Christian Socialism

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"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist."

Christian Socialism, sometimes called ChristSoc, is an economically left-wing and culturally variable ideology, inhabiting either the bottom of the AuthLeft or the top of the LibLeft quadrant. He believes a socialist society is endorsed by the Holy Bible and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. He condemns Capitalism for being idolatrous and for promoting the Deadly Sin of greed, among other sins.

Variants

Christian Left

WIP

Christian Communism

Christian Communism is an ideology mixing Christianity with communism. As a theological view, it states that teachings of Jesus are compatible with Marxist theory. Historians generally agree that in first Christian communities there existed a common ownership of property. That is confirmed by the Bible. Yet, its important to notice that said communities were much older than Marxism and lacked concept of class struggle.

Some see Thomas More's "Utopia" to be an example of Christian Communism, as it describes ideal society as being administrated through application of reason and based on common ownership of property.

Many communists, including Karl Kautsky, argued that Bible teaches communism and apostles practiced it. Famous theorists of Christian Communism in Western Europe include: Étienne Cabet, Eugene Debs, Wilhelm Weitling and Pehr Götrek. Weitling was leader of League of the Just while Götrek was famous for translating The Communist Manifesto into Swedish. In his translation, he have changed "Workers of the world, unite!" into "Folkets röst, guds röst!" meaning "People's voice is God's voice".

In 20th century, Christian Communists became part of wider communist movement - but were marginalized later and Christianity was generally persecuted by newly-created revolutionary government. However, it slightly changed after Second World War as Christian Communists took part in few anti-fascist movements - orthodox priest Vlada Zečević was member of League of Communists of Yugoslavia and the Yugoslav Partisans, Petru Groza was Prime Minister of communist Romania. In People's Republic of Poland, there existed few pro-government, Catholic organisations, such as: PAX Association, "Znak" and few more. Fidel Castro saw Christianity as fully compatible with communism, stating that "Christ chose the fishermen because he was a communist." and that there is "great coincidence between Christianity's objectives and the ones we Communists seek, between the Christian teachings of humility, austerity, selflessness, and loving thy neighbour and what we might call the content of a revolutionary's life and behaviour."

Today, leader of CPRF party, Gennady Zyuganov sees Christ as first communist and states that Bible can be read through a socialist perspective.

German Peasants' War

The German Peasant War was a large-scale peasant uprising that broke out in 1524. At the beginning, it was a local peasant uprising and later extended to most of the southern regions (southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland). The peasants raised clear requirements for the first time by proposing the Twelve Clauses Uprising. In 1525, the uprising was suppressed in Schwaben, Franken, Alsace and Turingen. The 1526 uprising was extinguished in Saxony and Tyrol. Similar uprisings had broken out in Britain and Switzerland before the peasant uprising broke out.

Münster Rebellion

The Münster Rebellion took place after the German Peasants' War, in which they attempted an Anabaptist Christian Theocracy between 1532 (in fact 1534) and 1535 in the Holy Roman Empire. The foundations of the community believed that the Bible claimed absolute equality and distribution of all goods. In Münster, several men were soon baptized and others were apparently rebaptized with the support of Bernhard Rothmann. The rebellion ended in 1535, after being taken over by the besiegers of the Holy Roman Empire, in which all the leaders were tortured and executed and their bodies exposed in public in cages.

Sandinismo

Flag of Sandinismo

In Nicaragua, Christian Socialism had influence in the form of Sandinista ideology also known as Sandinismo, based on the revolutionary Augusto César Sandino and espoused by the Sandinista National Liberation Front.

Augusto César Sandino was a Nicaraguan revolutionary who from 1927 to 1933 was the leader of an armed rebellion against the US occupation of Nicaragua. Despite being assassinated, Sandino became an anti-imperialist icon.

In 1961, Nicaragua was under the dictatorship of the Somoza Family, which was backed by the United States, so, inspired by Sandino's asañas, the socialist politician Carlos Fonseca founded the Sandinista National Liberation Front, a guerrilla organization from socialist court that, after waging a violent revolution, managed to overthrow the Somoza Family and establish a socialist government.

Following this, the Sandinistas clashed with anti-communist insurgent groups called "Contras" in a civil war that lasted until 1990, when the opposition defeated the Sandinistas in pre-presidential elections.

After a long time without being in power, the Sandinistas would win the 2006 presidential elections with Daniel Ortega, who over time would perpetuate himself in power. Currently the Sandinistas control almost the entire national assembly. Under Ortega, the Sandinista government has moved away from the left and become more authoritarian.

