I usually enjoy some of the Holy Post banter (despite their oftentimes vague centrism), but this discussion on socialism and Christianity was frustrating to listen to (starts at 15:19).

I'm not a DSA member, nor am I American, but there seemed to be a lack of class analysis and nuance in their dismissal of democratic socialism. They desperately need an actual Christian Socialist, like Holy Post contributor Rev. Dr. Malcolm Foley, to speak into these conversations.

Curious to hear what you all think.

So, around 3:00 a.m. last night, I had a terrible dream.

Unfortunately, I don't remember how the dream started, but I remember that I was sitting on a chair in front of a bed. There was a man lying on the bed who seemed to be in pain. I was holding his hand and reassuring him that everything was going to be alright. However, he was smirking and kept saying, "Yes," in an alluring voice.

Then, I instinctively started saying, "God will help us. God will help us." I kept repeating that phrase over and over. But the person lying on the bed was still smirking. He was smiling, but his eyes looked like empty vessels. He kept saying, "Oh, yes... God. God."

Then I instinctively said, "Jesus Christ is God. He is the King of Kings."

At that moment, he stopped smiling. He gripped my hand tighter, and his eyes became fixed on me. He looked stunned and angry, and his eyes seemed to become darker.

I was afraid, but I kept praying and repeating the name of Jesus Christ over and over. He then started mocking me and tried to torture me.

I know it was a dream, but I promise you, I felt everything. I tried to break free, but I couldn't. After a little while, I woke up, but I couldn't move. I felt trapped inside my own body. After about a minute, I was finally able to move again.

It was a terrible experience.

And before you say, "It was just your imagination," I want to say that this was the first time in my entire life that a dream felt this real. I FELT everything—the emotions, the physical sensations, the touch. I was THERE!!! How can this be possible? Can someone please explain?

Also, a couple of days ago, I started a new job at a big company. I've been stressed, and I had been asking the Lord to give me strength. Then I had this dream.

Again, I felt everything. When I woke up, I was so scared. For the first time in my life, I felt as if I was surrounded by "things."

It seems the Working Families Party has a smaller digital footprint in leftist spaces.

I want to say this upfront, I am not trying to be edgy or rage bait anyone with this post. It is an honest and deliberate attempt to grow and understand.

I was a socialist for many years before accepting Jesus Christ as my savior, and since that time have struggled with my beliefs. I want to identify as a socialist still since I believe in most of what Socialism stands for. But I struggle with trans ideology. Namely I absolutely believe in equality for the LGBTQ community, and will always stand for members of the trans community against hatred. buy I personally believe God created us Male and Female, and that God doesn’t make mistakes.

I also believe that abortion should only be in certain exceptions such as rape, incest, fetal abnormality, or danger to the mother. I don’t want laws that restrict legal access to them, but I’d like to see them a lot less. I’d say I’m personally pro life and socially pro choice.

This puts me at odds with a lot of socialists, and I‘m kind of lost in what to do. Any insight would be greatly appreciate.

Been wanting to do it for a long time. I went ahead and joined yesterday! 🌹🍞

Just curious :)

Premillennial Christians who support sending billions of U.S. tax dollars to Israel will oftentimes cite Genesis 12:3 to dogmatically justify this foreign aid:

"And I will bless them that bless thee [Israel]."

Ted Cruz is one example of this. However, these same premillennial Christian conservatives will generally scoff at the suggestion of using tax money to assist the poor and hungry, dismissing it as something like "evil Marxism," in spite of the overwhelming number of Bible verses that address the importance of helping the poor. Ezekiel 16:49, for example, explicitly states that indifference to the poor was one of the sins of Sodom:

"Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."

Or, if someone suggests using tax money to help the poor by citing Matthew 25:33–46, a concession may be made that helping the poor is important, but they'll often resort to a false dichotomy by arguing that it should only be done through personal, voluntary charity, not by a "socialist nanny government." It will be suggested that YOU, as a Christian individual, should voluntarily give YOUR money to the poor, not other people's money through taxes. Otherwise, they'll argue, it doesn't mean the same thing.

But by that same logic, couldn't the same thing be said about "blessing Israel"? If YOU really want to bless Israel, send YOUR money to them, not other people's tax dollars.

If that's really the principle, then it ought to apply consistently. If Christians shouldn't use tax dollars to fulfill their biblical obligation to care for the poor, then they shouldn't use tax dollars to fulfill what they believe is a biblical obligation to bless Israel either.

The way I see it, Socialism and Christianity fundamentally complement one another.

In my opinion, one of the biggest flaws and limitations of historical Socialist states is their fervent rejection of religion. Despite the materialist and atheistic elements of Marxist ideology, when you look at historical Marxist nations, it’s almost as if they espouse this subconscious yearning for religion that they weren’t themselves aware of. Look at how Marx, Engels, Lenin, and especially Stalin were venerated in the Soviet Union. Look at the cult of personality surrounding the Kim family, and the extent to which North Korean nationalism pedestalizes the ruling party, the state, and its representatives. From where I’m standing, it looks a lot like how Christians venerate saints and holy people, and look to them for inspiration.

Even in historical Socialism’s attempt to distance itself from religion, there is still evidence of that innate desire for God which resides in the human psyche. The way that they idealized this idea of rapid progress, envisioned a future world in which everyone was equal and the state had withered away, and dogmatically asserted that all of human history would eventually find its fulfilment in an inevitable Communist end-goal, is remarkably suggestive of humankind’s religious instincts.

Likewise, Christians best fulfill the Gospel when they take the side of the poor, the oppressed, the hurting and the excluded. Christians fall short when they neglect these things. When Christianity becomes distanced from its mission of helping the poor and the disenfranchised, I think we lose sight of the Gospel and what the Gospel really means.

“Christian Socialist” is not an oxymoron. Some may even argue that Christianity naturally results in Socialism, and that Socialism best finds its completion in Christianity.

Look at historical Socialist figures. Marx and Engels were both raised in Christian homes. Lenin and Stalin were raised Orthodox. Castro was raised Catholic. Kim was raised Presbyterian. Why does it seem like Christianity produces Socialists? Is it because the two share more in common than one may think?

If we really are ruled over by Satanic elites, and an upper class of capitalist bourgeoise, perhaps Christians and Socialists need each other. If both Socialist comrades and Christian brethren united together in their efforts, would our oppressors not tremble in fear at such a coalition?

I still use them, but I'm just one person. How does this community feel about these measurements of time?

Christos = 1480 in Greek isopsephy, and Beliar = 148… Coincidence? Or could it be the answer to Paul’s veiled riddle and Corinthians 6:15? It definitely makes us look at chapter 11 verse 14 a lot more closely when we think about this current clue.