Acting Christian, Christianly, or Christlike
A dangerous and widespread error is the belief that everything religious comes from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus and the apostles of the early church discerned connections and opened up abysses of which most people who call themselves Christians have no inkling.
Without the spirit of mammon there would be no war. In the grip of this spirit, love can be purchased and bodies thrown into the gutter and corrupted. Because of the mammon spirit, lying is carried to extremes – the lying people do to each other in business, in relationships between the classes, and in the dialogue between the nations. “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Making life dependent on financial circumstances, mammon gains control and overrides all other relationships.
-----Eberhard Arnold http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/ea/TheDecision.htm
I also read from Phillip Berrigan who pointed out that Corporations now have all they have ever wanted. Unions are beaten down with little power or influence, our government is leaving them (corporations) alone and multi national companies have no loyalty to any nation or workforce, just to one thing...mammon.
I have always considered myself to be somewhat of a free market libertarian, but I think Congress passed anti-trust laws for a good reason. Corporations rule the world now, they are not beholden to the U.S. or the U.N. They continue to merge and lay folks off. Shut down profitable factories here and open up even more profitable factories in third world countries, where they can pollute and pay folks minimum wage for skilled labor. We need to get a handle on these immoral practices, even if it means isolationist policies for a while. Our trade deficits are at record levels and our high paying jobs are leaving the country at a record pace.
What does this have to do with Christanity? How do we as Christians vote with our pocketbook and at the polls? Do we consider corporate morality ever? Do corporations lie to us and sell us dangerous products for profit? Is it coincidence that it appears that big business and evangelicals are on the same political side and if they are, is this biblically correct? How are we being salt and light concerning these issues?
As a compassionate conservative I knew at some point I would have to draw the line. My only fear is that no one else who considers themselves conservative is paying attention.........
Without the spirit of mammon there would be no war. In the grip of this spirit, love can be purchased and bodies thrown into the gutter and corrupted. Because of the mammon spirit, lying is carried to extremes – the lying people do to each other in business, in relationships between the classes, and in the dialogue between the nations. “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Making life dependent on financial circumstances, mammon gains control and overrides all other relationships.
-----Eberhard Arnold http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/ea/TheDecision.htm
I also read from Phillip Berrigan who pointed out that Corporations now have all they have ever wanted. Unions are beaten down with little power or influence, our government is leaving them (corporations) alone and multi national companies have no loyalty to any nation or workforce, just to one thing...mammon.
I have always considered myself to be somewhat of a free market libertarian, but I think Congress passed anti-trust laws for a good reason. Corporations rule the world now, they are not beholden to the U.S. or the U.N. They continue to merge and lay folks off. Shut down profitable factories here and open up even more profitable factories in third world countries, where they can pollute and pay folks minimum wage for skilled labor. We need to get a handle on these immoral practices, even if it means isolationist policies for a while. Our trade deficits are at record levels and our high paying jobs are leaving the country at a record pace.
What does this have to do with Christanity? How do we as Christians vote with our pocketbook and at the polls? Do we consider corporate morality ever? Do corporations lie to us and sell us dangerous products for profit? Is it coincidence that it appears that big business and evangelicals are on the same political side and if they are, is this biblically correct? How are we being salt and light concerning these issues?
As a compassionate conservative I knew at some point I would have to draw the line. My only fear is that no one else who considers themselves conservative is paying attention.........
5 Comments:
Corporations don't have quite everything they want just yet. This may sound a bit paranoid, but I think corporations are now after our genetic makeup. In the next few years, DNA, genes and the like will come under corporate ownership.
There's a Canadian documentary film called The Corporation that you should watch. It won't be out in the U.S. until next month, but you can watch the trailer and a few clips here.
WHO are you, and WHAT have you done with my staunchly-conservative Dad?!
I guess I'm a cynic, but I think both sides are driven by money and power. I have a hard time believing that Kerry and Clinton care about the common man anymore than Bush does...
They all suck.
I know that is not the direction you were headed, but I just leap frogged.
It becomes more and more painfully obvious every day that the pendulum has swung too far, both in our government and our churches. Is this the kind of fruit we want to produce, selling out Christianity and the people in less fortunate nations for the sake of corporations and those who are in power?
JV,
I agree with you. It just seems that when one party has too much power nothing constructive happens. The 90's were good because repubs held the line on spending and Clinton was smart enough to go along.i.e contract with America and budget surplus. Now no one is held accountable for anything or to anyone. i.e. budget deficits, alone in Iraq, trade deficits.
And things we are trying to do seem to be devoid of any moral value other than "what is in it for me." Did we go to war to free a people from a tyrant? No we went because we were afraid of what might happen to us if we didn't do something. I am like Shawn, I think, the pendelum can swing so far right that it is wrong.
That being said the Iraq deal may turn out ok, but still at a very great cost to our nation. And are we who call ourselves Evangelicals really getting what we thought we were going to get? We were played. Wait till 08 and see who will run, evangelicals will be kicked to the curb hide and watch. I think we just need people to think and act Christlike not as some political special interest.
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