Forum Post: Surely churches should be out enmass for this campaign! URSURY is WRONG!!
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 18, 2011, 12:12 p.m. EST by BtnSteve
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Why is the christian movement not involved in these protests in a big way?
The old testament has always said that ursury is wrong as in the koran also..
Get the word to the churches that the time to change this system is NOW!!
Usury is legal, widespread, and perceived as a legitimate form of commerce. Yet it causes despair, hopelessness, physical pain, emotional torment, and financial servitude. Long-term consequences due to a poor credit score can negatively impact housing, employment, and eligibility for educational loans, among other things. At a time when greed is at an all time high Christian leaders have consistently failed to use their pulpits to speak out against banks, credit bureaus, collection agencies, and credit card companies. Christians have long advocated for social justice, but have overlooked the serious injuries this sector of the economy causes. It is time that the way the financial system works is added to the list of social injustices that must be addressed by Christian activists.
It HAS been growing in the churches. My wife is a presbyterian minister and preached on it this past Sunday.
Sojourners, the Christian social justice group, has been supporting and promoting it. http://www.sojo.net/
Here are some great posts-
http://blog.sojo.net/2011/10/11/jim-wallis-on-occupywallstreet-this-could-really-change-things-video/
http://blog.sojo.net/2011/10/13/an-open-letter-to-the-occupiers-from-a-veteran-troublemaker/
http://blog.sojo.net/2011/10/11/occupywallstreet-playing-with-fire-and-corraling-the-golden-calf/
The Christian Left has been marginalized and ridiculed for the hypocrisies of the Christian Right for decades and I've seen a lot of it on these forums. The greater Church has suffered for it.
What I would ask in response is how come those from the left frequently chooses to just leave Christianity rather than change the governing institutions? What used to be mainstream protestant churches, the more liberal denominations have been dying.
Sorry, we don't have a rocking praise band and a feel good hollow message. What we have is a soup kitchen, AA group, counseling for the mentally ill, job training for the developmentally disabled, an infant needs pantry for low income families, and lots of opportunities to volunteer and contribute. All supported by the remains of a dwindling endowment and the meager contributions of seniors on fixed income and the pennies of the working poor. Oh, and one rich guy whose wife comes to church once a month.
If you want MORE of the Christian Left to join, try going to their churches. "You will know them by their fruits" Matt 7:16
SOCIAL JUSTICE was always one of the FOCAL POINTS of the teachings of Jesus, as was the case for ALL of the Great Prophets of Judaism who preceded him. The defence of the poor and the downtrodden is at the heart of both of these religions, just as it is for Islam and Buddhism.
USURY, i.e. lending with interest, was FORBIDDEN by the early Church, who considered it a grave sin. However, as the Church became gradually corrupted and co-opted by "The World" - as Christ called "the System"- it betrayed little by little the most fundamental teachings of Jesus, until it became largely a force for evil. The "Crusades" were an insane enterprise: out of 8 Crusades, only one was successful! (Makes you wonder whose side God was on?) and the infamous "Holy Inquisition" initiated an ungodly reign of terror which was to last 700 years! I'm not even talking about the witch-hunts and the horrific persecution of the Jews which lasted almost 2000 years.
The Church - with the exception of a few saintly priests at the lowest echelons - made a TOTAL MOCKERY of Jesus' teachings on social justice. And what of American Christian Churches of today? MANY of them - not all, thank God! - are "Christian" only in name, and "Mammonist" in reality (see Wikipedia), worshipping MONEY as opposed to doing God's Will.
So I completely concur with "BtnSteve": Get the word to the churches! And if they refuse to listen, change churches. CHALLENGE your church to become "Christic", that is, Christ-like and Christ-inspired. After 2000 years of betrayals, "Christian" is OUT, "Christic" is IN.
I'm just gonna leave this here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_communism
That being said I do understand your point. I just think our Christian brethren need a bit of credit :).
I'm sure some are out there but why do the preachers not shout 'get off your asses and change this corrupt system!!' to their congregations..!
Good point!
lets ask them?