I know it’s an unpopular idea and somehow it’s a surprise to most Christians today but the early Christian church was an organization with Communism at it’s core.

The book of Acts is replete with references to communal life, there is no question that the Book of Acts describes a decidedly communist church with verses like this one:

All that believed were together, and had all things in common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. (Acts 2:44-45)

When I was a Christian this verse along with many others that support the idea of a Communist church led my political ideals which eventually led me to become a member of the Socialist Party USA.  It was at this point that I recognized the disparity between what I see as a clear mandate from the Bible and what the modern Christian church actually puts into practice.

In reality the majority of Christians have embraced a very anti-socialist stance, completely ignoring  a Christ that overturned the moneychangers tables in the temple to do the very thing that he allegedly protested against: using their faith to drive commerce or capitalizing on the faith of others. We can thank the TEA party for the newest resurgence of anti-socialist propaganda (coming from people that don’t even know what the word means mind you) – which is made up largely of evangelical Christians that want free market capitalism in it’s purest form.

I had a closet full of Christian themed T shirts, many of them quite cheesy in fact. I also still have a library full of Christian books that I gathered and read while still in the faith. All of my CD collection was made up entirely of Christian music that I generally payed a premium for. I went into the Christian book store the other day and I noticed they even had a new product – a Christian themed knockoff of the “Power Balance Bracelet”, the pseudo-scientific bracelet that uses a homeopathic hologram to cure you of your bad energy (yes, seriously.).

Christianity has become the thing that the alleged Christ, in the book that believers are supposed to be reading was most angered by: Opportunistic Profiteering.

I suspect that most believers aren’t willing to take their faith seriously enough to put these sorts of ventures out of business, regardless these are just the observations of a Christian turned atheist, still trying to get the church to do as it’s told.

Dear Church,

Read your Bible.  Yes, the atheist is telling you to read the Bible. Do it, if other atheists read this I implore you to ask your Christian acquaintances to do the same. If you don’t read it you’ll never fully understand the basis of your faith, if you don’t understand your faith you’ll never leave it.  Someone is banking on that.

Your Godless friend,

Matt

PS:  Question Everything