Jesus Takes Christian Socialists to Task
Our Holy Spirit speaks:
Dear ones, I AM with you always. Listen not to your own intellectualism based on meager human understanding of what you think is going on, but listen to My Voice.
Do not confuse voluntary charity with forced charity. If the rich voluntarily give some of their fortunes to help the poor, everyone moves closer to heaven. If the rich are forced by government edict and taxation to help the poor, no one benefits in heaven or earth.
If you have intellectually convinced yourself that the rich become rich at the expense of the poor, and therefore your use of force is only "social justice," then look again and look deeper. You have no idea what is really going on. Unless you are listening to My Voice and following My Guidance you are serving only what you imagine to be justice and your illusions bring only pain to your world.
If you have compassion for the poor, do not trap them in your dreamed up social systems which you desire to force on all. Allow them the freedom to listen to My Voice and follow My Inspiration. They will be better off than you are able to imagine.
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Many of the working poor are dedicated and faithful to their religion. Many of the working poor work full time and yet are unable to save or have health benefits let alone send their children to college. To dismiss the poor as somehow deserving of their fate because they're not somehow faithful enough is arrogant and misguided. Anyone can claim to speak for God or a Holy Spirit. That solves nothing.
If you want to dismiss the good works of man then forsake elevators, mobile phones, electricity, free public education, the internet, vaccines, antibiotics, democracy, abolition, suffrage, a free press, etc.
Obviously, human beings working together to make the world a better place have made great strides. Our only obstacles are the vices of ignorance mixed with fear mixed with non-reality based superstitious religions which generally inspire people to turn inward and forget their fellow man or to prey upon people who seek comfort, consolation and justification for ancient prejudices.
That's immoral, irresponsible, shameful and a sign of foolish values. Sorry. :)
Foolish blind faith is no more the answer than is obsessive intellectualism. The answer is honesty, balance, compassion, kindness, generosity, mindfulness, humility, concentration, fairness, justice, equality, facts and great great effort. Nothing less will do.
I completely understood your post and agreed with it entirely.
-- Lutheran Surrealist
You apparently understand nothing of what Jesus had to say. Let me remind you:
A wealthy young man ran up to Jesus and asked the greatest question anyone can ask, "What must I do to obtain eternal life?" (Mk. 10:17-27). Jesus in reply pointed out the necessity of obedience to God's commands saying, "You know the commandments, Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother" (v.19). The young man said, "Teacher I have kept all of these things from my youth up." The text then says, "Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him..." (vv. 20,21). Because Jesus loved him He plainly pointed out the one thing that was holding him back from eternal life saying, "Go and sell all you possess and give it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven' and come and follow Me." At Jesus' words the young man's " face fell, and he went away grieved..." (vv. 21,22)
The "one thing" that the young man lacked was his total allegiance to the Lord. Though he was a good, moral man, there was one part of his life he had not given to the Lord. "One thing" stood in his way, his love of material things.
When this young man went away grieved, Jesus looking around said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!' And the disciples were amazed at His words" (v. 23). How many today are amazed at these words?
Many who claim to be Christians will be disappointed when they fail to inherit eternal life because they allowed riches to come between them and their full allegiance to Christ. We must realize that it is hard for the rich to go to heaven, and that most of us in this country are rich in many ways. Oh, we might not be millionaires, but you don't have to be a millionaire to be rich, nor do you have to be a millionaire to allow riches to keep you out of heaven.
To further emphasize this fact Jesus continued, "Children how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' And they were even more astonished and said to Him, 'Then who can be saved?" (v. 24). How hard is it for a rich person to enter into heaven? Well, how hard is it to get a camel through the eye of an needle? It is impossible isn't it. We too might ask, "Lord if that is the case who can be saved? Who then can ever enter into heaven?"
Jesus, looking upon the disciples said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God" (v. 27). It is impossible for man by his own ability to go to heaven. Yet, nothing is impossible for God. He has a means of saving man, even a rich man.
However, the point is the rich man's heart must be changed, his heart must be attached to the true riches, treasure in heaven, instead of the material things of this world. It's not easy for anyone to enter the kingdom of God. As Jesus stated in Matt. 7:14, "The gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it." It is especially difficult for the rich; the reason being, it is hard for those who have riches not to trust in them.
When we love and trust in material things we rely on ourselves and not God, which makes it impossible to enter the kingdom of heaven. In fact, it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of an needle! Whether you possess a little or a lot of this world's possessions the only way to inherit eternal life is to completely submit your life to Jesus by obeying His commandments and use whatever you have to the glory of God. Do not let "one thing" stand between you and eternal life.
If you would like to see a total loss of God you need only turn to Canada, Britain, France, or any other overweening "benign" wellfare state.
And if you deplore injustice and poverty, the real destroyer of human virtue, you ought also to abhor the coercion of the government.
No one is dismissing the poor. And no one should dismiss the rich. Everyone deserves their fate, by definition.
No one is dismissing the good works of man. And no one ought to dismiss the obvious worth of material comfort. Misery and hardship are not divine, and cannot prepare the soul or mind for justice or reason.
"We must realize that it is hard for the rich to go to heaven, and that most of us in this country are rich in many ways."
Please, let me make it easier on you. Send me your riches and your path to heaven will be made easier.
"Our only obstacles are the vices of ignorance mixed with fear mixed with non-reality based superstitious religions..."
Ignorance, fear, and religion can indeed be "obstacles." It sounds like you may be a bit ignorant and fearful of religion yourself. That's immoral, irresponsible, shameful and a sign of foolish values, that is, values I don't care for at all. But that's alright :-) In a free country, without threat of oppressive government and forced action or non-action, you and I can pursue our values free from interference and censure by the other, within reason of course.
Please, follow your foolish blind faith as you will, for that is how I see it. Allow me to the same.
------If you have intellectually convinced yourself that the rich become rich at the expense of the poor, and therefore your use of force is only "social justice," then look again and look deeper. You have no idea what is really going on. Unless you are listening to My Voice and following My Guidance you are serving only what you imagine to be justice and your illusions bring only pain to your world.
If you have compassion for the poor, do not trap them in your dreamed up social systems which you desire to force on all. Allow them the freedom to listen to My Voice and follow My Inspiration. They will be better off than you are able to imagine.------
Amen to that.
The most religious countries tend to be the most unequal. Look at the US, Latin America, Africa, most of Asia in comparison with Europe.
Maybe we should abolish welfare altogether and let people starve in the streets like they do in India.
Religion would then be all dominant because people would have no hope and nothing left to turn to. How wonderful that would be?
No. Religion is nonsense and is used to justify rubbish like this post. How can you say God and Jesus were against the welfare state. You are just a right wing extremist trying to justify your extremism.
Patrick of qv is talking absolute sense and you lot are one step from insanity. The trouble with your views is how they oppress millions of people around the world.
This is not what Jesus taught. Get your wallets out and stop avoiding paying your taxes, you money grabbing hypocrites.
The most religious countries tend to be the most unequal?
Brilliant Neil. Nice analysis.
All starve without wellfare state?
Quite exhaustive on that one Neil. You'll get the total state you're asking for soon.
Religion is nonsense?
Thank you for the enlightenment Neil. Quite modern and catchy.
The trouble with our views is how they oppress millions?
Well, Neil, your brilliant viewpoints have led me to give you the benefit of the doubt on this one. I am not sure what views you mean or who is being oppressed by them, but I feel really bad about it already. I will re-evaluate my love of freedom and fear of a nanny-state.
And we'll all certainly be paying taxes won't we Neil.
In the former Soviet Bloc, they were officially atheist, and there was equality.
Everyone was starving.
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