What do you guys think of Christian Socialism?

[Anonymous]

PaleoConPrep here( though I suppose that’s not really a good name for me anymore as I’ve drifted pretty far from the Paleoconservative movement over the last few years)

I’ve become very influenced by the thought of John Milbank politically. Milbank is a serious thinker who seems to understand the many problems( social and economic) caused by global Capitalism and Mass culture

Bernie Sandwrs seems to have achieved some level of success as a Socialist here in America. Why not a socially conservative Christian Socialist who ran as a Republican? Part of me thinks GOP voters are just too narrow minded to even give such a candidate consideration.

Two books by Milbank I highly recommend are “The Politics of Virtue” and “Radical Orthodoxy” Catherine Pickstock contributed to the second book of course and she’s a brilliant thinker as well

[Anonymous]

This was called "compassionate conservatism" and it doesn't exist anymore. Next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was called "compassionate conservatism" and it doesn't exist anymore. Next.

OP here
I have to disagree with you there. As far as I understand it, “compassionate conservatism” had no problem with global Capitalism. Those folks just wanted to be more compassionate and caring within the existing structure. That’s not Socialism.

[Anonymous]

I lean toward socialism - as practiced in Northern Europe, but I am not a Christian. So, Christian Socialism does not appeal to me, at all. I like not having a national religion.

[Anonymous]

It's an oxymoron. You can look up that word, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's an oxymoron. You can look up that word, OP.

OP here
In what sense? If one reads the New Testament, the Church Fathers, and even modern European Christian thinkers, one will find that Socialism and Christianity are fully compatible

Christian Socialism may be an oxymoron to American Evangelicals but I don’t care what they think

[Anonymous]

Anything associated with christianity is bound to be stupid and attract morons and MAGAs (excuse the redundancy).

And if churches wish to dabble in politics, as right wing evangelicals are so fond of doing, then their churches should lose their tax exempt status and their members should all be charged with tax evasion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anything associated with christianity is bound to be stupid and attract morons and MAGAs (excuse the redundancy).

And if churches wish to dabble in politics, as right wing evangelicals are so fond of doing, then their churches should lose their tax exempt status and their members should all be charged with tax evasion.

The whole of what you say is just laughable. I’ll grant that much of American Christianity does attract stupid people, but the world is quite a bit bigger than America. Read Milbank or David Bentley Hart. If hardcore American liberals were really as open minded as they claim to be, they’d try to understand varying perspectives. Painting Christianity with a broad brush just makes you look silly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anything associated with christianity is bound to be stupid and attract morons and MAGAs (excuse the redundancy).

And if churches wish to dabble in politics, as right wing evangelicals are so fond of doing, then their churches should lose their tax exempt status and their members should all be charged with tax evasion.

Correct.

The American christians (of any denomination) are all Christian Nationalists. They are closeted MAGAs whether they admit it or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anything associated with christianity is bound to be stupid and attract morons and MAGAs (excuse the redundancy).

And if churches wish to dabble in politics, as right wing evangelicals are so fond of doing, then their churches should lose their tax exempt status and their members should all be charged with tax evasion.

Correct.

The American christians (of any denomination) are all Christian Nationalists. They are closeted MAGAs whether they admit it or not.

+100. Trash.

[Anonymous]

I am not a fan of any system that has religion in its title.

[Anonymous]

Look at how white Baptists in the South used Christianity to justify slavery and Jim Crow. The same strain of Christianity is associated with organized political power today.

If anyone is going to meaningfully be a “socialist conservative Christian” and translate it into actual power, it will come from the Catholics. But they first will need to topple the Leonard Leo-type of Catholics who have integrated themselves fully with corporatism.

Protestants who could get behind socialism or “compassionate conservativism” have pretty much zero political power in America. They are viewed as a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lean toward socialism - as practiced in Northern Europe, but I am not a Christian. So, Christian Socialism does not appeal to me, at all. I like not having a national religion.

+1, except I am a Christian, but I still don't want national religion.

I guess I'd call what Europe practices "restrained capitalism." I definitely think profits are a good thing, but should be balanced with worker protections. We should have a health insurance floor for everyone with the ability to purchase private insurance or pay cash as well. The ability to support oneself in retirement shouldn't be a crapshoot. Air and water should be clean. The basics.

[Anonymous]

Whether they are National Socialists or so-called Christian Socialists, I have no need of extremists.

Socialists will always lead us into extremism.

[Anonymous]

There's nothing wrong with compassion.

But today it's being abused.