Was Jesus a Socialist?

[★Bandiera Rossa☭]

Many people believe that Jesus held many of the same ideas and ethics as Socialists, and taught ethics much more in line with Socialism than with modern Neo-Liberalism, any opinions on this subject?

[ShADoW]

He did give free healthcare
Died for our sins, instead of people dying for their own.
Kinda favoured the poor too.

[justinius]

Most of our socialist or leftist ideas nowadays (believe it or not) actually derive from the Bible, notably the New Testament.

[★Bandiera Rossa☭]

Indeed.. which is why I find it strange that most religious people are on the right wing which is traditionally against the poor people and more for "freedoms" such as Free Commerce and actually lean more towards helping the Corporations (while of course they think this helps everyone it is sadly not true)

[Tuor]

WWJTSD?
(What would Jesus, the socialist, do?)

I can see the socialist political campaign slogans now!

[Pious Agnost]

You're applying relatively new concepts to a 2000 year old figure.

If the Bible is to be believed, I'd say he was a humanist anyway (Which may tie in with Socialism sometimes )

[Alkarin]

But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed,
because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. [Luke 14:13 &14.]

Love your neighbor as yourself. .[Matthew 22:39] -oh but what if your neighbor is gay? then its surely justifed despite jesus' own words?

So in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you.
[Matthew 7:12.]

If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
[Matthew 19:21]

In the temple courts [Jesus] found men selling cattle, sheep and doves and
other sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both
sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. [John 2:14 & 15.]

Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
[Luke 12.15.]

Truly, I say unto you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 19:23]

You cannot serve both God and Money. [Matthew 6:24.]

I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. [Matthew 19:24.]

its blatantly obvious he is very anti capitalistic and very much so for equality of all human especially the poor. also he is against the idea of money itself. or atleast that with faces of men on them. So technically your not very christian if you have any money with any sort of face on it. Jesus said so himself.

[Claudius Gothicus]

As pious has said he could be considered a humanist by today's standards but he also had some very conservative views on some issues.

[Alkarin]

As pious has said he could be considered a humanist by today's standards but he also had some very conservative views on some issues.

like what?

if you can back that up with quotes...

id say he popularized the idea of humanism and socialism. or even came up with them for that matter.

[Knight of Heaven]

its blatantly obvious he is very anti capitalistic and very much so for equality of all human especially the poor. also he is against the idea of money itself. or atleast that with faces of men on them. So technically your not very christian if you have any money with any sort of face on it. Jesus said so himself.

Yes exactly, i belive if jesus existed he was man very ahead of this time. He was a comunist no doubt about that, its well acepted by philosophers,writers, thinkers etc.

As pious has said he could be considered a humanist by today's standards but he also had some very conservative views on some issues.

Of course, 2000 year old values werent the same as our modern societies. Generaly speaking. You must consider that, the problem is the most pious man today dont consider that.
Anyway still in his core i doubt you can find anything conservative.

[A pimp named Slickback]

By today's standards, Jesus was a Muslim.

[ThiudareiksGunthigg]

like what?

Like the whole "the world is going to end soon and all the sinners will burn in a lake of fire" thing. Which was his whole message. Not exactly touchy-feely stuff.

[A pimp named Slickback]

So I guess Jesus, by today's standards, is more like a Scientoligist who is really hyped on the 2012 thing?

[ThiudareiksGunthigg]

So I guess Jesus, by today's standards, is more like a Scientoligist who is really hyped on the 2012 thing?

He certainly wasn't the cool, mellow hippy a lot of people try to pretend he was. Does this sound like a cool. mellow hippy who simply went around saying we should, like, be cool to each other?:

. . . the rich man also died, and was buried;
And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

(Luke 16:22-24)

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where" 'the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' Everyone will be salted with fire.
(Mark 9: 43-49)

For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then " 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" '
(Luke 23: 29-30)

"When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. .... "But in those days, following that distress, " 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky,and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
(Mark 13: 14-25)

Jesus was a blood and thunder preacher who banged on endlessly about the coming end of the world and the hellfire and torment that would follow for anyone who didn't listen to him and believe. He was not a mellow hippy or a proto-socialist. He was a ranting nutter.

[Ummon]

What an imaginative thread for the VV. I especially like the part where someone asserts to have the key to perfect understanding of the words of someone who died slightly less than 2000 years ago, and whose utterings (on religious, hence highly symbolic matters) we know only by indirect testimony.

I am sure plenty of sources will follow. The claim is silly nonetheless.

EDIT: Heh, I am a prophet sometimes.

[ThiudareiksGunthigg]

And behold, from the Pit of Ethos, Mores, et Monastica, there arose a many-headed beast. And the beast spake unto the people with the tongue of a man, but his words were confusion and the people said "Eh?"

What an imaginative thread for the VV. I especially like the part where someone asserts to have the key to perfect understanding of the words of someone who died slightly less than 2000 years ago, and whose utterings (on religious, hence highly symbolic matters) we know only by indirect testimony.

Yes, because it's not like we have about 150 years of detailed scholarship on Jesus and his place in the Jewish apocalyptic tradition or anything. Oh, hang on - we do ...

I am sure plenty of sources will follow. The claim is silly nonetheless.

Yes, those silly, silly, silly scholars like Dale C. Allison, Geza Vermes, Paula Fredriksen and Bart Ehrman. What would those muddle heads know? Luckily, we have Great Ummon here to show them how "silly" they are.

[jankren]

Yeah Obama's health care campaign slogan in the South should indeed be "What Would Jesus Do?"

Jesus was totally the enemy of capitalism. No wonder he got killed. Imagine how many doctors throughout Israel were put out of job because of him?

[mrcrusty]

What an imaginative thread for the VV. I especially like the part where someone asserts to have the key to perfect understanding of the words of someone who died slightly less than 2000 years ago, and whose utterings (on religious, hence highly symbolic matters) we know only by indirect testimony.

I am sure plenty of sources will follow. The claim is silly nonetheless.

EDIT: Heh, I am a prophet sometimes.

Lol. I normally find your posts dripping with arrogance and condescension and while this is no exception, I actually found it quite funny because it's true in a way. + rep.

Anyways, I've already posted my thoughts on Jesus in the "American Conservative Stereotype" thread. Jesus was apolitical, his teachings encompass views from both the left and right wing, but he personally couldn't give two craps about how the government was run as long as they weren't corrupt, exploiting the people or effecting him directly.

Anyways, I really just love this pic, so I'm posting it again: Communist Jesus!

[Fight!]

It's funny, because socialised health-care is generally accepted as a GOOD IDEA throughout the world. That is, when it is not declared public-enemu number one by incompetent senators who don't even know the meaning of socialism.

But it's okay, I don't blame you for being subject to U.S. propaganda, it fools quite a few people

[mrcrusty]

It's funny, because socialised health-care is generally accepted as a GOOD IDEA throughout the world. That is, when it is not declared public-enemu number one by incompetent senators who don't even know the meaning of socialism.

But it's okay, I don't blame you for being subject to U.S. propaganda, it fools quite a few people

Who are you talking to?

More importantly, the issue at hand isn't healthcare, it's whether Jesus promoted socialist ideas, which is pretty hard imo since he didn't really care for politics all that much.