THE CRUX OF CHRISTIANITY

by

Dennis McKinsey

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

The following writing is a sequel to the brief analysis of Christianity found in THE RELEVANCE OF MARXISM and should be read after completing the latter work.  If this suggestion is not heeded, some of what is discussed herein might be misunderstood, especially by those who are unacquainted with the scientific socialism of Marxism.  The word, "Add" precedes those footnotes which provide ADDITIONAL RELATED information and a list of quoted sources can be found at the end in LIST OF QUOTED SOURCES.

PART I

In the arsenal of the ruling class lie many ideological control mechanisms--the press, radio, television, "educational" institutions etc.--each maintained, directed and altered in such a manner as to perpetuate those ideas which the ruling class deems important to its security and that of private property.  Yet, only one of these institutions has, for all practical purposes, been above reproach.  Criticisms of the press, radio, television and other media have been considered acceptable while those directed toward religion and Christianity in particular have been considered anathema.  For too long the grievous effect of Christian teachings upon millions of people has either been ignored or treated lightly. Christianity should be no more immune from exposure than any other ruling class agency.  The negative and regressive essence of the NT has often been looked upon as a temporary aberration from an otherwise correct path and not indicative of Christianity as a whole.  Few beliefs are more in conflict with reality.  Statements, teachings, and concepts within the NT combined with 2,000 years of Christian history reveal that this religion has been effectively employed by property owners as a weapon in the class struggle with tragic effects upon the history of the laboring masses.

Many individuals will doubtlessly view such a contention as sacrilegious, irresponsible and erroneous.  Others will view it as an oversimplification, a distortion, or a deception.  After reading the following analysis a few critics will probably contend that the NT has been misinterpreted, that phrases have been taken out of context.  The latter response would have some validity if most of the NT were as mystical and esoteric as the Book of Revelation1.  It would be difficult to know what was intended, since one interpretation would be as plausible as another.  But, on the contrary, much of the NT is quite vivid. Clarity is provided through simplicity of speech and constant repetition in slightly altered form.  The attitude which the NT would have people adopt toward many important aspects of life is all too clear.  This can be illustrated by numerous quotes and parables extracted from a modern English version of the NT, entitled Good News for Modern Man, published by the American Bible Society of New York.

Unless the world's masses are aware of the class struggle, unless they are aware of the extent to which their lives are controlled and manipulated by a small minority of private property owners, they could ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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easily become the victims of a tremendous deception by reading the NT.  Superficially, the work propagates humility, peace, love, and brotherhood.  They are constantly repeated themes as subsequent quotes will show.  In reality, however, it is a blueprint for bondage, for enslavement.  Appearances would lead most non-class conscious individuals to believe that any book teaching the importance of love, peace, and humility is contributing to the creation of a better world.  But exteriors are often deceiving.  As Lenin said, one must be able to separate the essence from the appearance.  Deception lies in the fact that a society of peace, love, and brotherhood will never emerge until all private property systems which are slavery, feudalism, and capitalism are abolished, which can never occur as long as the masses direct peace, love, brotherhood, and humility toward their oppressors.  In other words, peace, love, and brotherhood can only be established by practicing the exact opposite for a period of time.

Non-class conscious people look upon creating peace and brotherhood by initiating struggle and conflict as a self-defeating and contradictory proposition.  They erroneously believe that society is composed of one big mass of people who are failing to exercise sufficient brotherly love and peaceful intent toward their neighbors, instead of two classes, one of which directs all aspects of society and foments disunity among other classes as one means by which to maintain control.  The material aspects of society which exercise the greatest influence upon a person's behavior are directed by the ruling class and have been arranged so as to keep the masses apart.  Since the interests of a ruling minority are served by dividing and factionalizing the masses, there will be no peace, love, brotherhood and humility throughout the land, regardless of how much teaching and preaching to the contrary is present, as long as this minority remains dominant.  The propaganda of love toward all, as the ruling class knows, only serves to maintain a deplorable state of affairs.  Christians are taught that love and mercy should guide their relationships with others; yet, without distinction as to rulers and ruled, exploiters and exploited, oppressors and oppressed, this can only lead to entrapment.  In effect, preaching brotherly love perpetuates its antithesis.  The NT is replete with statements that preach support for the ruling class under the guise of love, peace, and humility.  Excellent examples of this are:

In Matt. 18:21-35 Jesus told a parable about a servant who failed to repay a debt to his master.  The servant begged for mercy and was forgiven but later showed no mercy toward a fellow servant.  The master heard of this, called in his servant and said, "You worthless slave, I forgave you the whole amount you owed, just because you asked me to.  You should have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you."  The servant was sent to jail.  The moral of the story is that one should show mercy toward those who wrong him.

Individuals are not only urged to love their enemies (the ruling class) but also to obey their masters, serve them faithfully, and accept the prevailing conditions.  Prominent verses are:

In each instance, serving one's oppressor faithfully is linked to serving the Lord faithfully.  The employment of religion to strengthen the ruling class is unmistakable.  Additional statements buttressing the status quo by urging patient endurance on the part of the oppressed are as follows: Believers are repeatedly told to remain peaceful, to refrain from any acts of violence.  Such teachings aid the ruling class tremendously by enabling the latter to administer exploitation and oppression more efficiently and thoroughly.2  Moreover, the oppressed can only escape from their oppression and exploitation through revolutionary activity.  Those on top of the economic pyramid understandably deplore ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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revolutionary violence not out any humanitarian motives but because they do not want the pyramid upset.  Peace to them is the maintenance of the status quo with themselves at the apex.  Fully cognizant of the fact that peaceful intent directed toward the dominant class is of far greater significance than that directed toward friends, relatives, and acquaintenances, the NT aids the elite by urging believers to be at peace with all men.  Like love, mercy, obedience, and faithful service, peace toward all men without distinguishing rulers and ruled is entrapment.  Prime verses are:

Shun revolt and other civil disturbances is a central theme of the NT.  The crowd that called for Christ's death in Luke 23:13-25 also called out for the release of Barabbas, a convicted rioter.  Believers can easily infer from this that those favoring riotous or rebellious activity are anti-Christ.  Is it accidental that as Christ is turned over to his enemies a convicted rioter is released from prison?  As one is released the other is enchained.  Christ and an insurgent are set in direct contrast to one another.

Believers must remain peaceful even when wronged.  And since the ruling class is far more responsible for injustices done to the oppressed than any other individual or group, again, aid is rendered the elite.  Relevant verses are:

If servants are to accept their condition, obey their masters and labor diligently within the system, they must possess a relatively low opinion of their own importance, capabilities, and merits.  They must be convinced that their lowly status is in the natural order of life, that humility is a virtue.3  Be humble is definitely a reoccurring message of the NT as the following comments show: Believers are told not only to be humble but to refrain from all criticism of others as we see in the following statements: ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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The word "others" includes two classes-the rulers and fellow laborers.  Teaching people not to criticize the ruling class or the members of same obviously aids the ruling class and need not be discussed.  On the other hand, if a non-critical attitude were created between the workers and they drew together, NT teachings would appear to be working against the interests of the ruling class.  But such an observation is erroneous.  So many materially divisive aspects of society are present that stressing the importance of criticizing one's neighbors is not needed.  It would only create perpetual social disruption which would be counter-productive.  The ruling class seeks division of the masses along racial, national, ethnic, occupational, sexual lines etc. but not so much animosity that the movement of society comes to a halt.  The brink is never far away.

Believers are not even to consider themselves worthy of criticizing as the following verses show:

The importance of being humble, accepting one's menial status and possessing a lowly opinion of one's own ability to criticize is also taught to the masses through the use of parables.  Luke 14:7-11 relates the following story:

When Jesus saw several guests choosing the best places at a table he said, "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place.  For it could happen that someone more important than you had been invited, and your host, who invited both of you, would come and say to you, 'Let him have this place.'  Then you would be ashamed and have to sit in the lowest place.  Instead, when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that your host will come to you and say, 'Come on up, my friend, to a better place.'  This will bring honor in the presence of all the guests.  For everyone who makes himself great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be made great."  Christ is not only teaching classism by stating that some people are more important than others but also advising people to accept their lowly status under the mistaken assumption that they will later experience the exhilaration of ascending through the ranks.  In reality, few succeed by being offered higher positions because of subservient behavior.  Believers are told that if they voluntarily accept their lowly position, honors and promotions await them--a philosophy which the ruling class has been peddling for centuries.

In another parable found in Luke 18:10-14 Jesus again emphasizes the importance of being humble and the reward that awaits those who so behave by describing two men--a pharisee and a tax collector--who went to a temple to pray.  The pharisee lacked humility because he boasted that he was not greedy, dishonest or immoral and fasted regularly.  The tax collector, on the other hand, asked God to have pity on him.  Jesus concluded by saying that the tax collector and not the pharisee was in the right with God when he went home.  For everyone who makes himself great will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be made great.

In any private property system, whether slavery, feudalism or capitalism, the ruling class exercises far more influence and control over any individual's life than do his companions, fellow workers, and relatives.  The elite regulate what he sees, hears, and believes; they dominate his ideological environment; they control his material conditions and are far more responsible for his material status and well-being than immediate acquaintances.  So, the attitude this individual has toward the ruling class is of infinitely greater importance than his approach toward others.  If his philosophy is one of maintaining peace, love, mercy, and humility regardless of the consequences, the result is a foregone conclusion.  No amount of exploitation, oppression, poverty, or degradation is going to shake his resolve to submit to those primarily responsible for his condition.  He will be as pliable as putty, as meek as a lamb.  As Matt. 5:5 says, "Happy are the meek."  What more could the ruling class desire?  They would have created the perfect servant--a being unwilling to resist or oppose its oppressors no matter how much the oppression.  Enrapped in NT teachings and not really understanding the overall situation, this individual would honestly believe that the most intelligent means by which to create a world of love, peace, and brotherhood would be the immediate institution of these ideas in one's daily affairs.  He would be convinced that only the immediate creation of love and humility toward one's fellow man is the answer, without drawing any distinction between exploiters and exploited, oppressors and oppressed, rulers and ruled, friend and foe.

A "war of all against all" is an essential aspect of any private property system.  It is as inextricable as private ownership itself.  To teach peace, love, and humility in any system where "every man for himself" is a dominant theme is to be engaged in a stupendous contradiction.  Ideological preachings are bringing men together while material conditions are driving them apart.  And as The Relevance of Marxism attempted to show, the latter are of far greater importance than the former.  Attempting to unite people in material conditions which are driving them apart is a hopeless exercise which can only lead to the perpetuation of the adverse conditions--the system itself.  If the masses are loving, peaceful, and humble toward the ruling class, the latter can never be abolished.  And as long as their class remains, private property systems with all the accompanying hatreds, exploitation, wars, oppression, poverty and degradation will continue.  As long as the oppressed show love, peace, humility, and brotherhood toward their oppressors, as system will continue to exist which negates these very characteristics from the beginning, a system which generates poverty, wars, hatreds, and exploitation.  Only within non-private property systems, such as primitive communal society or socialism, does the striving for immediate peace and love toward all have practical value.  To preach love and peace in a non-private property society is to bring mankind together; to so act in a private property system is to drive man apart because it contributes to the perpetuation of the basic cause of mankind's divisions--the system itself.  In essence, to create peace, love and brotherhood the masses must first project antithetical qualities toward the ruling class.  Although peace and love are NT teachings, servitude is the result.4

Christians are not only directed to be peaceful, humble, loving and obedient but also to work hard, support private ownership and acknowledge the alleged importance of their master's role.  Several parables corroborate these contentions.  Although supposedly a description of the joy attending Christ's arrival, the story of the servants found in Matt. 25:14-29 is actually a subtle means by which to encourage more ingenuity on the part of laborers serving the elite.  Before leaving on a trip a property owner gave $5,000 to one servant, $2,000 to another and $1,000 to a third.  While the master was away the servant with $5,000 increased the amount to $10,000 through investment and the servant who received $2,000 also doubled his amount.  But the servant who received $1,000 hid his money in the ground.  When the master returned, accounts were settled.  The servant who earned $5,000 was called a good and faithful servant by the master and put in charge of large amounts.  The servant who earned $2,000 was treated in the same manner.  But the servant who hid the money in the ground was labeled a bad and lazy servant for not having increased his $1,000.  His $1,000 was taken from him and given to the servant with $10,000.  The servant who hid the $1,000 was punished not only for failing to increase the funds entrusted to his care but also for challenging the masters right to any portion of the crop because the latter contributed no labor.  The servant stated, "You reap harvests where you did not plant, and gather crops where you did not scatter seed."  In a similar story about three servants told in Luke 19:11-27 the third servant stated in verse 21, "You take what is not yours, and reap what you did not plant."  In the earlier parable the master closed by stating, "As for this useless servant--throw him outside in the darkness; there he will cry and gnash his teeth.  Although unsaid, the moral of the story is that servants failing to increase the master's wealth or disputing the master's appropriation of part of the harvest should be punished.

The parable of the tenants in the vineyard in Matt. 21:33-44 also aids the ruling class by seeking to justify the master's behavior and his non-productive role.  A landowner planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the winepress, and built a tower.  Then he rented the vineyard to tenants and left home on a trip.  When harvest time arrived he sent his slaves to obtain his share from the tenants.  They were killed or mistreated and subsequent slaves who were dispatched received comparable treatment.  Finally, he sent his son who was also killed, supposedly to obtain his property.  After studying the event, Jesus asks, "Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"  His companions reply, "He will certainly kill those evil men."  Christ agrees, for he adds, "And rent the vineyard out to other tenants, who will give him his share of the harvest at the right time."  Jesus then quotes Scripture as to the importance of the master.  "The stone (that is the master--Ed.) which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important stone" and closes with a warning to anyone who might dare to question the master's value.  "So I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and be given to a people who will produce proper fruits."  In other words, subservience ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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to a master is equated with the Kingdom of God.5  Jesus concludes, "Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and if the stone falls on someone it will crush him to dust."

The entire story is presented from the property owners' perspective.  The impressions conveyed are: that owners do the original labor which is rarely true, that the tenants are unreasonably brutal and not the owners, that tenants seek to seize property and not the owners, that the owners deserve part of the produce even though they contribute no labor, that the owner is just trying to earn an honest and reasonable living despite all adversity, and that whoever objects to this arrangement of society should be rightfully punished.  The pro-property, anti-revolutionary theme of this parable as well as a similar story in Luke 20:9-18 is quite apparent.  Those who resist exploitation or attempt to seize private property (the vineyard will be ours is said in Luke 20:14) are depicted as brutal and irrational while Christ's utterance, "give him his share" as in Matt. 21:41, implies that proceeds realized through private ownership are justified.

Another parable supporting private ownership of the means of production is entitled The Workers in the Vineyard found in Matt. 20:1-18.  Again, the narrative is supposedly describing the Kingdom of Heaven.  Early one morning a property owner hired some men to labor in a vineyard for a silver coin a day.  At 9 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, and 5 o'clock he hired more men.  When evening came the owner told his foreman to pay the men beginning with those who were hired last and ending with those who were hired first.  The men hired at 5 o'clock were paid a silver coin each.  Those hired first thought they would receive more but did not.  They took their money and started grumbling, wanting to know why they were not paid more.  The owner replied that they were not cheated because they agreed to do a day's work for a silver coin.  He ordered them to leave, said that he should be able to do as he wished with his money and asked if they were jealous because of his generosity.  The lesson: having committed themselves workers should accept wages which they know to be unjust.  In other words, the sanctity of private property, the right of owners to dispose of property as they so desire, and the sacredness of contracts are more important than justice.  Even when wronged the workers must honor the right of private property.  Justice is secondary to property rights is the bottom line.

The oppressed are taught to consider wealth differentials as quite natural and unworthy of concern.  Here, again, the status quo and ultimately the ruling class are strengthened through the elimination of opposition and criticism.  As the Bible says in Matt. 13:12, "For to everyone who has, even more will be given, and he will have more than enough; but the one who has nothing, even the little he has will be

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taken away from him."  After all, what does Matt. 26:11 say: "You will always have the poor people with you...."

The NT authors even go so far as to depict the rich as just average citizens worthy of sympathy and respect.  Could it be accidental that after Christ was killed and the tumult died down that the only person to come and offer him a decent burial was a rich man named Joseph.  The implication of this story found in Matt. 27:57-60 is that the only person one can rely on after others have deserted and a friend, Judas, has emerged as a betrayer, is a rich man.

