ThoughtShades - Journal

Huge social, economic and religious issues have been rising over the past two decades in this nation. The Apostolic church has not spoken out as clearly as many think it should, largely because our focus has been primarily spreading the gospel and leading people to a higher spiritual experience and relationship with God. We have taken our basic mission from the words of Jesus when he said, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.” Luke 19:10. We accomplish this by adhering to Paul’s words. “We preach Christ crucified.” 1 Corinthians 1:23.

But a series of national and global upheavals in the last two centuries have thrown Christianity into a crucible of agonizing decisions about who we are and what we believe. This is not necessarily about our theology, but about our ability to live in this world as law-abiding citizens and yet remain true to the teachings of scripture. Here are some of the issues we face which have become dilemmas for believers:

Abortion
Stem-cell research
Capital punishment
Homosexual rights
Corporate greed
Casino gambling and lotteries
Sex education in school
The liberal agenda (Green America, school curriculum, etc.)
Socialized medicine (national health care)
Socialistic, communistic politics

One of the driving forces behind the current financial crisis we are in concerns the enactment of socialistic ideas into law. Banks were forced to lend money for home mortgages to people who could not pay them back. This was called an “affordable homes initiative.” This concept has been known by other names in the past. “Taking from the haves and giving to the have nots.” “The Robin Hood doctrine.” “From each according to his ability; to each according to his needs.” “Redistribution of wealth.”

Some deny that blatant socialism was behind this, but others are more honest. There are those who really believe that wealthy people have too much money and that it is only right and fair that their wealth be taken from them and divided equally among all people in a society. These are called socialists because they believe that the welfare of society at large takes precedent over the welfare of individuals. The other term is communism or collectivism. These people believe that no one should own private property and that no one should own the means of production. Only the state, which would be “the people” own anything. This was the basis for the communist revolution in Russia in 1917 and the rise of the U. S. S. R., or the Soviet Union.

The question for us is what does the Bible say? Is communism in the Bible? Capitalism? How does our belief system impact the way we live our lives?

Christian communism (adapted from some Wikipedia material)

Christian Communism is a form of religious communism centered around Christianity. It holds that the teachings of Jesus Christ compel Christians to support communism as the ideal social system. Christian communists assert that evidence from the Bible suggests that the first Christians, including the Apostles, created their own small communist society in the years following Jesus’ death and resurrection. As such, many advocates of Christian communism argue that it was taught by Jesus and practiced by the Apostles themselves.

History

In general, the history of communism as a political movement can be divided into two periods: early (pre-Marxist) and contemporary (Marxist and post-Marxist) communism. In the early period, communism may have played a major role in everyday Christianity.

Plymouth Colony

The Plymouth Colony was established by English and Dutch pilgrims in order to flee religious persecution and search for a place to worship as they saw fit. They incorporated their religious beliefs into the social and legal systems of the colony.

Communistic ideas were tested by the Plymouth Colony settlers. In 1621, they selected William Bradford as governor of the group and he served in that capacity for the next 30 years. Bradford’s journal, Of Plymouth Plantation, is considered the authoritative work for the Pilgrim experiment and the Colony they founded. Bradford provided posterity with insightful comments on the issues the colony faced with communal living:

The experience that was had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanity of that conceit of Plato’s and other ancients applauded by some of later times; and that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God. For this community (so far as it was) was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. For the young men, that were most able and fit for labor and service, did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children without any recompense. The strong, or man of parts, had no more in division of victuals and clothes than he that was weak and not able to do a quarter the other could; this was thought injustice. The aged and graver men to be ranked and equalized in labors and victuals, clothes etc., with the meaner and younger sort, thought it some indignity and disrespect unto them. And for men’s wives to be commanded to do service for other men, as dressing their meat, washing their clothes, etc., they deemed it a kind of slavery, neither could many husbands well brook it. Upon the point all being to have alike, and all to do alike, they thought themselves in the like condition, and one as good as another; and so, if it did not cut off those relations that God hath set amongst men, yet it did at least much diminish and take off the mutual respects that should be preserved amongst them. And would have been worse if they had been men of another condition. Let none object this is men’s corruption, and nothing to the course itself. I answer, seeing all men have this corruption in them, God in His wisdom saw another course fitter for them.

Too many troubles resulted from the Plymouth Colony communism (lack of production and general discontent), and so Bradford stopped it and reverted to capitalism. This form of economy eventually became the standard practice in the United States):

At length, after much debate of things, the Governor (with the advice of the chiefest amongst them) gave way that they should set corn every man for his own particular, and in that regard trust to themselves […] This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deal of trouble, and gave far better content. The women now went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn; which before would allege weakness and inability; whom to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny and oppression.

