James is a poor disciple of a poor man, Jesus, who partnered with people to co-create the one “Community of God.” He cautions listeners about how the rich are divisive in the kingdom of Caesar, “Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries… Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud… You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts.”
Neither Jesus nor James is a Socialist. Neither is a Communist. More startling is the truth that neither Jesus nor James is a Capitalist. Among the three, capitalism gets a place of honor, even sanctity, in U.S. culture and in institutional christianity. But capitalism prioritizes gaining capital and uses people to do so. Capitalism originates in Militarism’s slave trade. In the Old Testament slave owners Abraham and Moses through their invented War Lord deity Yahweh explain, “When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it… if it makes you answer of peace, and opens to you, then it shall be, that all the people who are found therein shall become forced laborers to you.” (Deut 20:10-12) (See also Num 31:25-35; Deut 21:10-12). Militarism’s capital gaining system is the free market, meaning the free slave labor market. Capitalism is rule by the master class who still operate an enslaving debt system. It is touted by its rich master class as Christian – but that is a lie and a betrayal of Christ Jesus. The master class contrast their ‘Christ-like’ financial system with atheists Marx and Lenin’s financial system, a fused socialism/communism. But neither Marx nor Lenin were atheists. Both believed in capitalism’s same War Lord deity. Lenin, who gained from killing poor people as well as rich people, wrote, “The dictatorship of the proletariat is rule won and maintained by the use of violence… against the bourgeoise.” Marx, who kept a maid as a debt slave, concluded his Communist Manifesto admitting socialists “openly declare their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing conditions.” Neither Leninism nor Marxism offers an essential change from capitalism. Marxism does, however, offer helpful critiques on materialism and on capitalism’s war on the working class. Liberal capitalists sometimes draw on the critiques. But it is not to transform its plundering slave system, rather to periodically reform it (labor laws, Social Security, health benefits,… ). A recent Metropolitan Opera Gala with a politician wearing a designer dress emblazoned with, ‘Tax the Rich’ is an example of reform – but not transformation. Capitalism, Socialism, and Communism are all based in Militarism’s violent master-slave model and cannot be identified as Christ-like. This is especially true since each of them, to varying degrees, assumed the inequality and/or enslavement of women. Riane Eisler’s early book, The Chalice and The Blade, proposes an alternative to the aforementioned classed societies. She calls them partnership societies and proposed women lived as equal human beings in them – long ago, in pre-history. Portions of the cultures survived though they were targeted for destruction by warriors and their capitalism as the example from the Old Testament shows. Some analysts propose agriculture took over and systematized inequality and enslavement but there is no evidence inequality and enslavement are inherent to agriculture as they are so obviously inherent to Militarism. Eisler does not propose partnership societies were, nor will be utopias, unrealistic fantasies. Partnership societies simply decide not to use people to gain capital but instead care for people to share love.
Partnership societies do not pass laws against people who are homeless, as Los Angeles CA recently did, but instead build, buy, and refurbish low-cost homes and neighborhoods as Cambridge MA does. They do not maintain racist police forces, as Springfield MA does, but instead include mental health practitioners in social safety and well-being programs as Aurora IL does. Partnership societies do not hinder workers bringing class action suits against wealthy corporations, such as Wal-Mart for wage theft, discrimination, and other injustices, as the Supreme Court recently did, but instead ensure humane economies and work environments as Unions do. ‘Come now, you poor, rejoice and laugh over your impending well-being. The benefits you share as workers who harvest your own fields enable you to live in communion and delight; you have gladdened your hearts.’
Prayer: Spirit of Sharing, keep guiding us as One
Question: How does capitalism influence me to minimize or even reject the Way of partnership?
September 26, 2021 Gospel Mark 9:38-48 Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time