The Saint Euphrosynos Cafe

Code: Select all

   One hardly knows where to begin in addressing such popular misconceptions, but it would probably be best to begin by defining our terms carefully.  How, for example, do you define what you are calling "socialism?"  If a government sponsors the construction of a highway, is that "socialism," and, if not, [i]why not[/i]?  That is, how would you differentiate any government activity conducted on behalf of "society" from one that is "socialist"?  Are not all socially beneficent governmental actions "socialist"?

 Secondly, are you inferring that the absolute Orthodox Christian standard for right conduct in governance is to be defined by the U.S. Constitution?  As much as I admire the practical utility of the U.S. Constitution, I certainly do not consider the U.S. Constitution an ideal model of Orthodox polity.  The earliest Orthodox Christian communities, for example, were organized under the spiritual authority of the Apostles and their bishop-successors, and practiced a very clearly defined form of "socialism," (viz., see St. Luke's [i]Acts of the Apostles[/i]) in which they shared their resources in support of each other and of the Holy Church.

    The Church and the Holy Fathers have never condoned the modern capitalist ideal of profiting from the exploitation of another's labor--or, indeed, of usury.  This teaching and example of Christ and the Church has long been suppressed and distorted by modern Protestantism and the libertarian champions of capitalism whom you extol.  (see, for example, Max Weber's [i]The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.[/i]) This entire way of thinking about religion and economics is rooted in Protestantism and the modern Evangelical "gospel of wealth," which has very little connection with Orthodox Christian theology or political ideals.

      On the flip side, "socialism" in modern American thinking has tended to be identified, by the capitalist-controlled media, with atheistic, Marxist communism.  Identifying "socialism" exclusively with atheistic communism is somewhat similar to our American tendency to identify "Christianity" exclusively with right-wing, libertarian, gun-toting Evangelical Protestantism.  And, just as most Americans have no awareness of the glorious "Christian" history of the Orthodox Church, they are similarly ignorant of the glorious "socialism" of classical Byzantine civilization--a society of charitable institutions and hospitals for the poor, which the historian Toynbee called "the greatest civilization" in world history.

      I will say one thing in defense of modern libertarianism and conservative American capitalists like Reagan, Bush, or, perhaps, even Ron Paul.  Given that we do not live in an Orthodox theocracy--but rather in a kind of modern, capitalist 'Babylon"--and that most modern "liberal" politicians are agnostics, atheists, (or perhaps even closet Anti-Christians) the conservatives are at least nominally committed to upholding traditional Christian social mores, provided, of course,  that their corporate sponsors can continue to prosper financially.  As usual in American politics, it comes down to choosing the lesser evil.  Do we vote for a nominal Protestant "Christian" who champions the exploitation of the poor by the Captains of Industry (e.g., Reagan, Bush, etc.), or do we vote for an agnostic or even anti-Christian Democrat who is committed to protecting and improving the welfare of the working poor, most of whom (20% of the entire U.S. Population) currently lack health insurance?  In either case, we should not pretend that any of these American politicians are representatives of Christ or the true Church.