Corvus
Feathered eyeball connoisseur
Negative, entirely relevant.
-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Consider that Capitalism is the Real Problem
- Thread starter Sunstone
- Start date
Absolutely - not to mention that he took the 1 talent away from the lazy person and gave it to the one who produced the most.
Short term profit making over long term wealth generation is the real problem. The challenge is to incentivize steady investments into long term projects that pays dividends over multiple generations when both political and industrial establishments are subject to quick turnovers.
With regards to socialism, what produces so much faith in public wisdom when events like Brexit and Trump elections occur?
Corvus
Feathered eyeball connoisseur
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Matthew 19:21 How does the average Christian interpret this statement? Surely not literally eh? That would be....problematic, wouldn't it?
Actually, the context is of the person whose heart was on things and his invitation to be in the full-time ministry (some say to be one of the future apostles).
There was another case, Zaccheaus, to which he didn't tell him to give everything to the poor. He voluntarily gave half of what he had to the poor and continued being a capitalist -- but an honest one with a heart.
Corvus
Feathered eyeball connoisseur
Yes Jesus was the Richard Branson of his day...lol.
Corvus
Feathered eyeball connoisseur
I laughed hard at that, thanks man.
Corvus
Feathered eyeball connoisseur
Naturally, lol. I believe you.
Laugh all you want... it's still there.
Corvus
Feathered eyeball connoisseur
I am still laughing. Don't worry I am sure the Bible isn't meant to be taken literally. I am sure you are right about what Jesus's intention was.
ROFL... Yes... Heaven forbid we actually read what is written in context and what he said after.
Corvus
Feathered eyeball connoisseur
ROFL... Yes... Heaven forbid we actually read what is written in context and what he said after.
2 Peter 1:20
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
Go on then, demonstrate the context you allude to so confidently.
Corvus
Feathered eyeball connoisseur
The Rich Young Man
(Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30)
16Just then, a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?”
17“Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied, “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18“Which ones?” the man asked.
Jesus answered, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness,19honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’d”
20“All these I have kept,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?”
21Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
22When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.
23Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27“Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?”
28Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wifee or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
(Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30)
16Just then, a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?”
17“Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied, “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18“Which ones?” the man asked.
Jesus answered, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness,19honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’d”
20“All these I have kept,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?”
21Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
22When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.
23Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27“Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?”
28Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wifee or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
mark 10: 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel
30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.
KEEP mining... you just might make it
Corvus
Feathered eyeball connoisseur
LOL Whatever, I am an atheist, that will NEVER change. Not until the last proton decays will I become a theist of any kind, I'd of course probably be dead by then.
Yeah, but look what they came to:
There's the downside of capitalism. Of course any kind of drug prohibition is anti-capitalist, but it's a lost cause to try to enforce, since capitalists find other ways to make their profits even from illegal substances.
But since capitalists are inconsistent in their views and mostly support drug prohibition and similar regulations on people's choices, then that opens them up to further government interference in what they do. That's one of the primary issues with capitalism, since it's inconsistent. Not to mention their practices of using strike-breakers and other means to try to bust the unions - that also indicates strong anti-capitalist tendencies, since capitalists should believe in an individual's freedom of choice and right to negotiate their own contracts. But when they demonstrate that they don't believe in these principles, then they have betrayed their own ideals and show themselves as hypocrites.
By the way, on the subject of Cuba, what were capitalists doing in Cuba prior to the revolution that generated so much anger and resentment among the people as to trigger a revolt in the first place?
Besides, most immigrants to America came from capitalist countries, not communist countries - and many of them had to endure much longer journeys than 90 miles.
Mexico is a capitalist country from which people risk dying of thirst while crossing burning deserts just to get the heck out of that place. Same for other capitalist paradises like Guatemala and El Salvador. According to the principles of capitalism and globalism, these people should be allowed to cross into the United States unfettered and unrestricted. But as we see, more inconsistency and hypocrisy from capitalists on this issue.
I would suggest that it's not a matter of a "system." I think that's the mistake that both capitalists and communists make, since for them, the "system" is the be-all and end-all. There's too many faulty assumptions that go with that point of view, since it assumes that the favored "system" can be plugged into any society, nation, or culture, and expect to work the same way each time.
Greed is a major issue, yes, although I don't think humans are all the same when it comes to what is described as "human nature." It's not just greed, though. Some humans also have a strong will to want to feel better than others, which would explain such disparities in wealth. It explains why some capitalists live high on the hog in extreme opulence while their workers live in squalor. This is simple ego gratification on the part of the capitalists, purely emotionally derived. There's no logical or rational justification for such disparities, nor does it make society more successful or productive.
If anything, it makes a society weaker, more vulnerable, and less stable - which is why the US military has had to work overtime to protect these weak, vulnerable governments from internal dissension and/or outside enemies. Strictly speaking, if capitalism was so great and successful, then South Korea and South Vietnam would never have needed US assistance against their communist rivals in the north.
Corvus
Feathered eyeball connoisseur
That doesn't make sense. Their communist rivals still have access to weaponry and soldiers. Backed by China, as N Korea was and still is.