History

In Barbados

In Barbados Christian Socialism is based on opposition leader, former MP and Bishop Joseph Atherley and the party he founded: People's Party for Democracy and Development (PdP), whose slogan is "God, Growth and Peace". His ideas are based on laborism, Christian Social Democracy and a left-wing democracy. Christian leftism is evident when Atherley announced the formation of the PdP in 2018, stating that the party would be "socialist and Christian".[8]

Atherley was the only member of the chamber for the PdP and made an alliance with the United Progressive Party, forming the electoral alliance Party of the Alliance for Progress, adopting the ideology of both parties, being Progressivism and Christian Democratic Socialism. The Alliance is from the opposition and received 2.81% taking 3rd place and its slogan is "Download APP".

Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was a state in China from 1851 to 1864. It was formed by Hong Xiuquan, who claimed he was the younger brother of Jesus and tried to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and install a Christian Theocracy. While not necessarily communist, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom implemented numerous policies similar to communism, such as abolishing private property and the creation of a classless society. The Taiping inplemented a large number of sweeping reform to make China more like the God Worshipping Society. These included:

  • The subject of study for the state examinations for officials changed from the Confucian classics to the Bible.
  • Private property was abolished.
  • Land was redistributed back to the peasants.
  • The solar calendar was replaced by the lunar calendar.
  • Foot binding was banned.
  • Society was declared classless.
  • The sexes were declared equal and women could take the state examinations for the first time in Chinese history. Women served in the military, including Hong Xuanjiao, Su Sanniang and Qin Ersao.
  • The sexes were rigorously separated and entire military divisions were created for just women and, until 1855, married couples weren't allowed to have sex, unless it was for making children.
  • The queue hairstyle, which was mandated under the Qing Dynasty, was abandoned.
  • Opium, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, polygamy (including concubinage), slavery, and prostitution. All of these carried death penalties.

Gan Prince Hong Rengan also proposed some more reforms, which he got the permission of the Heavenly King to implement, but the Qing Dynasty, British Empire and Second French Empire destroyed the Taiping. The reforms included:

  • Making 1 railway for every province.
  • Adopting steamships.
  • Establishment of private banks.
  • Granting of 10 year patents for major inventions, 5 year patents for minor inventions.
  • Establishment of a national postal service.
  • Promotion of mineral exploration.
  • Introduction of governmental investigative officers.
  • Introduction of independent state media officers for reporting the news.
  • Institution of district treasuries and paymasters to manage finances.

The war between the Qing Dynasty and Taiping Heavenly Kingdom would be known as the Taiping Rebellion, and would result in between 20-30 million deaths, making it one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history, second only to World War 2. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom issued "The Land System of the Heavenly Dynasty". This system tries to abolish feudal land ownership and distribute land equally according to population and age. But today's historians believe that it is utopian and wrong, because this system is based on the average of small-scale peasant economy.

In Poland

National Workers' Party

National Workers' Party (NPR) was Christian Left, reformist and statist party in Second Polish Republic.

It was founded in 1920, by merger of National Workers' Union (from Russian partition) and National Party of Workers (from German partition). Its main politicians were: Karol Popiel, Ludwik Waszkiewicz and Adam Chądzyński. NPR's electoral bastions were former territories of Prussia - Pomerania, Upper Silesia and Greater Poland.

Although NPR party was focused on working class it wasn't a socialist party. Instead, it preferred solidarism and class collaboration. It was a left-wing nationalist party, seeing humanity as divided by national identifies first with class divisions on second place.

Since its creation, NPR was unstable due to internal divisions - there was pro-Piłsudski left (for example: Antoni Ciszak), Christian Democratic right (represented by, among others, Stanisław Wachowiak) and "national-socialist" faction (led by Kazimierz Dagnan)[9]. That is why party entered different political alliances: it cooperated with PSL, then joined Centrolew coalition, later tried to create coalition of workers' parties, to finally merge with Christian Democracy in 1937. After May Coup the party was divided between these who wanted to cooperate with Front Morges, ones preferring to join Camp of the Great Poland and these who wished to support Sanation. The last ones defected from NPR to create pro-government NPR-Lewica (NPR-Left).

PAX Association

PAX Association was created in 1947, by Bolesław Piasecki. Being former leader of RNR-Falanga, he fought against both Germans and Soviets. After being imprisoned by NKVD in Lublin. After interrogation by Ivan Serov, he agreed to cooperate with communist authorities.

Newly-created association fully supported the Stalinist regime, including even infamous show trial of Kraków Curia (which resulted in death penalties for priests opposing the communist government). Moreover, it voiced its support for trial and imprisonment of influential anti-communist clergymen, like Bishop Czesław Kaczmarek and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. Piasecki and PAX also supported and helped to organize so-called "priests-patriots" movement[10], made of priests who collaborated with communist regime. After 1956 PAX (together with other pro-government organisations) supported leniency for Polish anti-communist movement. In 1982, one year after Martial Law was introduced in Poland, PAX joined Patriotic Movement of National Rebirth (PRON) - popular front created to gather all organisations supporting the government.

