The final chapter in Herbert Schlossberg's book Idols for Destruction is entitled The New Community. In it he launches a full scale attack against humanitarian social policy. "Serving the poor" is a "euphemism for destroying the poor unless it includes with it the intention of seeing the poor begin to serve others, and thereby validate the words of Jesus that it is better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Whereas humanitarian social policy keeps people helplessly dependent, Christians should seek to remove them from that status and return them to productive capacity."
But Schlossberg also reminds us that the "biblical writers also struck blows against resentiment attempts to use the poor against the rich." "Distributory justice occurs when people redistribute their own property, not that of others."
Instead of being swelled with pride for the privileges we have as Americans, we should be led to gratitude and humility. Schlossberg argues that our society is in the process of destroying its capital. "Government levies and inflation convert capital into consumption and so dissipate it." He defines capital as "any asset - material or non-material - that produces continuing benefits of any kind."
How do we transform hatred into love? How can justice triumph? Schlossberg urges Christians to work to "stop the incessant looting taking place under the banner of redistribution, which at once makes dependents out of all its recipients and destroys the economy by removing incentives for production." Further, we must "insist that the criminal justice system, bemused by behaviorist contentions that criminals are victims, begin protecting the innocent against those who prey upon them." "Justice means the ruling of society in conformance with the law of God."
Christians are to "work toward bringing the political, economic, and cultural landscape into conformity with the divine intention."
We need to remember that crucifixion was followed by resurrection. Christianity is about victory and triumph. We must not recognize the right of our leaders to play god. Passivity must be rejected. Christians must avoid "blind submission" to political symbols such as conservative or liberal. We can form short-term alliances with political parties, but we should always maintain a suspicion.
Who are Christians? We are disciples of the Master. Hope is a Christian virtue, not a statist one. Our hope is "rooted in the faithfulness of God, the firmest of all foundations." Marxism is the imitator of biblical faith. Like Marxism, biblical faith finds great power in the conviction that history is going its way. No life could possibly be more exciting and adventurous than the Christian life. Schlossberg's final sentence: "It is hard to imagine a more important or satisfying role than to embark on the spiritual, intellectual, and political adventure of working to strip idols, root and branch, from the land."
6 comments:
Bob, this is a wonderful post. WOW! I see why you love this author and book. So true, I want to go back and read it again. Thank you!
One of the difficult realities of trying to root out "perpetual dependency" is that it is built into the institutional form of church. 99% of churches with a building and even one hired expert will consume 78-85% of their "giving" to buy facilities and staffing which benefit mostly the "givers". This is pooling giving for ourselves, not giving. Giving always goes beyond the givers. Believers have systematized pooling and call it giving.
This bogus tradition is wrapped in scripture that is twisted to justify it. The Bible does talk about the right for the preacher to be paid, but it also teaches leaders should refuse this right. Acts 20, 1 Cor. 9, 2 Thes. 3. Institutional leaders and lay folk who like benefiting from their "giving" suck up to ignoring or rationalizing away this teaching. Institutionalized faith likes having a professionally prepared Bible lecture delivered to them each week instead of producing teaching themselves from personal study. Heb. 10:24,25 says that "not forsaking assembly" means "spurring one another on to love and good works" and "encouraging one another". This is the exact opposite of one-way communication oriented lecture by a hired man. They like getting to send their kids off for someone else to teach. As a Sunday School teacher for many years, I realized a was a co-dependent for those who were too spiritually lazy to be involved with their own children during "church time".
Systemically, institutionalized believers have their faith cemented in perpetual dependency. The Bible says the goal of teaching is full reproduction of leadership. Luke 6:40; 2 Tim. 2:2. In the system the preacher can be there for 20 years and when he leaves no one is "full trained to be like him", nor has he "entrusted" any of what he does to other men. Another expert must be hired to do everything the previous guy did.
One of the big reasons government is involved in helping the poor is that believers are consuming most of their own "giving". There is a way for believers to "do church" where 100% of giving goes out the door. There is much more to be said on this but I will stop here.
Any questions: timaag@gmail.com
In my church, no one who "preaches" per se we don't actually have preachers gets paid. No one!!!! The money the church collects goes toward buildings, facilities and our welfare system which requires work for money. And even that set up isn't perfect. We still have those who 'work' the system to their advantage. It takes truly being disciples of Christ and not just believers or followers. Sounds like you Bob and this author understands that difference.
I'm going to get this book.
Bob,
You've been absent for over a week. Are you okay?
It is wonderful to hear from each of you. What an honor to know that such quality people are stopping by this blog.
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