True Levellers

In the 1600s the True Levellers, followers of Gerrard Winstanley, believed in the concept of “levelling men’s estates” in order to create equality. They also took over common land for the “common good.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Contemporary Christian communism

Pre-Marxist Views

All communism was rooted in religious principles.
- During the mid-to-late 1840s, the largest organization espousing communist ideas in Europe was the League of the Just, whose motto was “All Men are Brothers” and whose aim was to establish a new society “based on the ideals of love of one’s neighbor, equality and justice”.
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels joined the League of the Just in 1847.
- Under their influence, the organization became secular and atheistic and changed its name to the Communist League.
- The League invited Marx and Engels to write a programmatic document that would express communist principles, and they obliged, producing the Communist Manifesto.
- The practice of communal living among the early believers should be considered as an emergency lifestyle to “jump start” fledgling Christianity.
  - The wilderness wanderings were the O. T. counterpart where things happened that were emergency miracles, i.e. manna, water from the rock, quail, clothes and shoes not wearing out, etc.
  - When people were bitten by snakes, a brass serpent was held up for people to “look and live.” This was not repeated in the Israelite culture or religion.
- The selling of goods and possessions was strictly voluntary.
- The practice was not continued because private property and personal possessions were mentioned in the later church age.
  - Acts 21:8 (The house of Philip, the evangelist)
  - Acts 28:30 (Paul rented his own house.)
  - Many individuals were cited who had their own houses. (1 Corinthians 1:11; 11:22; 16:15; 16:19; Colossians 4:15)
  - Paul taught that believers were to work for one’s own welfare. “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; ¹² That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12.
  - “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. ¹¹ For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. ¹² Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10.
  - Are we to work to support free-loaders?
  - Are we to support abortions, stem-cell research, sex-education, blasphemous works of art and other programs that violate basic Christian principles?
  - Should we rob people of their incentive to work, create and improve their lives?
  - Who will make decisions for us?
  - Should someone else decide where you will go to school, what you will study, what your occupation will be, where you will live, etc.?
  - We should work with our own hands. (2 Thessalonians 3:10)
  - We should seek first the kingdom of God. (Matthew 6:33)
  - Wealthy people should not trust in their riches. (1 Timothy 6:17)
  - We should care for others out of compassion, not necessity. (2 Cor. 9:7)
  - We will answer to God for our own decisions. (Romans 14:12)
  - We should not be envious of the wealth or accomplishments of others. (Galatians 5:26)

The Communist Manifesto has had an enormous influence on the communist movement. These communist and socialist groups were then absorbed into the wider socialist political parties and trade unions. For a time, socialists were more or less united under the umbrella of the Socialist International. After WWI, Communists and the rest of the socialist movement went their separate ways. World events took place in rapid succession for the next few decades - the creation of the Soviet Union, the Great Depression, the rise of fascism and World War II. This is where so-called “Christian communism” reasserted itself. As early as the 1940s, Pierre Théas, a French bishop, stated:

“Urged on by unrestrainable forces, today’s world asks for a revolution. The revolution must succeed, but it can succeed only if the Church enters the fray, bringing the Gospel. After being liberated from Nazi dictatorship, we want to liberate the working class from capitalist slavery.”

Now, however, Cold War politics meant that communists were immediately associated with the Soviet Union. And this was even truer in North America, where McCarthyism held sway. Christian communism had a hard time re-establishing itself in its old European and North American homeland.

However, the Christian communist movement re-emerged in Latin America. This was a separate development from the earlier European and North American movements. Latin American Christian communism is a strong trend within liberation theology, which is a specifically Christian movement concerned with social justice and equality that incorporates both communists and other socialists. Liberation theology is predominantly Catholic in origin, given that Roman Catholicism is the dominant Christian denomination in Latin America. Liberation theology grew during the 1960s and 70s, and many liberation theologians (including bishops and other prominent clergymen) supported the Sandinista government of Nicaragua in the 1980s.

Christian communists were also found among Christian missionaries in China, the most notable being James Gareth Endicott, who became supportive of the struggle of the Communist Party of China in the 1930s and 1940s.

Christian communists trace the origins of their practice to the New Testament book Acts of the Apostles at chapter 2 and verses 42, 44, and 45:

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and in fellowship […] 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things in common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. (King James Version)

The theme is reiterated in Acts 4:32-37:

32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. 36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (King James Version)

Objections: