’s word to be so affordable.

Hermit76 · Sep 10, 2020

Danigt22 said:
They dont show sings of market economy. All of the means of production belong to the people.

Could you explain this? They don't collectively own anything. Many of them work jobs for others.

Danigt22 · Sep 10, 2020

Hermit76 said:
Could you explain this? They don't collectively own anything. Many of them work jobs for others.

Personal property and private property are not the same. The means of production are directly own by the workers.

Justin-H.S. · Sep 10, 2020

Orthodox_Christian said:
I was going to put it away and get another Bible. I haven't gotten around to it yet. I need to go online and buy an Orthodox Bible.

The OSB app is free iirc, but you can get most of it sans icons for the full version for $9.99. That’s what I did at first.

Halbhh · Sep 10, 2020

Danigt22 said:
I agree, most of the economic politics are ways to tackle the scarcities problem we have. I believe that a mix economy, capitlist with moderate regulations that bring equal oportunities is the goal. Such as tax payed Colleges and a universal healthcare that dont exceed 20% gpd expenses combine.

I'd recommend to read Henry George for the best solution on how to create tax fairness, to pay for public goods, in the best type of economy.

AMM · Sep 10, 2020

Hermit76 said:
The Amish aren't socialists at all. They help one another but they don't "share" anything. Everything is privately owned and personal wealth is kept. There's no compulsion to do anything with wealth. You can look at the Bruderhof and Hutterites as socialist type Anabaptists. However, I wouldn't even call them socialists because they're based on separation from the world due to religious convictions.

One of my religion classes I took in college had a few Bruderhof guests visit from one of their Pennsylvania communities. It was really interesting learning about their lifestyle. I was part of a group that did a presentation on them, their history and beliefs.

AMM · Sep 10, 2020

"For socialism is not merely the labour question, it is before all things the atheistic question, the question of the form taken by atheism to-day, the question of the tower of Babel built without God, not to mount to heaven from earth but to set up heaven on earth."

-Fyodor Dostoevsky, in The Brothers Karamazov

Aussie Pete · Sep 11, 2020

Yeshua HaDerekh said:
Well I did not read anything, I saw it with my own eyes.

Did you live in the USSR?

Yeshua HaDerekh · Sep 11, 2020

Aussie Pete said:
Did you live in the USSR?

No but relatives did. I visited them with my parents when I was young.

rusmeister · Sep 11, 2020

Aussie Pete said:
Did you live in the USSR?

I did, and do. What questions do you have for me?

rusmeister · Sep 11, 2020

Danigt22 said:
Personal property and private property are not the same. The means of production are directly own by the workers.

I'm guessing you are young enough to think that since that's the claimed theory, it must also be the practice.
Alas! Man is fallen and full of sin. The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.
In reality, no, the workers do not actually own - and more importantly control - the means of production. Discover Hilaire Belloc. What you want, but cannot impose, is distributism, not communism.

Can a Christian be a Communist?

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