A similar theme is found in Mark 2:13-17 where Jesus is eating with tax collectors, who are arms of the rich and other outcasts.  When asked why he associated with these individuals, Jesus replied, "People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick.  I have not come to call the respectable people, but the outcasts."  The impression conveyed by this story is that tax collectors are not exploiters who are well aware of their actions but sick people who know not what they do and deserve more help than condemnation.  Pity, not opposition, should be directed toward the tax collector, who is not an enemy but a sick man needing aid.  And no doubt that aid is a less defensive, less alert mass of laborers.  The NT is aiding the tax collector by describing him in such a manner as to generate some degree of respectability and sympathy.

In Mark 12:41 the narrative states that Jesus was sitting near the Temple treasury and noticed that, "Many rich men dropped in much money."  Accounts of this nature create a favorable impression in the minds of believers toward the wealthy.  The death of Jesus in Luke 23:13-25 is attributed not to the government and the ruling class as represented by Pontius Pilate but to a crowd of citizens whom Pilate could not dissuade.  Jews are later blamed for the act.  After Christ is nailed to the cross the 35th verse says, "The people stood there watching, while the Jewish leaders made fun of him...."  By accusing Jews of the execution the NT has not only set Christians against Jews and aided the ruling class in their consistent policy of divide and rule, but also lent dignity and credibility to the ruling class itself through Pilate's defense of Christ's right to freedom.

The story of Zacchaeus found in Luke 19:1-10 certainly brings forth a feeling of benevolence toward the propertied class in the form of a tax collector.  As Jesus was passing through the town of Jericho a rich tax collector by the name of Zacchaeus came out to see him but could not see over the crowd because he was a little man.  The fact that the tax collector is little quickly creates compassion in the mind of the reader.  Unable to see, Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a tree to see Christ pass, implying that even the worst of people is seeking the Christian path, although effort may be involved.  As Christ passed he said, "Hurry down, Zacchaeus, for I must stay in your house today."  It is significant that Christ chose to live with Zacchaeus, a tax collector, and not someone acceptable to the masses.  Later Zacchaeus said to Jesus, "Listen, sir! I will give half my belongings to the poor; and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times as much."  And when Christ responds by saying, "Salvation has come to this house today; this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham," the final touch of sympathy, respect, and empathy is provided the tax collector.  Believers have been subconsciously taught that if Christ can forgive abuses of the rich so can they.  Exploiters are really "good guys at heart" is the message.

Followers are not only instructed to view with compassion and obediently serve their immediate masters, who are almost invariably slaveowners, landowners, or capitalists, but also to uncritically support the prevailing political apparatus which is nothing more than an arm of the ruling class.  Key verses in this regard are:

Since the elite determine what is proper and orderly, religion is obviously being used to buttress the state.6

Christianity further aids the elite's government by requiring believers to pay their taxes and fines as the following verses show:

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If Christians actually behaved as the NT directs, it is highly improbable that the Roman government threw them to the lions.  Either the story is myth or unusual circumstances prevailed.

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PART II

Before people will willingly accept deprivation, exploitation and total submission, they must be convinced that the physical needs of everyone living are of no consequence or considerably less importance than that which supposedly comes later.  As long as they remain primarily concerned with procuring adequate food, clothing, shelter and other necessities of life, their thoughts will be essentially on this world and not what allegedly follows.  The ruling class has discovered that it is immensely more difficult to exploit, subjugate and oppress people who place great importance upon the material condition of their environment and the eradication of suffering than to take advantage of those to whom exploitation and everyday living conditions are of little consequence.  For this reason, believers are repeatedly told to shun wealth, to give up that which they possess and to forgo any attempt to rise on the economic ladder.  In earlier quotes Christians were told to work hard and support the system and its leaders.  When these two instructions are combined it becomes apparent that Christians are taught to labor diligently, yet renounce that which they produce.  That such instructions favor exploiting property owners goes without saying.

An essential factor in this exploitive equation is rejection of property, wealth, and material goods.  Persuading people to repudiate those aspects of life necessary for a beautiful, worthwhile, meaningful existence for the unsubstantiated promise of eternal happiness8 is a formidable assignment, indeed, even for the NT.9  This consideration undoubtedly accounts in large measure for the great emphasis placed upon rejecting this world.  Relevant verses in this regard are:

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In Luke 12:16-21 Jesus told a parable about a rich man who decided to store his abundant harvest in new and bigger barns and live a life of ease and luxury off his stored grain and other goods.  Then God appeared to him and said, "You fool!  This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?"  The moral of the fable is that worldly riches are not worth much and provide no long term security.

The reactionary aspect of such teachings lies in the fact that there is nothing wrong with loving and enjoying money, wealth, and a more affluent environment, without which freedom is a myth, as long as they are not obtained at the expense of others and are not seen as ends in themselves but as a means to higher goals, such as enriching, improving, and ennobling society.  Any pursuit of wealth involves love to some degree.  Why would wealth or any material goods ever be sought if no element of love were involved?  In effect, the NT is surreptitiously teaching the masses not to compete economically with the ruling class.

Believers are not only taught to eschew wealth but to give away that which they possess--two admonitions which would effectively rule them out as economic competitors.  Prime verses are:

Again, the humanitarian facade of Christian teachings conceals a sinister result.  Benevolence toward the poor is an innocuous approach to the poverty problem.  But when directed toward other aspects of society (the ruling class, the government, the institutions), which is unavoidable as long as Christians are taught to view philanthropy per se as a virtue without regard to exploiters and exploited, the noose around mankind's neck will only tighten further.  Charity toward all in a private property system is a self-defeating proposition.  As long as animosity, such as seizing all private property, is not displayed toward the ruling class, the system will remain, and as long as the system endures any donations given to the poor will be far outweighed by those forces creating poverty.  In systems where the "law of the jungle" prevails it is inevitable that many will be defeated, the gap between the rich and poor will widen, and poverty will be widespread.

