Happy Good Friday!

[M.Dancer]

No, they really don't. All the notions of altruism, self-sacrifice, collectivism, and mysticism, which are at the roots of socialist ideology and ethics, rely heavily on Christianity (or alternately on other religions with similar teachings).

Mysticism? Root of socialism?

[Shady]

Anyone who conflates Jesus' teachings with socialism is either ignorant, or dishonest. Jesus wasn't about an authoritarian government taking from person A to give to person B. He also wasn't about forced charity. His teachings are about doing good, and acting good. Not imposed good, and imposed charity.

[Michael Hardner]

Anyone who conflates Jesus' teachings with socialism is either ignorant, or dishonest. Jesus wasn't about an authoritarian government taking from person A to give to person B. He also wasn't about forced charity. His teachings are about doing good, and acting good. Not imposed good, and imposed charity.

And he wasn't about 'tax cuts' either, but no one would try to say that he could have had a position on such things in his time. There was no democracy in place, there was an occupying force.

His teachings, in the context of that era, were very socially minded. The spirit of Christianity is lost on many Christians, especially the judgmental and unsympathetic caricatures that seem to be everywhere.

[Shady]

And he wasn't about 'tax cuts'

From what I've read that's been posted, nobody is associating tax cuts with Jesus' teachings. However, there are several ignorant posters claiming his teachings are inline with socialism and government imposed good and or charity. Which isn't the case at all.

[M.Dancer]

And he wasn't about 'tax cuts' either, but no one would try to say that he could have had a position on such things in his time. There was no democracy in place, there was an occupying force.

Only part of Palestine was "occupied". You forget Herod...

His teachings, in the context of that era, were very socially minded. The spirit of Christianity is lost on many Christians, especially the judgmental and unsympathetic caricatures that seem to be everywhere.

His teachings were lifted with rabinical ease from the pages of Amos (but not Andy) and the other prophets. He wasn't saying anything new to his listeners, although to the Greek and Roman it would have been comical.

Jesus the MBA

Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.' The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg— I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.' "So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' "'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied. The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.' "Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?' 'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied. He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.' "The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?

Jesus the Capitalist

Luke 19:12-27 (New International Version)

12He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.[a]'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'

14"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

15"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

16"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'

17" 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'

18"The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.'

19"His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'

20"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'

22"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'

[Oleg Bach]

Is everyone eating fish for supper today?

We roasted up the JACK RUSSEL ....TO POOR TO EAT GOOD FISH..WHICH THAT GUY WHO COULD MAKE A FEW FISH GO A LONG WAY SHOWED UP.