Karl Marx defined communism as "from each according to his ability, to
each according to his need." However, the Bible had the same thing 1800
years earlier.

As a communist, a Christian once wrote to me to explain that I was one
of the best Christians he ever knew of and that I should join him in the
battle against pseudo-Christians who are the 99 percent in the United
$tates. Now the same idea is seen on "talk.politics.china." There are
atheist communists and there are Christian communists.
 

The below you can find in talk.politics.china by Tom Goodman.
 

I don't see how a pagan like you can decide who is God's
people or not. Here I am quoting from the Bible that proves
true Christians are indeed communists. There is no way you
can argue that is not true unless you don't believe  the
Bible in the first place.

Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of
one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that
ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they
had all things common.
4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon
them all.
4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as
many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and
brought the prices of the things that were sold,
4:35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and
distribution was made unto every man according as he had
need.

Communism \Com"mu*nism\, n. [F. communisme, fr. commun
common.] A system of equalizing the social conditions of
life; specifically, a system which contemplates the
abolition of inequalities in the possession of property, as
by distributing all wealth equally to all, or by holding all
wealth in common for the equal use and advantage of all

Acts 2:44  And all that believed were together, and had all
things common;
45  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to
all men, as every man had need.
46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the
temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat
their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

1 Corinthians 10:24  Let no man seek his own, but every man
another's wealth.
25  Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no
question for conscience sake:
26  For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.

The word "communism" is really consisted of two words,
"communion" and "ism".

Main Entry: ism
Pronunciation: 'i-z&m
Function: noun
Etymology: -ism
Date: 1680
 : a distinctive doctrine, cause, or theory

Main Entry: com?u?ion
Pronunciation: k&-'myü-ny&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin communion-, communio
mutual participation, from communis
Date: 14th century
1 : an act or instance of sharing

Main Entry: com?u?ism
Pronunciation: 'käm-y&-"ni-z&m
Function: noun
Etymology: French communisme, from commun common
Date: 1840
1 a : a theory advocating elimination of private property b
: a system in which goods are owned in common and are
available to all as needed

_______________________________
mim3@mim.org:

Tom Goodman is correct about Christianity and communism.

Bible: Acts 5:1-10

""A man named Ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property,
and with his wife's knowledge he kept back some of the proceeds, and
brought  only a part and laid at the apostles' feet. But Peter said,
"Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and
to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold,
did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your
disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You

have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard these words, he
fell down and died."

[mim3@mim.org comments: And these pseudo-Christians have the nerve to
criticize Mao with regard to "human-rights" under dictatorship of the
proletariat! The Amerikan pseudo-Christians  have put together entire
Hollywood movies attacking Mao. Where was the humyn-rights of this owner

of property mentioned above? It seems that the original Christians had
their priorities straight--the basic needs of the people first! Profit
second or never!]

Acts  5:7-5:10

"After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing
what had happened. And Peter said to her, 'Tell me whether you sold the
land for so much.' And she said, 'Yes, for so much.' But Peter said to
her, 'How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the

Lord? Hark, the feet of those that have buried your husband are at the
door, and they will carry you out.' Immediately she fell down at his
feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they
carried her out and buried her beside her husband."

[mim3@mim.org: That was a harsh act of proletarian dictatorship. It
reminded me of Stalin. It looks like Christian communism would oppose
the counterrevolution in China with its private farming, free markets
and me-firstism.]

The Bible also presaged what we Marxists call revisionism:
II Corinthians 12-15
"And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of
those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on
the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful
workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for
even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange
if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.
Their end will correspond to their deeds."

[mim3@mim.org comments: That pretty much explains why there are
pseudo-Christians and pseudo-communists.]
 
 
 
 

From - Thu Jan 21 18:57:35 1999
Message-ID: <36A7CCFA.944F5924@geocities.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 18:57:30 -0600
From: mimist3@geocities.com
Reply-To: mim3@mim.org
Newsgroups: talk.politics.china,soc.culture.usa,alt.bible
Subject: Re: Welcome Christian Communism everywhere

Raymond Knapp wrote:

> <Goodman@Christian Communist International.htq not email so no spam
> (Christian Communist International )> wrote in message
>
> >>  Not only are Christain Communists *not* God's People,
> >>  they don't even believe in God (if they are genuine
> >>  Communists).
>
> >Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of
> >one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that
> >ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they
> >had all things common.
>
> Then if you would read the rest of the story, St. Paul had to take up
> offerings for this mistake and help support the Church in Jerusalem because
> it did not work.

mim3@mim.org replies: This part of your argument does not seem supported by the
text. Perhaps you should rewrite it.
 

>  Then having all things common is not the word communist,
> or anything like communism, were not the people or the church own all things
> but the State or Government, the bible story here in these verses does not
> show the people giving any one thing to the State.

mim3@mim.org: And you are not denying that the Bible says to render to Caesar
what is Caesar's are you? I just read the NT by the way.

>    Your are way off, even
> this common giving was stopped as it soon ran out of money, food and so on,
> you can give it all away and still have it.  USSR made that mistake and is
> no more Communist.  China is leaving Communist very quickly and what is to
> day in the CCCP doesn't even look like Communists 30 years ago.  Then they
> did not do like the Bible they took by force what they wanted, no one freely
> gave a thing to them.

mim3@mim.org: This stuff about what does and does not work is the weak flesh
speaking, not the road to eternity according to the Bible.

>   Communist teaching and bible have nothing to do with
> each other.

mim3@mim.org: That is an obvious flat out lie.

>    Then the common word you use is not a meaning of the word for
> communism, any more then the "common" cold is a holy word or that a common
> cold points to a person believing in communist.  It is you that can not
> argue, the Bible proves you wrong, and what you do by picking and taking out
> of context is that you can not prove a thing about communist believe and
> bible.
>

mim3@mim.org: Tom didn't give you the half of it. And don't think we didn't
notice you left out his passage quote from I Corinthian.