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PART III

Teaching people to remain peaceful at all times, give away their wealth, allow themselves to be exploited without protest, deny their ability to accurately criticize, sympathize with their oppressors, be eternally patient, and all but reject this world is quite difficult to say the least.  Such instructions contrast sharply with reasonable instincts, such as the will to survive and rational conclusions (the all-pervasive influence of the class struggle) to be drawn from daily living.  Naturally, such a philosophy of total submission is going to be spurned by many people, since an individual could expect to be taken advantage of at every opportunity.  Evidence leads to the judgment that it is a senseless form of self-denial and self-effacement which can only benefit those who know better, those who understand how society operates and whom Christianity serves.  In the sentence, "Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God" (Romans 12:1), the word "God" could easily be replaced by the phrase "ruling class."

Knowing that many people who accept the NT's teachings will suffer because ot the latter's incompatibility with reality and to forestall the possibility of rejection, NT authors promise infinite rewards in the next world for those who believe and endure.  Key verses are:

And the poor will receive preferential treatment in the distribution of these rewards and any necessary information. In the Parable of the Great Feast in Luke 14:16-24 Jesus further pacifies and placates the poor with promised rewards.  The story concerns a man who is going to give a feast.  He invites many well-to-do people all of whom give various reasons for not being able to come.  The man becomes furious and orders his servants to invite the poor, the crippled and the lame in the streets and alleys.  The parable closes with the man saying, "None of those men who were invited, I tell you all will taste my dinner."  In other words, God may invite many to heaven but only the downtrodden will arrive.

The following verses show that God will aid and support the oppressed believer:

But the Parable of Lazarus in Luke 16:19-25 is probably the most effective piece of mass mollification.  The narrative states that there was a rich man who lived in luxury and a poor man named Lazarus who was full of sores and begged at the rich man's door.  Lazarus died and was taken to a feast in heaven but when the rich man died he was put in great pain and suffering in Hades.  The rich man called out to heaven for pity and received the following reply. "Remember, my son, that in your lifetime you were given all the good things, while Lazarus got all the bad things; but now he is enjoying it here, while you are in pain."10  That such teachings as these fortify the status quo and strengthen the ruling class11 by causing the masses to endure their lowly state12 is all too obvious.

Just as important a tranquilizer as the promise of rewards for allowing themselves to be oppressed (disguised under the euphemism of following in Christ's path) is the teaching that believers are to welcome their suffering as a challenge or test.  The NT authors approached the problems of poverty and oppression in a very ingenious manner.  If the believer's condition improves he is told to look upon this as a gift from God and remain humble.  If his poverty and oppression worsen he is to view this as a challenge,13 his faith is ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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being tested and increasingly tested as conditions deteriorate.  If he endures, all the greater will be the reward.  So, no matter what happens the believer is caught in a web of pacification.  Few acts would be of greater benefit to the ruling class than to convince the oppressed that misery is bliss and worsening conditions should generate ever greater happiness and contentment.  Excellent relevant verses in this regard are:

In each instance, tragedy is depicted as triumph.  Regardless of what happens to the believer, a subdued individual will be the result.  In reality, misery is not some sort of divine test but the by-product of demonstrable societal forces and ruling class activities.

Because irrationality and a noticeable absence of valid evidence permeates the NT, faith must necessarily be a hallmark of Christian theology.  Literally scores of statements are made without one shred of demonstrable evidence.  The promises contained in the Sermon on the Mount are just some examples.  No matter what material conditions tend to prove and regardless of how many statements are unsubstantiated, believers are asked to uncritically accept the "truths" of the NT on faith alone.  Followers who will just listen and believe, regardless of what reality says to the contrary, are what the NT authors seek to create.  Don't think, analyze and criticize; just listen, absorb, and believe is the message.  The following verses demonstrate this quite well.

In one parable in John 20:24-29 a disciple named Thomas would not believe that Jesus appeared before the others until he saw the scars of the nails in Christ's hands.  When later they were shown and Thomas believed, Christ said, "How happy are those who believe without seeing me."

Just as rational men do not accept misery as happiness, they do not accept unsubstantiated allegations based on faith.  An irrational philosophy of total reliance upon, and submission to, fate is bound to create and perpetuate pain, suffering and disappointment and motivate most observers to seek a more sensible approach.  Cognizant of this fact, NT authors again portrayed that which is ridiculous as a test or challenge.  Again, they managed to twist reality in such a manner as to use damaging evidence for their own ends.  Previously believers were told to view misery as a welcomed physical test; now they are told to view blind, irrational faith as a sort of mental test.  A good verse to cite in this respect is Romans 8:24-25 which says, "For it was by hope that we were saved; but if we see what we hope for, then it is not really hope.  For who hopes for something that he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

The masses are taught to conclude that the failure of faith, fate, or prayers to alleviate their pain and suffering or provide for their daily needs is not attributable to the fact that reliance upon them is useless, innocuous and debilitating but to the fact that they have been insufficiently employed.  Not less, but more dependence upon prayer and faith is propounded.  That is the essential message of the following verses"

In Luke 18:1-8 Jesus tells a parable about a fearless judge who was continually bothered by a widow pleading for her rights.  Finally the judge said, "Even though I don't fear God or respect man, yet because of all the trouble this widow is giving me I will see to it that she gets her rights; or else she will keep on coming and wear me out."  The moral of the story is that God will eventually answer the prayers of those who are sufficiently persistent.  This is analogous to telling a drinker that his headache from overindulgence will disappear if he resumes drinking.  Problems are not solved by increased injections of that which originally contributed to the difficulties.  Dependence upon prayer, as opposed to human labor, energy and ingenuity, divorces man from the real world, creates unhealthy feelings of inadequacy, directs efforts into ineffective channels, and allows problems to increase to the point where they often become overwhelming.  The negative side of prayer is far greater than the positive.

