Christianity and Capitalism and Socialism

[Wootah]

https://www.acton.org/pub/religion-libe ... capitalism

https://www.acton.org/religion-liberty/ ... es-atheism

Basically the above to links are just plain good reading.

My view is that it is not talking donkeys that cause atheism but our greed and selfishness and as socialism spreads that causes atheism as people end up worshipping government and not God.

Any thoughts on the links? Any thoughts on Christianity being at the root of pretty any and every good thing in society?

[TRANSPONDER]

That's a heck of a loaded one, but it is a valid debating - point, if only people could discuss it without emotion, which is not likely.

I can only say that atheism was nothing to do with politics, for me. it was a science -question. It's like someone arguing whether belief in Flying saucers is politics. It makes no sense.

And yet it is true that atheism does tend to switch people almost overnight from Conservative to Liberal. The list of Ten Things He Does Not want You To Do becomes irrelevant and a 'sinful life' becomes a normal life without a load of religious prohibitions. Just consider how a Christian would feel about 'Haram'. A load of pointless prohibitions and for a Muslim to cal it sin is just a joke.

So here (Yurrup) the political element is not important, though it was during the cold war. And in the US, the cold war has become part of the US psyche. The red scare and McCarthyism, combined with some earlier stuff (Lost cause) became a religious -political cult in a way it just isn't here. So to introduce a political element, never mind cause to atheism seems ludicrous.

So I have to say, No, atheism isn't spread by some political group (though a liberal attitude towards socio-political issues does obtain). I have to suggest that the Religious side has become even more politicized than it was even during the Bush and Reagan years and certainly before when it was more like in Yurrup -people Did it because it was impolite to the Church not to, but after leaving Church on Sunday with a sigh of relief and a feeling of having taken out the trash, they got on with their normal lives.

But now, it has become a political cult, incorporating a lot of fundamentalist science denial and that is why (just as they accuse atheism of being faithbased and even a religion - (they say that about science, too) they imagine that atheism has a political basis.

[Athetotheist]

https://www.acton.org/pub/religion-libe ... capitalism

https://www.acton.org/religion-liberty/ ... es-atheism

Basically the above to links are just plain good reading.

My view is that it is not talking donkeys that cause atheism but our greed and selfishness and as socialism spreads that causes atheism as people end up worshipping government and not God.

Any thoughts on the links? Any thoughts on Christianity being at the root of pretty any and every good thing in society?

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. (Acts 4:32-35)

If Christians truly understood just how socialistic Christian theology is, there wouldn't be a single bootstrap capitalist in the whole bunch. Capitalism is the driving force behind every stripe of exploitation from slavery to the hoarding of patents on lifesaving medicines and has employed the "godless communist" trope to sour Christians on socialism, including Christian socialism.

[TRANSPONDER]

And yet we see that commerce and capital is often the support and fund of Religion. It is no secret that fossil fuel industries find the Science skepticism fo the religious right very handy in mobilising the vote against anyone who would undermine the profits from oil and coal.

And yet i don't doubt that they would be only too pleased to support the Left if they thought that would profit them, and we need only see how they have cowered and capitulated under anyone threatening bad publicity, whether it is is airline cabin crew having the work ethic altered to suit their religious preferences (1) or film franchises ruined through putting a social message ahead of producing good films.

So I suspect that Capital doesn't care which devil it sups with so long as it looks to make money. I won't get into which political side is more likely to favor lassais faire working practices and which worker rights and minimum wage, pension plans paid holiday and medicaid, but it's the religion question obtains here, and in fact religion can support both help the poor of the slums and work them to death in the Mills; the underground railway as well as plantain slavery. In the end either side can wave the religious flag or be inspired by religion to do either good, or evil.

Put silver in the tray and take a polemic leaflet as you go out.

(1) though in fact after a couple of test cases, the Companies did toughen up and Transfer anyone who said 'either airline alcohol goes or I go' and were shown the door.

[Difflugia]

https://www.acton.org/pub/religion-libe ... capitalism

https://www.acton.org/religion-liberty/ ... es-atheism

Basically the above to links are just plain good reading.

