Can a Christian be a communist?

[Outspoken]

To get back on topic here...communism is a great system, too bad it involves humans and thus will always fail. Capitalism is a better system because it allows for less opression.

 

[ReUsAbLePhEoNiX]

Im surprised noones mentioned the verses in Acts about all the Christians sharing all their possessions & property with one another as equals, including the poor....sounds like Communism to me.

 

[Lifesaver]

No, it is impossible for a Christian to be communist. Communism preaches:
-public ownership of all property
-absolute equality of income
-destruction of all religious symbols and buildings

Furthermore, it is based on the following beliefs:
-to be payed a salary is to be exploited
-class struggle is something inherent to society
-All religions are false
-morality is a tool of the empowered class to opress the masses
-the thoughts of men at a given point of time is determined by the mode of production of the time in question

All of the points raised cannot be reconciled with Christianity.

 

[Lifesaver]

Im surprised noones mentioned the verses in Acts about all the Christians sharing all their possessions & property with one another as equals, including the poor....sounds like Communism to me.

It had nothing to do with communism.
First, they sold their property for money (already something which would not exist in communism).
Second, they only traded their goods, not their means of production. And to every communist, even more important than abolishing private property of goods it is to abolish property of the means of production (land, factory, tools, etc).
What's more, they kept the money they got, and used it to satisfy the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem, a small group in a largely non-Christian society.

Once Christianity became more popular, this way of life was left behind.

Up to this day, it is completely possible for religious communities to organize themselves in such a way that no-one owns something that the others do not.
But to organize a whole society, that is completely unChristian.

 

[SolomonVII]

It had nothing to do with communism.
First, they sold their property for money (already something which would not exist in communism).
Second, they only traded their goods, not their means of production. And to every communist, even more important than abolishing private property of goods it is to abolish property of the means of production (land, factory, tools, etc).
What's more, they kept the money they got, and used it to satisfy the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem, a small group in a largely non-Christian society.

Once Christianity became more popular, this way of life was left behind.

Up to this day, it is completely possible for religious communities to organize themselves in such a way that no-one owns something that the others do not.
But to organize a whole society, that is completely unChristian.

I agree with this. Voluntary sharing of one's property on a small intimate scale demonstrates the Christian values of charity and caring for your neighbour.
On the other hand, abolishing private property arbitrarily with large-scale redistribution of wealth by an impersonal state does not promote the opening of the heart which is at the core of Christianity.

Communism has always been indiffeerent to the individual in hte interests of the state. For Christianity, charity begins with the individual and spread outwards into the society from there.

 

[Project2501]

To get back on topic here...communism is a great system, too bad it involves humans and thus will always fail. Capitalism is a better system because it allows for less opression.

John Maynard Smith said something along these lines "Communism: Great idea, wrong species"

 

[Project2501]

No, it is impossible for a Christian to be communist. Communism preaches:
-public ownership of all property
-absolute equality of income
-destruction of all religious symbols and buildings

Furthermore, it is based on the following beliefs:
-to be payed a salary is to be exploited
-class struggle is something inherent to society
-All religions are false
-morality is a tool of the empowered class to opress the masses
-the thoughts of men at a given point of time is determined by the mode of production of the time in question

All of the points raised cannot be reconciled with Christianity.

your perception of communism is grossly inaccurate. This is how "communist" systems have been run, but most of those points are not at the core of communism itself. It is like saying "people's republics" don't work, because North Korea is called the "Peoples Republic of North Korea"

 

[Ryal Kane]

your perception of communism is grossly inaccurate. This is how "communist" systems have been run, but most of those points are not at the core of communism itself. It is like saying "people's republics" don't work, because North Korea is called the "Peoples Republic of North Korea"

Any nation that has 'democratic' or 'people's in it's name is probably not a democracy for the people.
Actual freedom is inversly proportional to the number of times you are reminded how free you are by the government.

Ryal Kane

 

[ReUsAbLePhEoNiX]

hello was jesus a capitalist or socialist? think about it.
even the free gift of salvation for all those who dont deserve it, smacks of socialism

 

[Buzz Dixon]

hello was jesus a capitalist or socialist? think about it.
even the free gift of salvation for all those who dont deserve it, smacks of socialism

No, it's capitalism because God gave something He owned and controled freely to anyone who wanted it; it was not taken from Him at the insistance of others. He was, in fact, exercising His free will to dispose of His "property" as He saw fit.

 

[CaDan]

No, it's capitalism because God gave something He owned and controled freely to anyone who wanted it; it was not taken from Him at the insistance of others. He was, in fact, exercising His free will to dispose of His "property" as He saw fit.

But was the labor and capital separated?

 

[repentandbelieve]

Why or why not?

Communism is an intergral part of our way of life (whether you realize it or not-and I'll makes posts on that later). Post your thoughts on why or why not a Christian can be a communist.

Christianity doesn't use any particular political agenda to deliver it's message, nor can it do so. It is meant for all people of all times.

 

[Lifesaver]

your perception of communism is grossly inaccurate. This is how "communist" systems have been run, but most of those points are not at the core of communism itself.

Project, out of all my list, only these three represent communist policies:
-public ownership of all property
-absolute equality of income
-destruction of all religious symbols and buildings

Indeed, this is how communist nations have been run, and this is how all communists want them to be run.

If you have doubts as to whether or not the notions inherent to communism are like those that I listed or not, go read Marx you'll see I tell you the truth.

 

[Buzz Dixon]

But was the labor and capital separated?

Ever hear of sweat equity?

 

[SolomonVII]

Project, out of all my list, only these three represent communist policies:
-public ownership of all property

There is a difference between a state holding ownership of all property, and pooling the resources of a small group of imtimately related people into a common purse., as was the case for Jesus and his disciples.

-absolute equality of income

One of the parables that Jesus left with us about the workers getting paid the same whether they worked all day, or just an hour, seems to suggest the socialist economy. However, another parable in which workers are admonished for not maximizing the profits of the money that they had been entrusted with follow the model of capitalism much more closely.

-destruction of all religious symbols and buildings

Pictures of beautiful Orthodox churches functioning as granaries in Soviet Russia graphically demonstrate the extent of communist's the loathing of Christianity and religion in general.


The exact economic model to be followed has never really been a theme of the Bible in general. However, injustice and not taking care of the needy and the poor in society have always been spoken out against by the prophets.