this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2023
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Christianity and capitalism aren't compatible but no one is ready to have that conversation
This is an oversimplification. In the land of monarchies progressives were pushing for more liberal democratic reforms. Capitalism is the economic manifestation of democratic liberalism. There was a huge desire to keep religion out of politics at the time of the American Revolution l’est society return to the divine rule of kings and queens. This is why separation of church and state is enshrined in the constitution.
Over time power structures changed and the largely white protestants that established the wealth and dominant culture of the land developed a political ideology around preservation of the status quo. This is where the word 'conservative' comes from. So it’s not that capitalism co-opted religion, it’s that the religious and the wealthy are hugely overlapping segments in America.
Autocorrect betrayed you Frenchie!
Lol
I think they're saying the latch on happened because Christianity was prominent when Capitalism was born.
Excellent statement. A good example of this happening is with usury/charging interest. The churches forbade it in most forms for a very long time,only permitting it on a wide scale in the 16th century. Coincidentally, just so happens to be when capitalism was rising. Totally a coincidence I'm sure.
Isn't there a story in the Bible where Jesus kicks the merchants out of a church and punches them?
He flipped over tables and straight up whipped the merchants and money changers calling them thieves.
Jesus is irrelevant to ------ianity.
Leviticus & Romans, that's all you need.
Nah, it's situational. Parts are relevant when they need to be and irrelevant when they need to be. It's convenient like that.
Jesus and the teachings of christianity in any of its forms are irrelevant to a functional modern society. Anyone who uses any parts of the bible beyond a few cherry-picked, out of context, touchy-feely bits as a foundation for their morality is almost certain to be a worse person for it.
Oh I went to a Christian school, read it all, did the textual analysis of the different pentateuch authors, that stuff.
And what do Christians actually quote from all that? Shit from leviticus and romans about hating gay people. That's what matters.
And at weddings people read "love is kind..." before that Khalil Gibran poem about the temple columns.
Truly, contemporary Christians are receiving their reward.
They do like Genesis too, as far as “original sin” meaning everyone is born doomed, and Eve meaning all women are bad.
Christianity is the perfect religion for capitalists. They can do all the harm they want while they’re alive and all they have to do is ask for forgiveness to go to heaven.
I'd argue against that. Your average North American christian church, on the other hand, has been molded to support this kind of attitude.
If any of the stories are true*, it's the active, practicing red-letter Christians who will get into heaven. Everyone else (see: the majority of church goers) get to burn with the rest of us. Remind followers of the idol of the church of this often, at every opportunity.
*I personally don't believe they are, but still find value in Christian thought that's actually wrestled with (and the people that do so) rather than just parroting the agendas and corruptions of others.