Anytime faith comes in the window planning goes out the door, and Christianity is no exception in this regard.  Believers are constantly urged to shun planning because God will supposedly provide.  Turn your life over to fate (which the ruling class dominates) is the message in that which follows:

With the large number of extravagant claims and requests in the NT, it is understandable that nearly every imaginable inducement to accept this philosophy is tendered.  No gun is left unfired, no trap unset.  Anything will be made available upon request.  Note what follows: protection and aid will always be provided, and powers more potent than those of superman will be conferred as can be noted in: From immortality (Romans 6:23) to owning the universe (Mark 11;24, John 15:7) nothing is too good for the true believer.

Those who feel the hour is too early to become a Christian are warned to be ready now in such verses as:

Jesus concluded the parable of Ten Girls with Oil Lamps found in Matt. 25:1-13 by saying, "Watch out, then, because you do not know the day or hour"

while those who feel the hour is too late because of the nature of past activities are promised forgiveness in a series of parables.

In the Parable of Two Sons found in Matt. 21:28-32 a father asked his older son to work in the vineyard and he refused but later went.  The younger son immediately agreed but never went.  Who was the better person Christ asks and his audience replies, "The older one."  Christ says, "The tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you.  For John the Baptist came to you showing you the right path to take, and you would not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him."  The moral of the story is that those who did wrong in the beginning but later change will be forgiven.

In another parable found in Luke 7:36-48 a sinful woman slavishly cleansed Christ's feet while he visited the home of Simon the Pharisee.  Christ forgave her sins saying, ""Do you Simon see this woman?  I came into your home, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.  You did not welcome me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I came.  You provided no oil for my head, but she has covered my feet with perfume."  In other words, those who slavishly serve the Christian theology will be saved regardless of past behavior.

It's never too late is also the conclusion to be drawn from the parable of The Lost Son found in Luke 15:11-32.  A young boy left home, went elsewhere to live, led a corrupt life, found conditions were worse, returned home, begged forgiveness from his father who represents God and was pardoned.

A final parable found in Acts 20:9-10 relates how a young man named Eutychus, who was sleeping in a window while Paul was talking, fell to his death and was later awakened by Paul.  In other words, even though an individual may have ignored Christian teachings, he can still be aided.  "Then God has given to the Gentiles also the opportunity to repent and live" as we see in Acts 11:18.

In many instances, especially where NT teachings are highly dubious, out-and-out terror is employed.  Skeptics and other rational critics, as well as wayward believers, are threatened with a whole gamut of cruel and unusual punishments if they do not succumb.  Recourse to terrorism is found in Matt. 7:26, 10:15, 10:28, 10:39, 11:24, 12:31, 12:32, 12:36, 13:42, 13:50, Mark 9:44, 16:8, Luke 1:50, 1:65, 2:9, 2:25, 3:9, 3:17, 10:12, 12:5, 13:3, 13:5, 17:32, John 3:18, 3:36, 8:24, Acts 5:5, 10:35, Romans 6:23, 14:10, 14:12, 1 Tim. 5:20, and Hebrews 12:29.

Miracles are also extensively utilized as a fearsome reinforcement mechanism.  In a large number of instances, a miracle of one sort or another, such as healing sick people, follows various messages, especially the highly questionable variety.  Prominent examples are: Matt. 1:18, 4:2, 4:24, 8:3, 8:13, 8:15, 8:26, 9:6-7, 9:22, 9:25, 9:29-30, 9:32-33, 10:1, 12:13, 12:22, 14:14, 14:25, 14:36, 15:28, 15:30, 17:18, 19:2, 20:34, 21:14, 21:19, 27:51-52, 28:2, Mark 1:31, 1:34, 1:42, 2:12, 3:5, 4:39, 5:29, 5:42, 6:13, 6:48, 6:56, 7:29-30, 7:32-37, 8:22-25, 9:3, 9:25, 10:52, Luke 4:39, 4:41, 5:13, 5:24-25, 7:15, 7:21-22, 13:13, 14:4, 17:14, 18:40-43, John 5:5-9, 9:7, 11:43-44, Acts 3:1-8, 5:15-16, 9:33-34, 9:36-40, 12:7, and 13:11.  After nearly every teaching session Christ's powers are reaffirmed by the performance of a miracle or miracles.  If the latter were not extensively utilized, Jesus would appear to be little more than an average citizen expressing personal opinions.  Accounts of miracles create submission, humility, awe, slavishness, and fear in the mind of the hearer.  The alleged existence of miracles is used in a manner similar to that of Spanish conquistadores employing demonstrations of cannon fire to frighten and intimidate New World Indians.  Teach, intimidate, teach intimidate, teach intimidate is the cycle.  The beneficent act of curing the sick is the facade, intimidation is the reality.  The fear of an alleged omnipotent God, which is generated by Christian teachings, is not a temporary aberration from the Christian path but an inseparable part of the whole philosophy.  Of this there can be no doubt.  God is to be feared as we see in Luke 12:5 which says, "I will show you whom to fear: fear God who, after killing, has the authority to throw into hell.  Yes, I tell you, be afraid of him!"

