Just a tip and my 2 cents: USA needs more leftist churches

[TrotskistMarx]

Dear friends, I think that since there are many religious people in USA. Many christians, muslims, jewish and other religions in America. I think that one good way of increasing the popularity of leftist hatred against capitalism and love and support toward, socialism and marxism is by the creation of more progressive socialist churches and socialist leftist religious church meetings. That way we could attract more people to socialism from churches. I know that USA is very totalitarian and very dictatorial system. Not like the home of the freedom of speech and freedom of politics like many people think. Because of the reactionary nature of the US government. Which would react with violence to any mass movement, to any organization that is anti-capitalism and anti-US status quo. The US government and system is great at using labels. And using the words "Cults" and "Terrorist organization" to any group that is anti-status quo. Like for example David Koresh and many other groups destroyed by US government.

But I think it would be a good idea to preach socialism ideology to the masses from churches, and to preach religious messages from a liberation theology perspective.

This is just an opinion, I just want to know if this is a good idea or if this would have the opposite effect. Because you know how closed-minded are most people in USA for any thing that is new and unknown.


.

[Prometeo liberado]

How does this keep happening to me? Fell for it once again dear friends. Your killing me TM, A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y KILLING ME!!!!!!!!

[honest john's firing squad]

This is your best idea so far, TrotskistMarx. You really set the standard for everyone else on revleft.

If only there were more like you, maybe the Left could get somewhere and produce results in the real world!

[El Oso Rojo]

Jim Jones, Jim Jones Jim Jones.

[pluckedflowers]

I'm sure nothing could better improve the image of leftists in the US than a decision to pretend to be religious to manipulate our audience.

[NorwegianCommunist]

Watch a movie called Red State, that's how we are going to teach socialism :lol:

[Jimmie Higgins]

Well if our goal is the self-emancipation of the working class and we want people to believe what we have to say organically because it's true to their experience and the best explanation for the world, then presenting this information in the form of a fib would be counter-productive.

The development of left-wing churches or liberation theology or even just church-based progressive activism, if it happens, comes out of a general shifting consciousness, it doesn't drive it. There were left-wing churches that gained large numbers of followers (and at least one famous "socialist-church-cult") by incorporating social-justice and pro-integration and anti-war activism into their religious practice during the 1960s/70s. Hell even US Catholics developed a sort of radical wing through civil rights and anti-war activism.

The early civil rights movement was initially organized through church organizations, but these same organizations, in decades previous (and since), were often led with a collaborationist attitude towards jim-crow: "Keep the peace, even if it's unjust because that's better (for local black elites anyway) than White terror". But the changes in society and in the economy in the south after WWII opened up new possibilities for blacks in southern towns and cities and so there was more of a willingness and desire to push back against the racist order so that there could be black upward mobility. This meant that churches with the old style leadership began to loose credibility opening the way for more activist oriented leaders like MLK.

Anyway, that's all just to say, that I don't think there are any short-cuts to the redevelopment of class and radical consciousness in US workers.

What I think radicals should do however is try and reach out to church-goers who would be receptive to the movements and causes we are organizing or involved with. In Oakland there's no way to do anti-racist activism and not deal with the question of black religious organizations/institutions and the catholic church and connected organizations. Of course the leadership of everything from local immigrant-community catholic churches to black churches to the NOI are going to be liberal and timid by default, but their members are going to mostly be working class and receptive to class politics. This is why I think it's a mistake for revolutionaries to be anti-theist on principle - not towards themselves, but in seeing any religious belief in any context as being the major hurdle for developing class consciousness. This is an idealist approach to the question of religion in my view.

[dodger]

THANKS FOR THE TIP. Anything for the 2.40pm at Baldock? "Golden Troll" is showing form. THOUGH NEEDS AN INTELLIGENT RIDER.

[corolla]

For interracial homosexual orgies in every American church! Rebuild the Fourth International!!!

[TrotskistMarx]

True, humans are so closed-minded, so attached to their personal worldviews, that any thing that is new, alternative, any breakthrough like the creation of left-wing religious groups in America would be bashed and trashed. People in general, even within the left hate to get out of their comfort zone. Most humans hate to take advise from other people

So even the creation of left-wing religious groups in America will seen as a crazy idea.

.



Well if our goal is the self-emancipation of the working class and we want people to believe what we have to say organically because it's true to their experience and the best explanation for the world, then presenting this information in the form of a fib would be counter-productive.

The development of left-wing churches or liberation theology or even just church-based progressive activism, if it happens, comes out of a general shifting consciousness, it doesn't drive it. There were left-wing churches that gained large numbers of followers (and at least one famous "socialist-church-cult") by incorporating social-justice and pro-integration and anti-war activism into their religious practice during the 1960s/70s. Hell even US Catholics developed a sort of radical wing through civil rights and anti-war activism.

The early civil rights movement was initially organized through church organizations, but these same organizations, in decades previous (and since), were often led with a collaborationist attitude towards jim-crow: "Keep the peace, even if it's unjust because that's better (for local black elites anyway) than White terror". But the changes in society and in the economy in the south after WWII opened up new possibilities for blacks in southern towns and cities and so there was more of a willingness and desire to push back against the racist order so that there could be black upward mobility. This meant that churches with the old style leadership began to loose credibility opening the way for more activist oriented leaders like MLK.

Anyway, that's all just to say, that I don't think there are any short-cuts to the redevelopment of class and radical consciousness in US workers.

What I think radicals should do however is try and reach out to church-goers who would be receptive to the movements and causes we are organizing or involved with. In Oakland there's no way to do anti-racist activism and not deal with the question of black religious organizations/institutions and the catholic church and connected organizations. Of course the leadership of everything from local immigrant-community catholic churches to black churches to the NOI are going to be liberal and timid by default, but their members are going to mostly be working class and receptive to class politics. This is why I think it's a mistake for revolutionaries to be anti-theist on principle - not towards themselves, but in seeing any religious belief in any context as being the major hurdle for developing class consciousness. This is an idealist approach to the question of religion in my view.

[Elysian]

True, humans are so closed-minded, so attached to their personal worldviews, that any thing that is new, alternative, any breakthrough like the creation of left-wing religious groups in America would be bashed and trashed. People in general, even within the left hate to get out of their comfort zone. Most humans hate to take advise from other people

So even the creation of left-wing religious groups in America will seen as a crazy idea.

.

Leftists could sometimes be as dogmatic as religious folks.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Leftists could sometimes be as dogmatic as religious folks.And religious folks can sometimes be as dynamic in their thinking as Leftists.:lol:

[Prometeo liberado]

THANKS FOR THE TIP. Anything for the 2.40pm at Baldock? "Golden Troll" is showing form. THOUGH NEEDS AN INTELLIGENT RIDER.

I'm gonna box "Golden Troll" with "Narcissism" in the 5th. Regardless of the outcome they'll both be there in the end.