(Mis)Appropriating Jesus – the story of the Christian left
One of the most well-worn cliches in modern politics is that the Republican party and the conservative movement have become too religious. We’ve been portrayed as scary Christianists bent on creating a theocracy. Both secular and Christian leftists have attempted to attack the right by claiming especially that conservative economic theory runs directly against Christ’s teachings. In so doing the Christian leftists have revealed their own “theocratic” leanings. Moreover, they have tried to recruit Jesus Christ to their cause on economic issues because they realize they have fallen short on social issues.
The latest portrayal of Jesus Christ, socialist superstar, is Michael Moore’s latest bomb. (Please go see this movie. Michael Moore is very sad that you are not seeing his movie. You could be in grave danger if you don’t go and support him.) As Ann Althouse details, Moore littered his anti-capitalist screed with a healthy dose of that old time religion. He trains his camera on Priests who have unkind words for the free market, and Moore of course relies on out of context scriptural readings that evidently support the hypothesis that Christ was the original Marxist.
Alan Colmes – noted non-Christian – also claims that Christ would be not-so-approving of the modern GOP. It’s always helpful when non-Christians try to claim some insight into what the non-Messiah might have been thinking.
Again, this is all very silly. But what’s most infuriating about these arguments is that it reveals the left’s own attempts to appropriate Jesus to advance their political interests in a fashion that their opponents rarely do. Aside from the promoters of the Prosperity Gospel, few conservative Christians actually try to advance the idea that their particular economic theories have been especially endorsed by the Lord. Of course we’ll argue that our ideas do not conflict with Christian values, and Catholic conservatives will cite passages from both Scripture and the Catechism to disprove the notion that our ideas are at odds with Church teachings. But rarely will you these same people act as though their ideas and their ideas alone are the only God-approved ways of thinking about economic issues.
The fact of the matter is that we probably all fall short when it comes to economic matters. There is a strand of conservative thinking that is uncaring when it comes to addressing the needs of the poor and is influenced by a Randian worldview that places far, far too much stock in individualism. But leftists are guilty of violating subsidiarity, and I believe their reliance on government assistance de-emphasizes personal responsibility and charity.
The Christian left can rationalize all they want, but the fact of the matter is social issues are much more black and white, and Church teachings on matters such as abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage and other issues are absolute and unchanging. Left-wing Catholics and other Christians either ignore clear teachings on these matters or give aid and comfort to those who do. Therefore I think that when it comes to economic issues, they are driven by a need to prove their Christian bona fides by asserting that they are the good stewards on economic matters. It’s always rather sad when guilty consciences try to over-compensate for their shortcomings in other areas. But no one should be fooled by what’s really happening here.
“…But leftists are guilty of violating subsidiarity, and I believe their reliance on government assistance de-emphasizes personal responsibility and charity…”
And there we are–the truth of the matter, Mr Zummo. I wish I were as eloquent.
Indeed, giving to the poor is remarkably easy when you’re giving away nothing of your own, be it time or money, and yet this is the left’s contorted redefinition of charitable giving.
Of course, not only in charitable matters does the liberal left ‘de-emphasize personal responsibility.’ As a matter of fact, absolving themselves of personal accountability has become all but reflexive for them.
What seems to be increasingly coming from the liberal left, though, is not so much logical, plausible rationalization, but simply verbal flatulence.
Paul,
Good post. However, I do have to take issue with your claim that on economic issues “we probably all fall short.” I don’t believe God has a favorite market orientation or public policy preference when it comes to economic issues. Consequently, I don’t think anyone, left or right, falls short theologically on economic issues. A staunch socialist can be just as good a Christian as a laissez fair capitalist.
Jesus was pretty clear that his kingdom was not of this world. Consequently, I don’t think he cares on any level what market orientation I support. He cares what I do in my individual capacity, not what economic policy I may or may not support. We don’t get any points from God for voting for policies or candidates that claim to relieve us of our individual duty to directly help those in need. Likewise, we don’t get any gold stars from God for supporting fiscally sound and economically efficient policies.
I believe that God is interested in the condition of our soul, not our political party membership.
Joel: Fair point. Perhaps I would have been better off saying that there are certain approaches to economics that are manifestly un-Christian. It’s hard to square the extreme Randian individualist approach to politics with the message of the Gospels, just as I think socialist policies pervert the doctrine of subsidiarity. So I don’t think God ought to be relegated to the sidelines when we discuss economic matters, but as you suggest there is no one God-approved method, and God’s ultimately not concerned with what party you’re registered with.
I have to think Christ would be neither capitalist nor socialist, republican nor democrat. I also don’t think Jesus would contribute to Southern Appeal as he would be busy being God incarnate – “what would Jesus do” although useful in some contexts is generally a silly rubric.
Joel, I disagree that staunch socialism is as compatible with Christianity as laissez faire capitalism – stealing is expressly prohibited in scripture, hard work and success are not. The “catch” for a Christian capitalist is that those who achieve success are to give it away.
Younger Now: I tend to agree most with your post. Worshiping God for “What Jesus Did” (i.e. though fully deity, he took on the mantle of manhood, lived a perfect live, completely fufilled the law, died a criminal’s death all to pay for the sin of his children and to credit unto them his perfect righteousness) is much more important that pondering WWJD–i.e., trying to extrapolate what he might do in a certain modern contexts, which we really don’t know (and he might surprise us)–other than we know he would not sin.
His gospel and its effects are far above economic systems and political parties, even countries, cultures and sexes. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Gal. 3:28 This is not to say that these “givens” are not significant or that you should withdraw from them–only that his power and influence are not limited by them. But you guys know all this.
[...] Zummo on the Christian left’s “theocratic” leanings: Aside from the promoters of the Prosperity Gospel, few conservative Christians actually try to [...]
One well-known, time-honored technique of Marxism is that of appropriating religious belief and symbols for its own use (the socialist Jesus); another is the practice of recruiting believers into the Marxist ranks, trusting that they can be educated and persuaded to convert their religious faith into faith in Marxism and atheistic humanism.
@Ars Artium,
I’m fond of saying that Karl Mark preached “the Kingdom of God, hold the God”.