> You will never find in any communist nation that knows what communist is,
> and teaches it, that one person is aloud to feel or praise the power of God
> and there is no grace under communist.  Death and hunger, mass mind control,
> none of which is found in these verses.
>
> >4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as
> >many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and
> >brought the prices of the things that were sold,
>
> This no lack only lasted till the food ran out, as we see in Paul's writing
> that these people that sold all they had went poor, and needed help from
> other areas.   That also was only one church area, and not the whole of the
> believers in Christ or the whole of Christiandom.   One location, that tried
> to have all in common and after they sold all they had, found they had to
> give up that teaching.  There is no where in the bible that teaches them to
> do such, so they failed and it is in the bible to show that it doesn't work.
> Or communists just did not work and was not part of the whole in the Church.
>

mim3@mim.org: You seem to be arguing the Bible contradicts itself. However, if
you were a real Christian you would see instinctively that some passages talk
about responsibility and some talk about need: They don't contradict, even on a
literal level, at least not as much as you say.

> >4:35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and
> >distribution was made unto every man according as he had
> >need.
>
> You also will not find in any Karl Marx's writing to give money to the
> Church and lay it at the Church leaders feet.
>

mim3@mim.org: Here you prove you lied, because Marx's phrase "to each according
to his need" defining communism as a superior stage above socialism is
practically verbatim from the Bible. It's as exact as could be given
translations.

> >Director of Christian Communists International
>
> You know all liar's will end up in Hell with those that follow communist
> teaching.   Then I like to see your government license for your so call
>

mim3@mim.org replies: Now this is intriguing. Here we ordinary mortals have to
second-guess Satan. Is Satan trying to turn us from communism so he can bring us
to Hell? The tactic above reminds me of II Corinthians 12-15.

I admit I have been called Satan more than once. So I have asked myself, if I
were Satan what would I do to subvert Christianity?

II Corinthians 12-15
"And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of
those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on
the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful
workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for
even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange
if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.
Their end will correspond to their deeds."

All I can do is look at the craftiest humyns. If I were Satan I would definitely
mess with the Bible. It is after all just a book printed on paper of this world.
I would print lots of Bibles with my words in them. Then when I needed some
extra new tactics added in I would put them in in translation.

This is what cunning humyns do. A famous smoker in China did that. The State
Department is also doing that with its strategy of "peaceful evolution" for
China. The most efficient way to subvert something is from within. Surely Satan
is as tricky as the most cunning humyns.
 

> company you are the Director of.  Then I see nothing Christian about your
> teaching, so calling yourself a Christian would be a lie, and Director of a
> non-business a lie, you are in deep water.
>

mim3@mim.org: Are you opposed to the individual road to God? Why can't he call
himself director?

> >Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed
> >were of one heart and of one soul: neither said
> >any of them that ought of the things which he
> >possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
>
> One thing in this verse that is totally against communist teaching is that
> here we find the people saying freely that all possessions common.  Under
> communist teaching the State take it, and there is nothing freely given,
> freely stolen, robbed and so on, which the bible say is all sin.
>

mim3@mim.org replies: Here is the nub of your trickery. Neither does atheist
communism or the contemporary understanding of the word "communism." The phrase
even Marx used was "from each according to his ability, to each according to his
need." It was not just "to each according to his need." More on this later.

> Here are a few verse that use the term "common" and they have nothing ever
> remotely to do with communism, then the best is at the last.   Jesus himself
> told them to buy and take for themselves, and to remember when they lacked
> nothing.  So in The Acts verses it failed as the USSR did and we see China
> turning away from it also, as it just doesn't work.
>

mim3@mim.org: Again he speaks for the weak flesh. It is exactly the same as
saying the prohibition against adultery doesn't work, so the Ten Commandments
are a crock. It's true that the prohibition does not work and that is important
to scientists, not to Christianity per se.

> 1 Cor 16:1   Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given
> order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
> 2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store,
> as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
> 3 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I
> send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
> 4 And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.
>

mim3@mim.org: I hope you aren't on the dole from the believers, for that would
explain your approach to communism.

> Acts 10:14  But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing
> that is common or unclean.
>

mim3@mim.org replies: What sense of "common" is here? The able-bodied communist
is self-sufficient and self-reliant. So did Peter see to getting his own food?
That's "from each according to his ability." "To each according to his need"
gets its real umph when we serve the children, elderly, disabled etc.

> Acts 10:15  And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God
> hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
>

mim3@mim.org: You are playing with the meaning of words. Some of these quotes
are really DESPERATE diversions.

> 1 Cor 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to
> man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that
> ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye
> may be able to bear it.
>
> Titus 1:4  To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and
> peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
>
> Jude 1:3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common
> salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye
> should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the
> saints.
>
> Luke 22:35  And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip,
> and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
> 36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it,
> and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment,
> and buy one.

Bible: Acts 5:1-10

""A man named Ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property,
and with his wife's knowledge he kept back some of the proceeds, and
brought  only a part and laid at the apostles' feet. But Peter said,
"Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and
to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold,
did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your
disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You
have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard these words, he
fell down and died."

Acts  5:7-5:10

"After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing
what had happened. And Peter said to her, 'Tell me whether you sold the
land for so much.' And she said, 'Yes, for so much.' But Peter said to
her, 'How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the
Lord? Hark, the feet of those that have buried your husband are at the
door, and they will carry you out.' Immediately she fell down at his
feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they
carried her out and buried her beside her husband."

mim3@mim.org: That is very practical. Very clear on the economic system.