“Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus replied: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” -Matthew 19:21
It’s always entertaining to watch the psychological implosion of conservatives when they are pressed by pesky facts. These folks pontificate with authority on the evils of collectivism, liberalism, socialism, and communism; yet come unraveled when one points out that Jesus and his followers were themselves collectivists par excellent. While these Tea Party conservatives insist that “Christianity is not like Marxism in any way,” in reality it requires little effort to connect the philosophy of Marx to that of the purported teachings of Christ and the first communities established by the Apostle Paul.
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” -Karl Marx in his 1875 Critique of the Gotha Program.
“Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.” -Acts 2: 44-45
Communism – “The abolition of inequalities in the possession of property, as by distributing all wealth equally to all, or by holding all wealth in common for the equal use and advantage of all. “
The famous phrase commonly attributed to Marx, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs,” was actually a common slogan used by socialist movements prior to Marx. Also the Nazis had a similar slogan that went, “public need before private greed,” and referred to Jesus as the first and purest socialist. Plato’s dreamed up “city in speech” was also a perfect utopian collectivist village, and fits quite well with the teachings of the bible.
Everything one would need to set up an authoritarian dictatorship is found within the bible. The political philosopher Eric Voegelin made note that all Marx required was for the masses of people to give up their questioning. Voegelin was also correct in pointing out that the Nazis made good use of the psychology behind the teachings found in Romans 13:
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves…
“For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.”
These biblical teachings place the hard-line Tea Party conservative in quite a precarious polemic position; for on one hand they wish to argue against collectivism, against universal healthcare, and against unemployment insurance for those suffering from the economic crash, while on the other, they cling to the ultimate theocratic totalitarian collectivist manifesto – the bible.
“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.” -I Peter 2:13-14
“Marxism” is Paul secularized. Both are collectivism. Both place blind obedience to a central authority and the equal distribution of personal wealth and property as the greatest good. Paul’s first “communities” were just like the city in Plato’s Laws… pure communism. Apparently, Paul took Plato seriously:
“All that believed were together, and had all things in common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.” -Acts 2:44-45
This sounds eerily similar to the Marxist slogan “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” Then again in Acts 4:32 we find this:
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had… There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money to the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”
This biblical teaching fits quite nicely with the Nazi slogan “public need before private greed.” In fact we have a fine example of biblical fascism as we read on into Acts chapter five. What happened to those who did not give all over to the authorities? As we read on we see things did not work out so well for Ananias and his wife Sapphira, for when they “kept back part of the price of the land” from the apostles, according to the story, they both dropped dead on the spot before the Apostles’ feet.
After this tragic mystical divine public execution, it is further purported that a “great fear seized the whole church.” Well, I’m sure it did! Killing bourgeoisie land owners who fail to give all of their money to the community authorities sounds like far more than mere Marxism but rather, Stalinism!
A few words from the said redeemer:
Luke 12:15 — “Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Mark 12:43-44 — “Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Luke 6:24 — “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.”
Matthew 25:34-40 — “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Mark 10:21 — “Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Mark 10: 23 -“How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
Matthew 6:19-21 — “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Luke 14:33 — “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”