David Brat and Christian Capitalism

Posted by ShrugInArgentina 9 years, 9 months ago to Politics
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“I think the main point is that we need to synthesize Christianity and capitalism...”

Who was it that said. "Ye cannot serve God and Mamon?"

Although a "Christian Capitalist" might believe that it is a principle of Christianity to keep "the fruits of your labor" it can be demonstrated (by quoting the Bible) that giving it to others is virtuous, not keeping it.

I am not going to tell anyone who wants to be an Objectivist and a Christian at the same time "where to go." I would, however, suggest that they check their premises, as well as the direction in which they are (spiritually) headed.
SOURCE URL: http://thinkprogress.org/election/2014/06/11/3447712/david-brat-embrace-christian-capitalism-or-hitler-will-come-back/


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  • Posted by robertmbeard 9 years, 9 months ago
    Capitalism = economic freedom (in all monetary choices, trade, private property rights, etc...)

    Individuals have natural rights, which includes economic freedom (capitalism). Do some humans often make poor choices and abuse/misuse their freedoms in a way that harms others (infringing on their freedoms)? Yes. Does this justify minimizing or eliminating freedom of speech, political freedoms, religious freedoms, economic freedoms, etc... Hell no.

    Christianity teaches that individuals should freely choose to give charitably to someone truly in need. The mistake some Christians make is that they see government as a natural extension of the Church and thus justify all sorts of social welfare policies as somehow being the same as private charity from individuals and churches.

    The primary role of government is to protect our natural individual freedoms, which include economic freedoms. By mistaking government's role as substantially being the same as the Church's role, many justify unequal (and heavy) taxation by government as necessary to enable "charitable" bureaucratic activities.

    However, "coerced public charity" is not "charity", no matter what someone's noble intentions may be. Charity involves a free choice by an individual (consistent with capitalism's free economic choices). Tax confiscation rationalized as a form of charity is nothing more than an exercise in mental gymnastics, because it violates the individual's free choice in how to allocate his/her resources.

    Many non-Christians (and some Christians) mistakenly assume that Christianity endorses/justifies socialism and/or communism, which minimize or eliminate individual economic freedom. However, the focus of Christianity is on the individual's free choices in how they live their life, which includes private charitable giving.

    While I cannot speak for David Brat, I would say that Christianity and Capitalism (economic freedom) are certainly compatible. What is incompatible, is to somehow use Christianity to rationalize totalitarianism or other milder attempts to use government power to "force people to be good."
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  • Posted by $ jbrenner 9 years, 9 months ago
    Thanks for posting this, ShruginArgentina. It is a worthwhile discussion to have. Much of Christianity, Objectivism, and capitalism are compatible, but there is a significant segment that is not. Probably the best known example of someone who demonstrated their compatibility was John Rockefeller, the oil refining magnate.

    Those Christians who are highly selective in their charitable giving such that their giving is consistent with their values can live non-contradictory lives and be capitalistic, but they would not really be able to take both halves of Galt's oath.
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  • Posted by shivas 9 years, 9 months ago
    Clearly the website has an agenda to make Brat look like a right-wing Christian whack job and they're not afraid to insert imaginary context to make him frightening to the average voter.

    I also agree that capitalism and Christianity are not exactly complimentary. Religion can however, provide excellent mutual aid to it's adherents.

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  • Posted by Robbie53024 9 years, 9 months ago
    It truly baffles me as to why Objectivists (and by extension atheists) insist that being a person of faith inherently means that you must believe in self-enslavement. Let's take native Americans and their worship of nature and their ancestors. Certainly there is no call to self-enslavement there. What about Judaism? Yes, there is a deity, and a call to keep holy the Sabbath and honor mother/father, but no call for self-enslavement. How about Hinduism? Or Buddism?

    No, it is only the teaching of Christianity that is abhorrent to Objectivists, and they call anti-capitalistic. This is utter nonsense.
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