Is Capitalism or Socialism a better representation of Christian Philosophy?

Answer 1

Jesus would never subscribe to Capitalism. Never. Socialism is more in line with Jesus's teachings and philosophy.

Answer 2

Jesus' teachings are clearly not capitalist, however, they do, from time to time use capitalist ideas for illustration in a positive light. However, the ideas of socialism are more developed than Christianity as well. The idea of the state is poorly constructed in early Christianity, indeed the very idea of apostolic succession in Acts 2 implies a society outside the society. Socialism lacks the love and caring inherent in any coherent Christian response. It bears similar goals and indeed the early Christian idea of episcopacy implies decision making by a loving bishop in whose care the society of Christians are entrusted. It also is clearly not communist, because the idea of the progression through democracy to the direct rule of the proletariat is missing.

Answer 3

Both are compatible, but many American Christians have lost sight of the distinctly socialist elements in the bible, and are in danger of confusing capitalist economic success (for those who have it, not for those exploited or left behind) with divine approval.

Perhaps a few more sermons on Acts 4:32-35?
"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."

Some Christians have seen this
The authors of books such as "Bias to the Poor" and
"Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger", for example.

Answer 4

Neither. God operates in a Kingdom. The King owns it all..and is responsible for His people. He is in control of all. He is both judge and jury. His Word is law. He can change what He wants when He wants without permission from anyone. This King is Jesus Christ who has been given complete power over the heavens and the earth. He stands at the right hand of God the Father in the throne room of heaven..in the position of power and great glory. Hail to the King of Glory. Amen.

Answer 5

Capitalism.

Answer 6

Capitalism is, but capitalist must remember not to be greedy.

Socialism tries to redistribute wealth, but by force, and the distributions are made as how the politicians see fit. The politicians can also be greedy as has been evidenced in every application of socialism and communism in history.

Christianity teaches for people that have wealth to share it voluntarily. There is nothing gained by having wealth stolen from you.

Answer 7

"it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go into the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:235, Luke 18:25

"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Luke 16:13:

These ideas are very non-capitalist in my opinion.

Answer 8

Capitalism.

In the short run, socialism seems more inline with Christian teaching, but history has shown that socialism is an unsupportable economic model that relies on making everyone equally impoverished. Capitalism encourages prosperity for all who reach for it. St. Paul taught in one of his letters that if you don't work, you don't eat.

Under socialism, the value of your labor is arbitrarily fixed and may not have anything to do with the actual value you are adding. Under capitalism, the value of labor is fixed by market pressure, and you are allowed to react to seek the best recompense for your labor, and to adjust your labor for a higher return. This is freedom, and is more inline with Christian principles.

It was repeated many times that the rich in biblical times were in trouble, spiritually. In preindustrial times, it was very difficult to produce enough material wealth to become rich financially, so it was an axiom that a rich person got that way by taking it from someone else. In today's industrialised society where market potential encompasses the whole world, it is relatively easy for an enterpreneur to amass a fortune honestly by providing goods and services in demand to a virtually infinite market.

Third world countries resent the United States, because they don't understand capitalism. In the United States, even our poor have a higher standard of living than the average person in an undeveloped country. In their societies, you still cannot amass wealth without stealing it from someone, and political corruption demonstrates this. Since Americans appear rich, they logically must have stolen it from someone, and since these countries are poor, they believe that they are the victims.

Answer 9

Capitalism. When the Protestants came to America from Europe, they had community crops, and they all nearly starved to death. They soon realized that private land, and production of crops worked by individual owners yielded much more than the community crops, and the colonies began to flourish. This was essentially the birth of Capitalism in the United States.

Answer 10

If I had to pick one of the two options, I would say Socialism.

Didn't Jesus say something about it being wrong that people got rich by making other people poor?

Although Communism (in theory) is the most applicable soci-economic system to the Christian philosophy.