
Originally Posted by
Mithran
God says 1) help them to live among you 2) do not charge them interest on loans 3) Do not sell them food for profit
This is sounding a heck of a lot like welfare, or at the very leas heavily subsidised government intervention on behalf of the poor. Can you imagine if the poor were able to get loans at no interest? So there you have it, one example of God the socialist.
Israel was a theocracy. So? God is talking specifically to Israel during a specific time. What does a theocratic ancient Israel have to do with any other form of government, let alone one in the modern age?
So what god is saying is 1) You can only own land for 7 years, then you have to return it. 2) He says "do not take advantage of each other" clearly in this context he is referring to the trading of property.
Yup, to a specific people at a specific time and place.
Isn’t capitalism all about exactly that? Taking advantage of people so you can make the most money?
No. Capitalism is a social system based on the recognition of individual rights, including property rights, in which all property is privately owned (vs state).
How do you reconcile, Gods obvious command for social responsibility with a system designed to maximize profits?
1) God spoke to a specific people at a specific time in a specific place.
2) Israel was theocratic.
3) We are not Israel.
4) God is not speaking to all nations.
5) Rome was not theocratic, nor Jewish, not even Christian. Yet Jesus said "'Let Caesar have what belongs to him, and God have what belongs to him' (Matthew 22:21)." Jesus is clearly paving a distinction between politics and religion.
It is a distinction between religion and politics, implying that Caesar’s taxes were lawful and should be paid. Jesus wasn't trying to liberate the promised land but to transform the individual heart. And while he opposed exploitation of the poor, he identified the problem not in sociopolitical structures but in individuals. (Martin Hengel, Victory over Violence, pp 1, 47-48.)
Ok Christians you’re supposed to sell all you have and give to those in need.
You misread it. It doesn't say that is what all Jews and Christians "ought to do", it is saying that is what some Christians did. The Bible is largely a book of history. You aren't seriously suggesting that because David committed adultry and murder, that God is telling all people to go out and have sex with whomever you want and commit murder as well...are you?
This is so contrary to North American Christianity it’s not even in the same world. This is much closer to communism than capitialism. There is a lot more of this. What happened to the Christians? How did they fall so far from the tree?
They haven't. At least, not as shown by your examples and argumentation.
Help the poor and needy, love all people (your neighbor) as your brother, now those are commandments, sure. And as a result, it is Christian organizations (not Jewish, not Muslim, not atheist, etc...) that provide more financial assistance and donations to those in need than any other group, bar none.
Merely because all Christians are not living in poverty (according to your misunderstanding of course), does not mean that Christians are not following Christian doctrine. That's silly.
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Originally Posted by
Trendem
How is it in any way "interesting"?
It's interesting how the anti-Christian is inflicted with this mental disease, which bears a striking resemblance to better known, radical liberal disease known as "BlameBushForEverything". It's absurd.
It is called pointing out an inconsistency. If you want to stick up for your beliefs, then why stick up for only some of them?
No one said that anyone is sticking up for only 1, or 2. What is shown, is that the anti-Christian doesn't know what they are talking about yet they consistently make false claims based on that misunderstanding of scripture. See my response in my previous post.
The Bible clearly supports welfare.
No it doesn't. It calls for individuals to help others in need. An individual level. It says nothing about government doing any such thing. What a horrible understanding of scripture Trend.
Yet many Christian Republicans, using their secular economic brain, think it is harmful for society.
It is, at least in its current state. And? What does this have to do with the call for individuals and the Church to help others exactly?
On the other hand, when it comes to moral issues, they blindly follow Biblical exhortations. It's a blatant double standard - cherry-picking the Bible for beliefs you want to promote and ignoring it when you disagree with them.
Not quite. See above.
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