Great piece. I really appreciate how you contrast religion of empire vs what Jesus was ACTUALLY about. I’m also struck by Bishop Budde’s display of “fruits of the spirit” (gentleness, kindness, self-control, love, etc) in her words, delivery and her responses. Especially in contrast to the bullying vitriol of certain religious and political leaders.
Valuable and healing words for a broken world. Thank you. I needed this after a week of watching so many celebrate hate in a country that is killing itself.
I partially agree with you, in that i do believe the words of the pastor is how Jesus calls us to act towards others. I think the main point of contention that i have is that i disagree with the idea that human beings are mostly good. That is simply not true by simple observation of human behavior. If their is no police or law, human beings would be lawless we would have chaos. That is why we have so much evil and suffering in this world.
So i do not have an answer about whether capitalism is inherently bad. I think the problem is humans are inherently selfish and lawless by nature if not restrained.
So any system whether it be capitalism or socialism, human beings would corrupt it, and so you have the problem of human nature no matter what you do. You will always have people either gaming system, taking advantage of others, etc...
I do not think their is a one size fits solution to the problem of the human condition. You have to have law and order.
I feel like humans carry the urges to spontaneously do self-serving things, but that wiring kicks in specifically when under stress. It is a survival instinct.
Our modern society is built on stress: competition, over-crowding in cities, the ever looming threat they'll lose the farm, fear of "the other" stoked by politics & media. Even the biblical example of Cain & Able has the catalyst of inequal treatment from an authority figure. Rat-city.
So, I do not think humans are innately bad. Rather, that we all have the capacity for it and our familial/social/cultural influences heavily dictate what behaviors are expressed. More an epigenetic scenario than a straight genetic one. Nature is affected by Nurture, it is not wholly one or the other.
This is a really useful perspective and suggests a way forward in dealing with people on the MAGA spectrum. I also liked Russell Moore's "Losing Our Religion" on how to engage constructively and respectfully. I disagree with the Author (and Karl Max) on capitalism being inherently bad. Capitalism (like unions or religions) can easily be abused, especially without employee collective bargaining rights with Trump/Musk openly say they want to crush. The Author's example of the $15/hour coffee shop barista leaves out the fact the owner had to put up probably $500K to $1M to lease, build out and equip the store and purchase start-up inventory. Owner might make $150K-250K annually if all goes well (nice but hardly a robber baron income), but also could lose entire investment. And it will fail if the employees don't like working there.
If you believe it's fine to be selfish, greedy, unkind to strangers, you are definitely NOT behaving as Christ admonished his followers to be. It is really that simple.
They do not believe in Jesus. Consider it weak teaching. Many reject main stream religion. Some have returned to pre Christian beliefs of European ancestors. Our media tells us little about what America actually looks like.
I would have liked to see more on what the actual sermon said, and seen the scripture references.
Two points:
1.) Trump is not a Christian in a biblical sense— that is, he is a follower of the social, historical Christian beliefs that shaped out country, not of the Biblical (pure) Christianity. So he does not represent what the Bible should call for, but you must respect him regardless of the calls he makes. Individual choices and policies you can disagree with, but it is ultimately for a bigger picture that God Himself directs.
2.) what is your other option? Abolish the police and prisons: this would only increase murders and rape in the US. Abolish Capitalism: you would not have freedom to meet to worship in just a few generations! Open boarders: if you still need clarification on what this looks like, come down to our border towns in the time of Biden. You probably would try to help and get shanked. Jesus did not encourage the release of Barabbas, because he knew there is good and bad and a government is designed to punch good in bad behavior.
Your utopia is specious and destructive 2000s of years of slow progress. This is one of the least honest papers I have ever read. The only point that was solid was that we need to look at the Bible, which is not what you ended up arguing.
Good article. I would disagree, however, on ‘choice’.
People do not choose their upbringing. They do not choose what they’re taught. But they absolutely choose what they believe. With all of our access to technology and resources, ignorance is not an excuse.
Amazing piece ! (Though relevance of orthodox Marxism to modern post-industrial society is marginal at best. The entire political economy of Das Kapital needs to be replaced with a modern approach that doesn’t shirk from the fact that we are pretty far from 1840s Europe in every way possible, though not for lack of effort by MAGA faithful…)
Great piece. I really appreciate how you contrast religion of empire vs what Jesus was ACTUALLY about. I’m also struck by Bishop Budde’s display of “fruits of the spirit” (gentleness, kindness, self-control, love, etc) in her words, delivery and her responses. Especially in contrast to the bullying vitriol of certain religious and political leaders.
Thanks Laura! As Jesus himself said, you'll know a tree by its fruit.
Valuable and healing words for a broken world. Thank you. I needed this after a week of watching so many celebrate hate in a country that is killing itself.
