Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site analog.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!analog!kim From: kim@analog.UUCP (Kim Helliwell ) Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion,net.books Subject: Re: "Witness in Nicaragua" - Christ, Marx, and *The Name of the Rose* Message-ID: <133@analog.UUCP> Date: Wed, 20-Jun-84 11:14:29 EDT Article-I.D.: analog.133 Posted: Wed Jun 20 11:14:29 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jun-84 20:49:12 EDT References: <302@uwvax.ARPA> Organization: Analog Design Tools, Menlo Park, Ca. Lines: 40 It is difficult to know how to respond to the above named article. To me, the suggestion of a synthesis between Christianity and Marxism is quite repugnant. To such opposites cannot be reconciled, in my opinion. Such a synthesis would, in fact, lead to something that is neither Christianity nor Marxism. The author of the piece claims to be filled with what he calls Righteousness. Admittedly, he narrows the definition if the term to the point that almost anybody could claim to be filled with Righteousness--I too am exercised greatly by injustice when I hear of cases. If the author were truly familiar with Christian teaching, he would know that "there is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom 3:10) and "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). His claim of being filled with Righteousness seems arrogant in the extreme. Christianity teaches that none of us is righteous in himself. Our righteousness comes from Christ. Christ is the Son of God, and Very God. To compare him to Marx on the human level is, to say the least, irrelevant. OK, so what are we to do with American Christians and movements which suggest that attaining wealth is the highest good? This is certainly a problem. People do tend to mistake wealth and the favor of the world as the favor of God. But that IS a mistake. On the other hand, Christianity teaches that there is such a thing as private property--we are stewards under God of the things we are given, and are accountable to Him for how we use them. This is one of the reasons stealing is wrong--it takes from a steward that which he was given in trust by God! I am no student of Marx, but it seems to me that the teachings of Marx run counter to this stewardship concept by imposing upon people who own something a forced sharing of their wealth. (Even to the taking of lives, though that may be Lenin's corruption of Marxism that I am thinking of). I am sorry this is such a ramble--my thoughts are barely collected, and I haven't time to put them in order any better. I am glad to hear of ministries to poor and downcast people, which this article mentioned. It does sound as if there are some Christians doing something about injustice in the world. That is good. What I reacted to was the attempt at equating this with Marxism--I think that is a dangerous road. Kim Helliwell hplabs!analog!kim