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Comment by hyggetrold | Hacker News Reader

> It's always interesting to me to see how Christianity intersects with capitalism.

Reminds me of a conversation I had with a Danish person, in reference to their welfare system: "some call it socialism - in Denmark we call it Christianity."

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In the US socialism/communism got tied to the state atheism of the Soviets and China which is why there is the political divide

It seems likely that Socialism would not exist without Christianity. We know that the early Christians were essentially communist - they owned everything in common. Christianity taught that wealth should not be hoarded but used to improve people's lives in community. That every person is created in the image of God and thus has value no matter what they can (or cannot) do - meaning that disabled and old people had just as much right to live as anyone else.

Now the dominant American expression of Christianity (Evangelicalism) teaches that socialism is some kind of evil and has politically aligned itself with the owner class.

That’s because it got wrapped up in right wing politics. It used to be evangelicals were equally likely from both parties. Then Regan courted them and the rest is history.

Indeed. Jimmy Carter was (is) an Evangelical. They turned their back on their own to go after Reagan.

Way earlier than that - once Constantine claimed to have seen a cross and heard God saying "In hoc signo vinces" (Under this sign you will conquer), Christianity was forever connected with Empire.

> It seems likely that Socialism would not exist without Christianity.

I may be drunk, but I can't believe this argument is being made

I was not aware that Christianity had some sort of monopoly of "be nice".

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