Jesus and his ministry were socialist...so why do conservative Christians try to go against Jesus?

@BRUUH Agree. He was neither.

@BRUUH On one hand, technically correct. On the other hand, most of what would be considered "the means of production" didn't exist back then, and a lot of what He said and the early disciples did lines up pretty well with the other tenets many mainstream schools of socialism hold.

@BRUUH

Bruh. I've read the gospels too and what Jesus preaches is absolutely in line with socialist values even if it doesn't address the "means of production".

@Pikachu i mean, im sure socialism and Christianity gave overlapping values, but that doesn't make Jesus a socialist.

@BRUUH

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...🤷‍♀️

@Pikachu if you wanna make the argument that a socialist state is more generous and thus accomplishes better the goals of christ, go for it. But it's just factually incorrect to say hes a socialist. I can personally take a vow to poverty and embrace radical forms of charity, while simultaniously advocating the economic soctrines of Adam Smith bc i think they work better in a practical sense. Jesus just want a socialist.

What i will say is that yeah, personally, Jesus is a supporter of wealth redistribution, and there's even a Bible verse that says "if you have two coats, give one to him who has no coat".

@BRUUH

I don't think you can reasonably declare the Jesus " just wasn't a socialist" .

It seems to me that the teachings of his ministry fall in line with socialism far more than any other socio-economic paradigm.


Sure, because such an idea is far more modern. But to say that the values he espoused where socialist ones is factually correct.

@Pikachu Nah I totally can declare it. He didn't advocate for it, and really said little to nothing about how an economy or government should be organized. He was for wealth redistribution, but he never advocated for or opposed it being done through a socialist model, which i doubt a jew of his era really thot much air or knew much about tbh.

@BRUUH


lol sure. I didn't say you couldn't. I said you couldn't reasonably declare it.


*ahem*
Sure, because such an idea is far more modern. But to say that the values he espoused where socialist ones is factually correct.

@Pikachu i agree with you that he espoused values that were socialist, meaning that socialism embraces them. But those ideas predate socialism tbh. Like, helping poor people isn't socialist.

Honestly, and I'm not saying Jesus was some republicab motgerfycker either; he definitely wasn't. He was imo politically nuetral.

@BRUUH what you describe is precisely what Jesus advocated. Consider charity seed money if you have to take the parsimonious angle.

@BRUUH Jesus didn't advocate for community owned property, he spoke to people as an individual, when it came to taxes and governmental things, he said, render unto Caeser what is Caeser's and unto God, what is God's. I never spoke of communal property, he spoke of individuals property, if you have 2 cloaks and a stranger has none, give him one. He spoke of individuals giving of their wealth, not of the government taking it and distributing it as they see fit.

@Roadsterrider The academic understanding of Jesus’ mission was to erase the inequality that existed among the religious heads and the people, whom he felt were excluded from society and culture. He did this by elevating these people, by teaching charity, cooperation, mercy and communal equity.

No, he didn’t walk around with Che t-shirt and in no way is “render unto Caesar…” incompatible with socialist principles.

@Graylight I don't recall a lot about equity being his message, there is no communal message in the Bible I read. There are some instructions that lead in that direction, taking care of widows and orphans, helping those i need, but every parable, every law, is about the individual, there is no collective anything except the church and it isn't controlling anything outside of religious activities. Jesus spoke of individual responsibilities, not to the collective, and the message was to accept God through him, not to make everyone equal, that isn't even mentioned as far I know. Being generous and charitable doesn't require being a socialist.

@Roadsterrider Then you didn’t read the New Testament.

@Graylight I have read the old and the new.

@Roadsterrider Great. Now study it to understand it.

@Graylight I have studied it, and read and studied the writings of those that want to make it socialism. I am confident in my studies, never is there any involvement with charity as a government function, or ruling class function. It is always an individual choice and action. When Jesus said it would be easier to get through the eye of the needle than to get to heaven for a rich man, it wasn't at statement against wealth, it was a statement about putting wealth ahead of God. And the Eye of the Needle wasn't the eye of a sewing needle, it was just a small gate in the wall of the city of Jerusalem. no where in there is the instruction to take from anyone to give money or property to someone else as a governmental policy. There are several places where it says that a man that doesn't work, doesn't eat, not that everyone should be equally poor.