These are both wrong in such fundamental ways that they are simply unhinged from reality.

"Capitalism" is trade: buy cheap and sell dear. The Catholic Church didn't invent that. Merchant records figure heavily into the records we have from Ugarit, some of the earliest examples of writing we have. Any trade that uses an intermediate medium of exchange (i.e. anything beyond straight-up barter) is "capitalism." Things like gold and silver being considered proxies for wealth is an indicator of capitalism.

The second article tries to tar socialism by sidestepping the notion of equitable distribution with the claim that it's fueled by the resentment of rich people. Even if that were a valid critique of socialists, it doesn't address the benefits and drawbacks of socialism. At its core, socialism is "from each according to ability, to each according to need." Whether that's fair or equitable is a valid question, but that article immediately tries to shift attention to individual motivations and practical considerations and away from socialism itself.

My view is that it is not talking donkeys that cause atheism but our greed and selfishness and as socialism spreads that causes atheism as people end up worshipping government and not God.

This just seems like a list of disconnected things. What do "greed and selfishness" have to do with socialism? What does socialism have to do with worship of either a government or deity? How do socialism or greed affect believing in the supernatural?

Any thoughts on Christianity being at the root of pretty any and every good thing in society?

That's like claiming that liquor is at the root of all sobriety.

[JoeyKnothead]

https://www.acton.org/pub/religion-libe ... capitalism

https://www.acton.org/religion-liberty/ ... es-atheism

Basically the above to links are just plain good reading.

My view is that it is not talking donkeys that cause atheism but our greed and selfishness and as socialism spreads that causes atheism as people end up worshipping government and not God.

The 'cause' of my atheism is a lack of confirmatory evidence for a god's existence. Donkeys talking have little to do with it.

Any thoughts on the links?

A religious group extolling the virtues of religion is to be expected.

Any thoughts on Christianity being at the root of pretty any and every good thing in society?

Every good?

How Christian of you.

As for me, murdering or blowing up folks in the name of Christianity ain't good.

But hey, when one worships em a planet flooding, married woman empregnating, misogynistic, vengeful hellbeast of a god, I reckon it's all good.

[Tcg]

My view is that it is not talking donkeys that cause atheism but our greed and selfishness and as socialism spreads that causes atheism as people end up worshipping government and not God.

Atheism is the result of the total lack of sufficient evidence for god/gods. Well, that and some folks never having heard of any of the concepts of god/gods. This atheist worships nothing and certainly not governments and a great many other atheists I know are in the same boat.


Tcg

[JoeyKnothead]

My view is that it is not talking donkeys that cause atheism but our greed and selfishness and as socialism spreads that causes atheism as people end up worshipping government and not God.

Atheism is the result of the total lack of sufficient evidence for god/gods. Well, that and some folks never having heard of any of the concepts of god/gods. This atheist worships nothing and certainly not governments and a great many other atheists I know are in the same boat.


Tcg

And we're gonna need us a bigger boat as science and rationality continue to chip way at theist explanations.

[Tcg]

My view is that it is not talking donkeys that cause atheism but our greed and selfishness and as socialism spreads that causes atheism as people end up worshipping government and not God.

Atheism is the result of the total lack of sufficient evidence for god/gods. Well, that and some folks never having heard of any of the concepts of god/gods. This atheist worships nothing and certainly not governments and a great many other atheists I know are in the same boat.


Tcg

And we're gonna need us a bigger boat as science and rationality continue to chip way at theist explanations.

Exactly. The ark is gonna look like a rowboat in comparison.


Tcg

[Tcg]

Any thoughts on Christianity being at the root of pretty any and every good thing in society?

Given that it leads to attitudes like the following, I'd have to disagree strongly:

If you were under this law, and you were a priest, and found that your daughter had committed fornication; would you light the match, or ask someone else to do it?

If they were burnt to death, then yes absolutely, without reservation I would light the match if thats what the law required. Yes.



JW

Any religion that would lead a mother to be willing to lite the match that burnt their daughter to death is not a good thing for society.


Tcg