PAX had its daily called "Słowo Powszechne". It ceased to exist in 1993. The association also had representatives in Sejm. In 1969, for example, it won 5 seats. Famous members of PAX include: Jan Dobraczyński (politician of interwar Endecja, Catholic publicist and general in post-war army), Janusz Zabłocki (soldier of Home Army, journalist, lawyer and politician)[11] and Tadeusz Mazowiecki[12] (first non-communist Prime Minister of Poland since the creation of PRL).

Association's influence started to decrease as fall of communism progressed in Poland. PAX still exists today, but lost its influence since the end of PRL era.

Personality

ChristSoc is a devout follower of Christianity who deeply empathizes with his fellow balls. He preaches the biblical passages that endorse more progressive messages over the ones that his conservative peers single out. He is often seen volunteering for good causes and doing political advocacy.

How to Draw

Flag of Christian Socialism

Drawing ChristSoc is fairly simple:

  1. Draw a ball
  2. Fill the ball with red berry.
  3. Draw 4 white L's shaped into a Christian cross in the middle of the ball.
  4. Add the eyes and you're done!
Color Name HEX RGB
Red berry #990000 153, 0, 0
White #FFFFFF 255, 255, 255


Relationships

Friends

Frenemies

  • Marxism - I don't know about that atheism and materialism of yours, but at least you're against capitalism.
  • Posadism - Bless your heart...
  • Catholic Theocracy - Sometimes we agree although one from my variants is actually chasing you . And no, I'm not him! - Stop mistaking me for a cattocomunista!
  • Reactionary Socialism - I like your general direction, brother, but I think you're taking things a bit too far.
  • Marxist Feminism - I like the economics and gender equality but cool it with the anti-Christianism!
  • Black Nationalism - MLK wanted racial unity! Not racial segregation!
  • Fourth Theory - Nazbol weirdo that likes the Orthodox Church, but at least Vitrenko likes you.
  • Titoism - Just stop accusing catholic Croats and you'll be perfect.
  • Integralism - Why don't you like socialism? Oh... at least some of your followers do. Well, whatever...

Enemies

  • State Atheism - Go away, blasphemer!
  • Prosperity Gospel - Damnable heresy.
  • Capitalism - "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” -Matthew 19:24.
  • Libertarianism - "Behold, I have given unto you the power to tread on serpents." - Luke 10:19
  • Clerical Fascism - Which Bible translation have YOU been reading???
  • State Liberalism - Literally the devil!
  • Neoconservatism - You will burn for what you did in El Salvador!
  • Imperialism - "What fools we are to live in a generation for which war is a computer game for our children and just an interesting little Channel Four news item." - Tony Benn
  • European Federalism - "My view about the European Union has always been not that I am hostile to foreigners, but that I am in favour of democracy ... I think they're building an empire there, they want us to be a part of their empire and I don't want that." - Tony Benn
  • Esoteric Fascism - [Removed by moderator. Banned to 72 hours]
  • Avaritionism - Literally the demon of greed... WAIT, NO, EVEN DEVIL IS AFRAID OF YOU, ABOMINATION!
  • White Nationalism - I HAVE A DREAM...


Gallery

Portraits

  • Original image
    Original image
  • Original image 2
    Original image 2

Alternative Variants

  • Christian Communism
    Christian Communism
  • Christian Communism
    Christian Communism
  • God Worshipping Theory
    God Worshipping Theory
  • Münster Rebellion
    Münster Rebellion
  • Sandinismo
    Sandinismo
  • Flag of Christian Communism
    Flag of Christian Communism

Comics

Further Information

Texts

Wikipedia

People

Organisations

Online Communities

Navigation

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Fictional
  1. ↑ https://www.theroot.com/a-close-alliance-between-mlk-and-nelson-rockefeller-rev-1790858451
  2. ↑ he is running for president
  3. ↑ Hong Xiuquan failed his civil service exam.
  4. ↑ One of the reasons why the Lollards opposed celibacy was that they believed it was causing male priests to sodomize eachother
  5. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role_of_women_in_the_Nicaraguan_Revolution
  6. ↑ "According to Norman Davies PAX was an NKVD front organisation, set up to win over Polish Catholics to communism, and to break their links to the Vatican" Wikipedia
  7. ↑ While PAX was founded as Catholic organisation, it supported every communist government through PRL era, including all anti-Catholic actions.
  8. ↑ 1
  9. ↑ Although it was nationalist and somewhat anti-semitic, it was closer to National Syndicalism than to actual Nazism.
  10. ↑ "Priests-patriots" in Encyklopedia PWN (in Polish)
  11. ↑ Left in 1955, but took part in many government-controlled, Catholic organisations.
  12. ↑ Left in 1955.
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