A final method by which people are persuaded to accept Christian teachings involves the use of spirits and other supernatural phenomena, which are liberally sprinkled throughout the NT.  Discussions of angels, ghosts, demons, Satan, and other beings are used to overawe non-Christians and cause them to accept Christian ideology out of fear for their security.  Even though the existence of supernatural beings is never proven, the very fact that they are discussed intimidates many readers.  The supernatural is found in Matt. 1:18, 3:16, 4:5, 4:11, 17:5, Mark 1:10, 1:13, 1:23, 1:26, 1:34, 1:39, 5:15, 5:18, 6:13, 6:49, 8:33, 8:38, 9:7, 13:11, 16:17, Luke 1:26, 1:34, 2:9, 2:13, 2:17, 2:27, 3:22, 4:1, 4:41, 9:1, 9:35, 9:42, 12:10, 22:43, Acts 5:3, 10:3, 12:7, 12:23, 13:10, 1 Cor. 10:10 and 2 Cor. 11:14.

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PART IV

Any philosophy, theory, or ideology that is based essentially on faith, irrationality and blind obedience to unsubstantiated allegations, propositions and promises is going to be highly vulnerable to criticisms and attack.  The contentions of people who rely more on faith than reason, belief than proof, compliance than criticism, superstition than science will always be subject to refutation and disproof.  The NT's response to this problem is one of solidification and isolation.  Adherents are to be made so determined in their faith that no amount of contradictory evidence loosens their resolve.  The attitude the NT seeks to create is, "I do not care what evidence exists to prove that various phenomena or teachings in the NT are a fraud and that the work is essentially an indoctrinating tool wielded by the ruling class, if the NT says it then it must be true."  Once this outlook is inculcated, the door has slammed shut to any further dialogue.  Reasoning is no longer of any use, Christ has taken over.  Solidification works best through isolation.  Believers are warned to refrain from argumentation and disputation with all critics and non-believers.  The latter are to be considered wrong and that's that.  Do not listen to them is the message in the following verses:

Even the most rational, peaceful, thoroughly researched, scientific discussions are deemed foolish because they supposedly create nothing more than quarrels and fights.  This has been the time honored approach of demagogues for centuries--indoctrinate and isolate, isolate and indoctrinate.  The real reason arguments are to be avoided is that Christian teachings can not withstand rational analysis and believers are liable to be swayed in another direction.14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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It is strictly taboo for believers to criticize or test what they are told according to Matt. 4:7 and 1 Cor. 10:9 ("You must not put the Lord your God to the test") and Romans 9:20 ("But who are you my friend, to talk back to God?  A clay pot does not ask the man who made it, 'Why did you make me like this?").

Mark 11:27-33 relates a story in which Jesus is asked, "What right do you have to do these things?  Who gave you the right do them?"  Christ replies by stating that if they will answer his question, he will answer theirs.  His question is too difficult to answer and he closes by saying, "Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things."  In other words, don't question Christ's authority.  He does not have to give a reply.  Testing is not needed, since by some mysterious process the alleged truth of Christianity will be shown believers.  As Luke 7:35 says, "God's wisdom, however, is shown to be true by all who accept it" and 1 John 2:27 says, "As long as his Spirit remains in you, you do not need anyone to teach you.  For the Spirit teaches you about everything, and what he teaches is true, not false."

It is virtually impossible for a critic, analyst, or close observer to be honest, sincere, and well-meaning in his criticism.  The NT depicts him as a cunning, deceitful, hypocritical trickster consciously or unconsciously attempting to lead the unwary Christian down the rose-lined path to destruction.  Proving the contrary is ruled out ab initio.  Here, more than anywhere else, the NT propounds the ultimate in closemindedness.  To cast suspicion on all those who present another approach to life or question the accuracy of Christian beliefs by depicting them as false prophets and deceivers is the nadir of degeneracy.  Although not directly stated, the NT has given its adherents the impression that any and all critics are hypocritical frauds misleading the unwary as is revealed by the following verses:

When the amount of facts, data, and evidence tending to invalidate Christian beliefs becomes overwhelming, the ultimate creator of isolation is employed.  Believers are assured that they possess a secret truth which is incomprehensible to outsiders.  Although a mountain of evidence may exist to prove that following Christ involves a deceptive, masochistic form of self-torture which only benefits the ruling class, Christians are told to ignore reality and view critics as hopeless fools incapable of understanding the higher truth.  In essence, the NT's message is, "Forget what reality says, listen to what I say."  Verses to read in this regard are: Again the NT has managed to turn ominous defeat into a partial victory.  Contradictory data is portrayed as a test of the believer's faith.  The more out-of-tune with reality Christianity becomes, the greater the test and ultimate reward.  Teaching an individual to "become a fool in order to become wise" ranks with the ultimate in indoctrination.  If this is not a black is white approach, it's a close approximation.  The lengths to which the ruling class will go to generate support for the prevailing system are truly awesome.

Much of the remainder of the NT is devoted to urging those who have succumbed:

to spread the philosophy, "Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples" (Matt. 28:19),

to act as dedicated soldiers, "Take your part in suffering, as a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 2:3),

to be active, "...faith without actions is dead" (James 2:26),

to teach the young (Luke 5:36-38), to be patient

(Luke 13:6-9), to be knowledgeable, "...and you should know how to give the right answer to every person" (Col. 4:6),

to accept scorn and ridicule, "All who want to live a godly life in union with Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim. 3:12),

to willingly sacrifice everything, "...none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up everything he has" (Luke 14:33),

to endure all suffering for their beliefs, "We boast about the way you continue to endure and believe, through all the persecutions and sufferings you are experiencing" (2 Thess. 1:4),

and to voluntarily die if necessary, "Then men will arrest you and hand you over to be punished, and you will be put to death" (Matt. 24:9).

