Putin Says Communism Comes From the Bible, Compares Lenin to a Saint

[trotsky]

http://www.newsweek.com/putin-says-communism-comes-bible-compares-lenin-saint-781328

...But Putin, who has often backed the church, tells the documentary makers that he does not believe the ideals of communism and Christianity are incompatible.

“Maybe I am about to say something that some people will not like, but I will say what I think,” he says.

“Firstly, faith has always accompanied us. It strengthened when things were hard for our people’s country. There have been harsh, godfighting years when clerics were destroyed and churches were ruined. But at the same time (Soviets) created a new religion. Indeed, communist ideology is very similar to Christianity.”

...But Putin argues that like Christianity, communism preaches “freedom, brotherhood, equality.” He called the Moral Code of the Builder of Communism, a pamphlet of guiding principles for all party members, a “primitive excerpt from the Bible.”

[Girard442]

1. Cue statement from Robert Jeffress.

Baptist pastor who never met a Deplorable he didn't like.

[SHRED]

2. He says this while living a life of luxury

While his people scrape by.

The people he is stealing from.

[AtheistCrusader]

3. He may be a monster, but he's got his history right.

Communism didn't seek to end religion. It sought to supplant it, while aping it. The easiest way to accomplish that was, to permit no competition, by force. Also a secondary identifying trait of many religions.

[guillaumeb]

4. Putin is your new source?

He did say that faith has always accompanied us. Good to know that you and I agree on that point.

Does that make Lenin an atheistic saint? If so, are there others?

[trotsky]

5. Actually it's you and Putin that agree on that.

Weak attempt.

And no, you missed the entire point if you think Lenin is an "atheistic saint." Read it again.

[MineralMan]

7. See my #6, Guillaume.

Last edited Wed Jan 17, 2018, 09:06 PM - Edit history (1)

Perhaps you are not familiar with the textual reference.

[MineralMan]

6. There's something to this, actually. In a seldom-preached section of

Acts, the New Testament story of the early Christian church, you find this:

Acts 4:32–35: 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

That's part of the core of Marx's philosophy of "From each according to his ability; to each according to his need."

So, Putin is correct, to some degree. Marx took that directly from the book of Acts.

Now, there are few churches who use that chapter of Acts as a text for the weekly sermon. It's confusing in many ways to capitalistic Christianity. So, it's ignored. I remember the first time I read this, at the age of about 16. It made me think, since I had also been reading Marx and Lenin for the first time.

A solid, comprehensive knowledge of the Bible is a very useful thing, even for atheists. I'm glad I have that.