"Matt \"Fritz\" Bergin" <fritziematt@yahoo.com> wrote: I don't see any Biblical reason to have jubilee and I don't see how capitalism is destructive to faith. People are free to give what they want to others or the church in a capitalist society. If you want to redistribute your wealth to other people then by all means go ahead.
PvM: Jubilee seems an interesting biblical concept. I guess we are free to accept and reject biblical teachings whenever appropriate? Why is capitalism destructive to faith? Because it focuses on materialism, which places more emphasis on possessions than on the religious relevance of Christmas for instance.
Capitalism doesn't mean that no one can help or gets help. There are also other ways of giving besides money. Maybe you can give your time working to make a quilt for the homeless or work at a place that collects stuff that people want to give to the poor that they don't need anymore. My church has a program for giving your old vehicles to be fixed up and given to single parents and those that need vehicles.
PvM: Those are good programs although they do not really address the underlying problem. Still charity is a good start.
There are also many different food shelters and places that give poor people the things they need. I don't see why with all of this that we need to redistribute wealth.
PvM: To those who have, the idea of having to redistribute wealth may seem 'scary' but look at it from the jubilee perspective and things may look quite differently.
The other problem is that many poor people have lots of problems that giving them money will not solve like drug addictions, alcohol problems, no schooling, mental problems, or bad choices that they made.
PvM: Sure but those are often more symptoms rather than causes. Inequity, poor schooling, poverty all add to their problems. Drugs, mental problems etc are seldomly direct causes.
It probably seems like the problem is just money but its far more than that and I don't see how these socialist utopian solutions will solve the problem or help the people in need. These people need a more personal and real answers to their problems. Like in the case of the drug addict giving them money will not help them because they will just use it to further their addiction. I think we need to be more aware of their individual problems which a collectivism doesn't recognize.
PvM: What if addiction is a symptom of poverty and redistribution could help alleviate these problems? Giving money to a drug addict is not going to help but giving opportunities to someone who may become a drug addict may be a solution.
I always thought that Santa Claus was based on a real guy (Saint Nick) who gave gold to poor families...I don't remember the details. If Santa is a tradition that recognizes that then I see no problem with it. There are a lot of people that give in the holiday season to things like Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army. The whole point of Christmas and gifts is to give (as a way of recognizing God's gift to us)...but someone has to receive what you are giving...if thats materialistic then I don't know what to say.
Indeed, the history of Saint Nick is hardly as materialistic as the holiday it has turned into. Look at the advertising, the hype, the amount of money, the pressure on parents to deliver... Christmas has turned into a major materialistic holiday where the meaning of Christmas or Santa Claus have been totally lost.
What exactly is the religious right concentrating on anyway?
PvM: Good question... What should they be concentrating on is an even better one.
Is the religious right just a pawn in the hands of the political right? Should the religious right abandon its foundations for political short term gain?
Received on Tue Mar 7 02:48:22 2006
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