Jesus to the Rescue?

In Jesus to the Rescue?, Katha Pollitt explores the issues with integrating evangelical Christainity with leftist (here identified with the Democratic Party - in Australia, this would be the Australian Labour Party). She concludes that the two should be kept separate.

That so many Christians are firmly persuaded that the Bible condemns abortion suggests that God's politics tend to be the politics of the people who claim to speak for him. Since these men, and now women, have been arguing for centuries without reaching agreement on even the simplest matters, the rest of us are entitled to wonder if perhaps they are reading the wrong book.

I agree that party politics must be kept clear of religion and non-religion. We need to build the broadest possible coalition for change without compromising our principles.

In Marxist terms, what Ms Pollitt is describing is the spiritual production that justifies the status quo. That is, there are religious leaders who are supported and promoted by the ruling class in order to justify the existence of the ruling class, and therefore the privileges and wealth that accure to the ruling class. As long as these religious leaders keep producing spiritual justifications for the current state of affairs, they will enjoy the protection of the ruling class.

At a personal level, I am a Communist because I am a Christian. I strongly believe that to serve God is to change the Capitalist system into a more fairer and more just society. This will not be a perfect society, just a better one. Only God can create the perfect society with perfect justice.