Skip to main content

Recommended Reading: Christ and Communism by E. Stanley Jones



CHRIST AND COMMUNISM
Author: E. Stanley Jones
1st Edn: 1934; 2nd Edn: 1951
Indian Edition: 1963 by Lucknow Publishing House, Lucknow, India
ISBN 81-87739-05-03

In Stanley's own words this book attempts to expound the Christian answer to Communism; the Christian answer is the Kingdom of God on earth.

Some quotes from the book:
The whole basis of society must be shifted form competition to cooperation.

There are three great issues before India embodied in three persons: Mahatma Gandhi represents the demand for religious equality as he presses the rights of the Untouchables to temple entry; Doctor Ambedkar, the leader of the Untouchables, says he is not interested in this temple entry, his demand is for the doing away with caste--in other words, social equality; Jawahir Lal Nehru, the idol of the youth, represents the demand for economic equality. The first two men are free, the third is in jail, for the demand for economic equality is the most far-reaching and dangerous to the present order.

There were Christian slaveowners who treated their slaves kindly, but this did not touch the basic injustice of their relationships. There are splendid Christians amid this present economic system who do much to soften it, but that very fact often hides the basic injustices.

It may be that God is using the Communists to awaken Christendom to something neglected in its own gospel.

Necessities should be provided for all, before luxuries are provided for any.

I do not want to look with equal eye on the Brahmin and the outcaste, I want to do away with the outcaste.... Religion should not make us indifferent to distinctions, but should do away with the distinctions themselves.

The cross is God's redemptive word spelled out in living fact.

We expect Christianity to outlast atheistic Communism because it has a deeper and a more meaningful universe, and a firmer ground for believing in man.

The world situation awaits a collective Christian act. It is the one thing that can save us.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Poll Results: Are all Mission Fields Harvest Fields?

On Monday, April 30, I started a poll on the following question: Jesus said: "The fields are ripe for harvest... I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." (Jn 4:35,38) DOES IT APPLY 2 NON-JUDEO LANDS AS WELL? They don't need preparation and sowing? Rather, they are as equally ripe for harvest as Judea-Samaria was because of previous labor by somebody (local indigenous religions and prophets!)? A total of 18 votes were cast with the following main results: YES = 9 I believe it wherever the gospel is preached and people respond. = 5 NO = 1 I'M NOT SURE = 0 One Scholar responded saying: "I think God's Spirit is at work with all people all the time through various way, and sundry ways as Hebrews says. hence they are ready for harvest... but the church is too slow to go." A Pastor responded saying: "I do believe that even in the remotest areas, the fields are alread...
1 comment
Read more

Rocketing Prices Make Vegetables and Fruits a Luxury in India

Prices of agro-products soar higher in India, making fruits and vegetables almost a luxury. The Times of India reports: "The price of almost every vegetables except onion and potato has gone up to 25 to 30 per cent in the wholesale market and retail price staggering up to 45 to 50 per cent. A random market survey revealed an increase in the price of spinach to Rs 40-45 from Rs 10-15 kg a few days back. "The price of tomato has gone up to Rs 55-60 from Rs 40 a kg and capsicum to Rs 60-80 from Rs 40 per kg at the start of this month. The price of onion has gone up to Rs 20 from Rs 15-18 per kg but still remained steady in the market. "Variation between the wholesale prices and retail prices is staggering between 25%-30%." (Lucknow: July 17, 2009). Lauki (bottle gourd) went from being Rs. 7-10 per kg to Rs. 40 per kg. The price of lentils has shot up to Rs. 85 per kg from Rs. 40-45 per kg. The saying "dal bhat ab ameeron ka khana hei" (lentils and rice are n...
1 comment
Read more

Three Divisions of Philosophical Theology

Also discussed as "God of the Rationalist or God of the Empiricists " at Philpapers.org Philosophical theology can be basically divided into three classes: Rationalist theology, Empirical theology, and Intermediate Theology. Rationalist Theology  includes isms such as monism (e.g. Parmenides and Zeno) and non-dualism (Advaitins of India) whose assertions are usually supported by arguments that rationally dismiss experience as false and irrational. This they do with reference to ultimate concepts such as unity, necessity, infinity, immutability, and transcendence (none of which can be predicated of the things of experience). Thus, God becomes the "wholly other" transcendent reality that can only be talked about  via negativa. Empirical Theology,  on the other hand, is quite the opposite of the previous. It actually brings religion down to the earth. The gods and goddesses are more human like, and earthly; and, of course, positively understandable in empirical categor...
1 comment
Read more