On the surface, Christianity and Capitalism should be incompatible.  After all, Jesus preaches charity above all else and taking care of your fellow man.  Most Christians, of course, don't follow this in the least.  They state "Be Charitable if you WANT TO!"  As if somehow it's being christ-like to just hate the gays, and not actually help people.  (Because you know, the latter is just too hard)

But if you really think about it, the two are compatible in another way.  Getting into heaven is essentially the same as being born into a rich family.  Either you're born into a family the worships Jesus, or you go to hell for being born into the wrong religion and then not figuring it out yourself.  Born to a Christian family in America?  Congrats!  You have a good shot at getting into heaven.  Born into a Muslim family in the middle east?  Too bad!  Should've thought about that before being born in the middle east.  Born into a Jewish family during the Holocaust!  Do I have bad news for you or what?

Of course the absurdity of such a concept is obvious on it's own.  But I can see the connection.  So I can finally see why Christians are Republicans.  Because God is a Republican.  Punish people for the circumstances of their birth, punish people who don't follow your own twisted sense of morality, and might = right.

Sure, it was always about the money. Take the case when after St. Francis's death in 1226, his followers who attempted to continue to embrace a life of poverty were burned at the stake as heretics. The Church had no desire to encourage poverty because it had become committed to the financial power structure of Europe.

The connection is that rich capitalist pigs can buy the brand and re-package it however they like!

To wit:  Supply Side Jesus

A person could probably draw parallels between the transaction based atonement scheme of vicarious redemption and capitalism gone wrong.  If a person is willing to shout hallelujah at the notion that an unspeakable bargain has been struck that just so happens to benefit them...is it really surprising to find that they also profit from a blood diamond?

In truth, though, it's an effect of christian americana more than anything.

It seems to me Jesus was giving advice based on the world being about to end in the near future, so everyone should shed their posessions in readiness. After him being totally wrong about that (omniscience on the blink), the advice loses merit somewhat.

Rob it would seem that jesus was not the sharpest knife in the drawer!

There is connection between Christianity and slavery, feudalism, capitalism and communism.

The Bible is like a huge box that stores everything that the reader needs/wants

All things to all men. 

(August 1, 2018 at 6:39 pm)Khemikal Wrote: All things to all men. 

All things to all needy infants. Nothing at all to real men.

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(August 1, 2018 at 5:31 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Rob it would seem that jesus was not the sharpest knife in the drawer!

He does seem confused about who his father was.

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(August 1, 2018 at 5:11 pm)Fake Messiah Wrote: Sure, it was always about the money. Take the case when after St. Francis's death in 1226, his followers who attempted to continue to embrace a life of poverty were burned at the stake as heretics. The Church had no desire to encourage poverty because it had become committed to the financial power structure of Europe.

Churches has every desire to encourage the sort of poverty that comes from giving the Church all your money.

It’s commitment to the financial power structure is only as strong as the fact that people with swords didn’t feel like just giving the Church all their money.

The Church knows all about poverty; it has a vast collection of artworks depicting it.