Before concluding, special consideration should be given to the fact that the NT's authors, consistent with all other ruling class spokesmen, blame an alleged human nature for the ills that plague mankind, rather than a material arrangement of society that benefits a few at the expense of millions.  Some sort of psychological makeup in men, whose existence is never proven, whose nature is never discussed, whose composition is never defined, whose cause is never revealed, rather than material conditions, is supposedly responsible for humanity's problems.

Their reasoning in this regard is as follows.  Since man made society and material conditions, since he is responsible for their arrangement, then whatever ills and evils exist are ultimately caused by man and not material conditions or society.  Man makes his environment more than the environment makes man; thus, evil must originate in man.  That his human nature is evil is the contention one will find in the following verses:

So human nature is the villain according to NT teachings and from it spring all the problems of mankind.

The major fallacy of this reasoning lies in the fact that it does not start from an awareness of the crucial importance of the class struggle to history and the material conditions from which it and all the accompanying problems arose.  Not an alleged evil nature within mankind but a small minority of men is responsible for the arrangement of society and the attendant problems.  As was mentioned in The Relevance of Marxism, a small group (the ruling class) restructured society not out of any innate or malicious intent but simply to more adequately secure their own survival, which is to be expected of any living organism.  Low productivity, lack of adequate material goods, and an insecure existence (material conditions) compelled a minority of people to change society so as to more adequately insure their safety and well-being.  The ills and problems which have plagued society ever since were the unintentional and unavoidable by-products of this restructuring and did not emerge from an alleged human nature.  Man's freedom in regard to the abolishment of society's ills and, thus, his responsibility has been relatively minor.

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PART V (CONCLUSION)

What, then, has Christ's death on the cross meant for humanity if not salvation?  What does Christianity mean if not peace, love and brotherhood?  For hundreds of millions of trusting souls it has engendered bondage, bondage to an ideology which is the very antithesis of that which it purports to represent.  Masked as a friend of the poor and oppressed, it actually serves the rich and elite.  Billed as a purveyor of peace and love, it buttresses systems which negate peace and love from the beginning.  Supposedly an answer to humanity's problems, it does little more than urge followers to seek aid and succor from a nebulous other-world while leaving the arrangement of society intact.  Never does the NT advise followers to:

revolt when unjustly oppressed,

oppose private property or exploitation,

seek equality instead of subservience,15

seek justice instead of submission,

seek involvement rather than escape,

seek improvement rather than acceptance,

seek pride and self-respect instead of self-debasement,

seek proof rather than faith,

seek a reasonably decent life instead of abject poverty and all the accompanying ignorance, disease, infant mortality and misery,

labor and plan instead of hope and pray,

deny support to the ruling authorities for wrongful acts instead of obeying their every command, or blame the arrangement of society (material conditions), instead of the individual, for the latter's behavior.

Christianity, the NT, and Christ are all euphemisms for a covert, insidious form of slavery.16  The behavior of an ideal Christian would be comparable to that of a slave or sheep.  In fact, Christ, himself, makes this comparison since it would be ridiculous to deny its validity.  In each of the following examples the words "Jesus," "Christ," or "God," could easily be replaced by the phrases "the ruling class" or "the prevailing private property system."

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Christians have been called men enchained as the following verses justify:

and once, Christ was so degrading and revealing as to compare converting human beings with catching fish.  In Luke 5:9-10 he said, "He (Simon--Ed.) and all the others with him were amazed at the large number of fish they had caught.  The same was true of Simon's partners....  Jesus said to Simon, 'Don't be afraid; from now on you will be catching men'."

Even though Christians are repeatedly referred to as sheep and slaves, the NT proclaims in 2 Cor. 3:17 that, "...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."  It would be difficult to imagine a statement more at variance with reality.  Few utterances in the NT are more erroneous.  A dominant theme of the entire work is that individuals should totally and unquestioningly surrender themselves to Christ without hesitation or qualms while discounting all information which tends to prove the idiocy of such an act.  The NT equates this with freedom.  Slavery in following Christ, being a slave of Christ, is freedom according to the NT.  Webster's Dictionary defines freedom as the "liberation from slavery" and if this is accurate, then any form of slavery automatically obviates freedom.  Contradictions of this nature should not be surprising, however, since allegations which violate every form of rational thought permeate the NT.  Any book contending that misery is to be welcomed as a test of one's faith, that lack of valid evidence for its teachings is to be viewed as a welcome challenge to one's beliefs and that the remedy for ineffective prayer is more prayer can understandably allege that slavery is freedom.  It is nothing more than the logical conclusion of a black-is-white philosophy.

Unfortunately, many persons have already succumbed to Christian teachings and of those tragic individuals who doggedly believe despite all information demonstrating the NT's value to the ruling class alone, one can only conclude by quoting the author or authors of Galatians 6:14 who wrote one of the classic statements of the entire NT, "...for by means of his cross the world is dead to me, and I am dead to the world."17

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LIST OF QUOTED SOURCES

1. Lenin, Alliance of the Working Class and the Peasantry. Moscow: Foreign Languages Publishing House, 1959.

2. Lenin, The Collapse of the Second International. Moscow: FLPH, 1952.

3. Lenin, Collected Works. 45 Volumes, Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1963-1970.

4. Lenin, On Socialist Ideology and Culture. Moscow: FLPH, 2nd Edition.

5. Lenin, Selected Works. 3 Volumes, Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1967.

6. Marx, Critique of the Gotha Program. Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1966.

7. Marx and Engels, The German Ideology. Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1964.

8. Marx and Engels, On Religion. Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1966.

9. Marx and Engels, Selected Works. 2 Volumes, Moscow: FLPH, 5th Impression, 1962.

10. Mehring, Franz, Karl Marx. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1962.