Hi, > > The revolutionary era of the 60s stood out because of the > violence. Maybe more recently people have heard of the > Shining Path & Castro.
Just because they call themselves Marxists, doesn't mean they are. Do you think the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda is doing the work of the Lord? Should all God-fearing people be tarred with the same brush because a bunch of psychopathic lunatics adopt the name? > > Not long ago I went to the reasonably prestigous Ohio State > University here in Columbus looking to enroll in the EE program. > WRT the program, it's impressive. > > But in the broader curriculum was a required course. It was > a course in dialectics. And on the shelf of the counselor I > talked to was her notebook distinctly labelled "MARX". > Unlikely it concerned old toys or movies. And? Universities are there to teach people stuff. Marxism has been important and influential in history. It should therefore be taught. Just because people teach a subject, it doesn't mean they adopt the philosophy. You can be sure that in most universities the same people teach Marxism, political conservatism, classical liberalism and so on, throughout the spectrum. Any decent university will teach this stuff in a detached, independent and academic way. The purpose of going to university is to broaden your mind, learn how to learn, and expose yourself to other ways of thinking and being. You don't have to accept it all, or adopt every crazy idea that people come up with. But you should at least learn how to evaluate ideas in their own terms, learn how to approach them critically and logically, without having to rely on what your Bible studies group leader tells you. If you want to learn about a subject, say Marxism or Christianity, the best way to learn about is not from people who are either strongly pro, or strongly anti. For example, I would not expect to learn much about Christianity from either Ian Paisley or Alisteir Crowley. Similarly, do not expect to learn much about Marxism from either Marxists or fanatical anti-Marxists. Instead find someone who is interested in political philosophy in general, and who has a detached, academic interest in it. They will give you a good, wide-ranging view of the subject, and be able to put it in the context of other political philosophies. They will be able to point out the pros & cons honestly, and help you to find your own opinion. Which may still coincide with your Bible studies group leader's opinion, but at least it will be your own. > > Marxism is a philosophy. Communism is a form of government > derived from it. So is National Socialism. And western > Socialism. All are "Marxist" by definition, in one component > or another. Whether it's redistribution of wealth, > egalitarianism, the "green" movement, the "peace" movement, > whatever mechanism is its expression, the philosophy is the > dominant perspective in most if not all governmental > educational systems. Utter nonsense. > > When John Kerry would, in the last presidential campaign, > speak of our government as a "democracy" and Bush would use > the term "republic", the divergence of their world views was > clarified. In what way? Is the USA not a democracy? Are you suggesting that Kerry is a Marxist? Really? > > /* THE POINT */ > To deny its existence because of a form adaptation is to miss > the reality of its influence. It is endemic enough to be > missed as it doesn't stand out as distinct. It is now dominant. > /* THE POINT */ > Nobody's denying the existence of Marxism, or minimizing the harm that was done in it's name. But most of us can recognise what is and is not Marxism. This is the difficulty you seem to have. Everything you dislike is automatically labelled Marxism. > For those wanting to understand it in its simplicity, the > clearest expression of a Marxist philosophy in pop culture > would be John Lennon's "Imagine". QED. Most of the sentiments expressed in "Imagine" could have come from the Sermon on the Mount. "Imagine all the people living for today" is essentially the same as "Consider the lilies". Which of these sentiments, except for 'no religion too', would Jesus disagree with? "Imagine there's no countries, It isnt hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, No religion too, Imagine all the people living life in peace... Imagine no possesions, I wonder if you can, No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man, Imagine all the people Sharing all the world... You may say Im a dreamer, but Im not the only one, I hope some day you'll join us, And the world will live as one." > > As far as Christianity is involved, "The Challenge of > Marxism" by Klaus Bockmuehl would be a good read. Published > by Intervarsity Press. > > There is no phobia here. No irrational fear that they're > going to invade my house and take all of my possessions. > It's a rational and reasoned concern. Perhaps you should do what Jesus asked, and give away your house and all your possessions. Then you would have nothing to fear from the bogey-men. Regards, Bob
