[rescue] God bless America

[Chad Fernandez]

Francisco Javier Mesa-Martinez wrote:
> > > Well Marxist and Communist social views are in a sense almost identical to
> > > the original Christian ideals. Like Christianism they, Marxists inspired
> > > theories, were never implemented correctly. In some sense Jesus was the
> > > first communist.
> >
> > Yes, this is obvious and logical, since Jesus claimed he was the son
> > of God, and Communism claims there is no God.  So of course Jesus was
> > a Communist!
> 
> Read what I said: in SOME sense he/she was a Communist. I was just giving
> a background on the basis for the Theology of Liberation (which mixed
> Christian and Marxist ideas/theories).

He/she??  Now your really skating on thin ice.
 
> So did Jesus resemble SOME of the characteristics of a Communist behavior?

Marx may have had some ideas that looked similar on the surface, but
beyond that there is nothing.  That doesn't mean that, "In some sense
Jesus was the first communist".  That's more than a stretch.

> He said; "Take all that you own and sell it, then give your money to
> the poor and follow me." (Luke 18). "Blessed are the poor, but woe to the
> rich."  (Luke 6). After Jesus' death, his original disciples form the
> early church  handled all property and wealth in a communal (Communist)
> fashion, where there was no concept of personal ownership (which is the
> main point of Communist theories, not whether God does or doesn't exist).

You are taking things way out of context.  

> Marx based some of his theories on social structures and principles of early
> Christian movements. For example he wrote; "Has not Christianity declaimed
> against private property, against marriage, against the state?
> ...Christian Socialism is but the holy water with which the priest
> consecrates the heart-burnings of the aristocrat." (Communist Manifesto,
> p. 492). Marx does begin and end his theory with parallels to Christian
> attitudes of wealth: both Jesus and Marx condemn worldly glorification of
> human/capitalist wealth to the point of eventual apocalypse/revolution.
> Where Marxist ideals and Jesus' preaching deeply differ is in the goals
> for these "ultimate  judgments." Jesus promises a new kingdom of heaven,
> wherein the divine asserts its rightful place above material concerns;
> Marx's contrasting paradise exalts those physical goods over capitalist
> private property. (R. McNary, Stanford)

Again, a few similar ideas don't make Jesus the first Communist, in any
sense.  They don't make Marx a Christian in any sense either.

Chad Fernandez
Michigan, USA