Thanks Nora! Don't give up hope. In the end, love will win.
I partially agree with you, in that i do believe the words of the pastor is how Jesus calls us to act towards others. I think the main point of contention that i have is that i disagree with the idea that human beings are mostly good. That is simply not true by simple observation of human behavior. If their is no police or law, human beings would be lawless we would have chaos. That is why we have so much evil and suffering in this world.
So i do not have an answer about whether capitalism is inherently bad. I think the problem is humans are inherently selfish and lawless by nature if not restrained.
So any system whether it be capitalism or socialism, human beings would corrupt it, and so you have the problem of human nature no matter what you do. You will always have people either gaming system, taking advantage of others, etc...
I do not think their is a one size fits solution to the problem of the human condition. You have to have law and order.
I feel like humans carry the urges to spontaneously do self-serving things, but that wiring kicks in specifically when under stress. It is a survival instinct.
Our modern society is built on stress: competition, over-crowding in cities, the ever looming threat they'll lose the farm, fear of "the other" stoked by politics & media. Even the biblical example of Cain & Able has the catalyst of inequal treatment from an authority figure. Rat-city.
So, I do not think humans are innately bad. Rather, that we all have the capacity for it and our familial/social/cultural influences heavily dictate what behaviors are expressed. More an epigenetic scenario than a straight genetic one. Nature is affected by Nurture, it is not wholly one or the other.
You are right.
Socialism can be corrupted by the state the same way capitalism can be corrupted by business.
Have truer words ever been spoken
Andrew! Good
Column this
Morning,
well
Thought out,
Well written. I think the seeds of your thesis hold
Great
Power,
Like an acorn (corny), I know the potential of
Those little
Fall droppings. I’m surrounded by enormous oak trees. I’ll never see the results of their fruit
but I can imagine their heartfelt power
in Nature! Thanks for your courageous and challenging work. Craig
This is a really useful perspective and suggests a way forward in dealing with people on the MAGA spectrum. I also liked Russell Moore's "Losing Our Religion" on how to engage constructively and respectfully. I disagree with the Author (and Karl Max) on capitalism being inherently bad. Capitalism (like unions or religions) can easily be abused, especially without employee collective bargaining rights with Trump/Musk openly say they want to crush. The Author's example of the $15/hour coffee shop barista leaves out the fact the owner had to put up probably $500K to $1M to lease, build out and equip the store and purchase start-up inventory. Owner might make $150K-250K annually if all goes well (nice but hardly a robber baron income), but also could lose entire investment. And it will fail if the employees don't like working there.
If you believe it's fine to be selfish, greedy, unkind to strangers, you are definitely NOT behaving as Christ admonished his followers to be. It is really that simple.
Those words are contrary to their cult of “Maga Christian nationalism.”
Media doesn’t tell you about followers on Dominionism either and affects it is having on the rights on Americans.
They do not believe in Jesus. Consider it weak teaching. Many reject main stream religion. Some have returned to pre Christian beliefs of European ancestors. Our media tells us little about what America actually looks like.
Because they are fake cristian’s- misspelling purposeful.
Because they have to choose do I do the right thing or am I comfortable going to hell.
I would have liked to see more on what the actual sermon said, and seen the scripture references.
Two points:
1.) Trump is not a Christian in a biblical sense— that is, he is a follower of the social, historical Christian beliefs that shaped out country, not of the Biblical (pure) Christianity. So he does not represent what the Bible should call for, but you must respect him regardless of the calls he makes. Individual choices and policies you can disagree with, but it is ultimately for a bigger picture that God Himself directs.
2.) what is your other option? Abolish the police and prisons: this would only increase murders and rape in the US. Abolish Capitalism: you would not have freedom to meet to worship in just a few generations! Open boarders: if you still need clarification on what this looks like, come down to our border towns in the time of Biden. You probably would try to help and get shanked. Jesus did not encourage the release of Barabbas, because he knew there is good and bad and a government is designed to punch good in bad behavior.
Your utopia is specious and destructive 2000s of years of slow progress. This is one of the least honest papers I have ever read. The only point that was solid was that we need to look at the Bible, which is not what you ended up arguing.
Good article. I would disagree, however, on ‘choice’.
People do not choose their upbringing. They do not choose what they’re taught. But they absolutely choose what they believe. With all of our access to technology and resources, ignorance is not an excuse.
"The sin of empathy" is the dumbest thing I've ever heard of.
Amazing piece ! (Though relevance of orthodox Marxism to modern post-industrial society is marginal at best. The entire political economy of Das Kapital needs to be replaced with a modern approach that doesn’t shirk from the fact that we are pretty far from 1840s Europe in every way possible, though not for lack of effort by MAGA faithful…)