The connection between Christianity and Capitalism

[brewer]

OP: You just pissed off a bunch of protestants and really pissed off the gospel prosperitites.

[Minimalist]

He does seem confused about who his father was.

Well, sure.  Some moron comes along 200 years later and tells him that he's his own father and that therefore he fucked his own mother who wouldn't be confused?

[Fake Messiah]

What?!!


And yet I always thought that all those riches that churches have (like Vatican) came from God by angels carrying golden bricks to good Christians.

[The Industrial Atheist]

Not only that, but in my experience, the Church is highly divided by socioeconomic class. If you didn't work and/or weren't making Christian mini-me's you didn't exist after Church was over.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Genesis 1:28 - 'And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.'

What is that if not the very heart and soul of capitalism?

Boru

[vorlon13]

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

Jesus is clearly a heretic.

[Brian37]

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.

UGGGGG

This is why I hate focusing on ANY religion.

Capitalism IN REALITY, has nothing to do with having a religion or not having a religion. It literally means "to capitalize" meaning obtain resources.

It can only be said that the powers can and do use ideology to trick the populations into supporting their power, but their power ALWAYS takes resources to keep.

Russia is a majority Russian Orthodox Christian. Saudi Arabia's Royal Family owns banks and oil companies. Iran's Imams also have global investments.

Religion is nothing more than superstitious politics with the same structures as politics. They all involve power structures, reward for loyalty and promote tribalism.

China is a majority Buddhist nation. But the reason it it is currently authoritarian stems from the brutal Orwellian Terracotta Warrior era, where loyalty was to, at the time the local ruler. China never learned the balance between an authoritarian family, and an authoritarian party.

Gadaffi was a Muslim, AND  a billionaire. Castro at his death had an estimated wealth of $800 million.

The only "connection" to Christianity that wealth has is abuse of power. It would be better to argue the alleged head figure "God" and his abuse of power and monopoly on life. But wealth itself is not the issue.

[Abaddon_ire]

Genesis 1:28 - 'And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.'

What is that if not the very heart and soul of capitalism?

Boru

It's called Dominionism. As a belief it is based on that very verse. However, while there are some christian sects which endorse it directly, all versions of christianity have that influence. This is why the GOP is OK with doing away with the EPA for example. Fundamentally, god gave permission to do whatever you like with the Earth. It doesn't matter how much because jebus will be right along in the second coming to fix it right up. The question that I would ask were I jebus would be "I gave you guardianship over the earth and everything in it. How did you fuck it up so much?" And proceed to ladle out steaming bowls of creamy justice.

Of course, no such thing will happen and the fools will be left wondering why jebus is a no show.

[Chad32]

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.

Pretty much what I'm thinking. His advice takes on a different meaning when you remember he thought the world was going to end within a few decades.

[vulcanlogician]

I think the Bible gives a pretty clear cut endorsement of capitalism. I don't see what the problem is.

1 Well now, you rich! job creators Lament, weep for the miseries that are coming to you. because the moocher class wants your stuff!

2 Your wealth is rotting, your clothes are all moth-eaten because of socialism, and that's a real shame.

3 All your gold and your silver are corroding away, and the same corrosion will be a witness against you and eat into your body. It is like a fire which you have stored up for the final days. but Donald Trump will fix all that and make America great again.

4 Can you hear crying out against you the wages which you kept back from the labourers mowing your fields? The cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord Sabaoth. Don't worry. You can keep those wages. God won't let the liberals raise the minimum wage again.

5 On earth you have had a life of comfort and luxury; in the time of slaughter you went on eating to your heart's content, and that's pretty awesome.

6 It was you who condemned the upright and killed them; they offered you no resistance, and the only thing left to do is make sure you pay zero income tax. So vote Republican this November!