How can we get religion to go after the ultra rich and big businesses?

[nec209]

At one time many religion where very anti wealthy, rich and big businesses but now it seems so many religions support the ultra rich and big businesses?

 I believe at one time there where lot of priests and Church’s very anti capitalism and supporting communism because of the class hierarchy of homeless, poor, low income, middle income, upper middle income, upper income, rich, really rich and supper rich and so on and also hoarding of large very large amounts of money.
 

But when the USSR, North Korea and China became evil and anti religion many priests and Church’s started supporting conservative as only way to preserve religion as even liberals well preserve capitalism today seemed beyond the Church and that scared many priests and Church’s around.

[CharonY]

24 minutes ago, nec209 said:

At one time many religion where very anti wealthy, rich and big businesses but now it seems so many religions support the ultra rich and big businesses?

Religions are big business and have been for many centuries (varying to degrees by region and religion a bit perhaps). It was way before the Soviet Union (or even Russia) existed. 

[Peterkin]

2 hours ago, nec209 said:

 I believe at one time there where lot of priests and Church’s very anti capitalism and supporting communism

And they were mercilessly persecuted by the church. Just as radical anti-slavery parsons were ostracized by Protestant churches. Jesus might not have approved of storing up riches in this world, but Big Religion was not averse to it.

How can you turn churches against wealth accumulation? Convert everyone to ascetic Hinduism.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Peterkin

[Ken Fabian]

I think it is the job of courts and governments, not religions, with elimination of corruption and undue influence within them as central to finding a better balance for taxation levels and applying them without fear or favour.

In a hypothetical kind of way religion can make ethical issues clearer to people and encourage ethical behavior and we can find numerous examples where they do. But lots of  religion does not and prosperity gospel religions (eg Hillsong style Pentacostals around here) especially look to me to be inherently unethical, by outsourcing responsibility, accountability and outcomes to God whilst approving of wealth accumulation as evidence of God's favour, so long as people profess required belief and tithe.

Where the balance points between taxation and the services taxes provide are, that maximise benefits communities at large whilst giving (and not constraining) incentives to do and invest and compete in enterprise will always be a bit mutable - I think must be under constant review - but it is the extremes that look fairly clearly to be inherently counterproductive.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Ken Fabian

[TheVat]

A lot of Christians perpetuate lies or, at best, distorted caricatures of Jesus.  JC was a Commie.  He would find modern materialistic society to be vile beyond words.

 

[nec209]

The Church and priests where more anti capitalism before and anti rich and could of been use to help unite the left and centrist parties today

 

But the evil USSR, North Korea and China left soul taste in one mouth and the Churchs and priests started to support conservative because of how evil they where and the fact lot of communists where non religious did not help.

 

 

Christian socialism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_socialis

When Christian Evangelicals Loved Socialism

https://daily.jstor.org/when-christian-evangelicals-loved-socialism/
 

WHEN AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WERE SOCIALISTS

https://sojo.net/articles/when-american-christians-were-socialists
 

 

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But it seems to the church and priests support class hierarchy today and the rich and wealthy.

So I don’t know how a proper left and centrist can unite the church and religion today.