ipl-logo

Comparing Marx's Ideals Of Communism And The Catholic Church

1214 Words5 Pages

Marxism’s ideal of communism is similar to ideals presented in the Bible. For example, the community of believers in Acts shared all things in common, giving to the poor and sharing meals together. The early church is described as a harmonious community in which the good of the individual is aligned with the good of the group. By caring for the people around us, we are also fulfilling God’s will. God’s inspiration to love as he loves us will encourage a spirit of community and giving. The Catholic principle of the common good means that the needs of the individual do not negatively affect the needs of the community, and vice versa. So even within a community, individuals should be respected for their unique gifts. In 1 Corinthians, 12:25-26, …show more content…

Everyone who loves has been born. of God and knows God… because God is love.” Since God is love, when we love others as well as loving God himself, we gain a better understanding of God's nature, which fulfils the purpose of life which is to know God. “By love, God has revealed himself and given himself to man. He has thus provided the definitive, superabundant answer to the questions that man asks himself about the meaning and purpose of his life.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994, para. 68, 1257) The meaning of life, which we discover guided by both the law and the Holy Spirit, can be best summarised in the act of love. Loving God and loving others leads us to know and best obey God. All that is done in love is good, as when we love, we are able to look beyond ourselves to the needs of others, just like the selfless ideal presented in Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. “By sending his only Son…God has revealed his innermost secret: God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994, para. 221, 1257) Jesus’ sacrifice also helps us to understand God’s unconditional (agape) love for us, understood by our own imitation of agape …show more content…

Both Marxism and Catholicism define the meaning of life by an ideal relationship that we have with other people. Catholics believe that human nature is defined by God who created us according to his likeness. Humans are created to be in communion with God. In order to best know and obey God in this relationship, Catholics must live selflessly loving others. For Catholics, living in a selfless, loving community and dedicating their life’s purpose to God is difficult in secular societies. As a result, there has been a history of religious orders which seek to achieve this on a smaller level, which is ironic as Catholics believe that in order to best spread the gospel, one must live within greater society. Marxists believe in an egalitarian societal structure in which all can freely produce for the good of the community. Marx believed that his philosophy was not idealistic, and yet communism has failed to be realised according to Marx’s predictions due to the continued individualistic characteristics of humans. Those who have gained power may not be able to let go of their positions in order to move from a socialist to communist society, in which all would be equal. Both Marxism and Catholicism have flaws in how they are applied, as it is important for everyone to hold the same beliefs and goals in common. In order to realise an ideal

Show More
Related

Compare And Contrast Abigail Williams And Joseph Mccarthy

747 Words | 3 Pages

”The great difference between our western Christian world and the atheistic Communist world is not political, gentlemen, it is moral. For instance, the Marxian idea of confiscating the land and factories and running the entire economy as a single enterprise is momentous. Likewise, Lenin’s invention of the one-party police state as a way to make Marx’s idea work is hardly less

Read More

Psy 270 Week 4 Emotionalal Analysis

305 Words | 2 Pages

It is God’s love that keeps us and nothing can separate us from it. God first loved us and demonstrated it when He gave His best for us. God the Father

Read More

Examples Of Dramatic Irony In Lamb To The Slaughter

183 Words | 1 Pages

In Roald Dahl’s short story “Lamb to the Slaughter,” dramatic and situational irony forward the plot. For instance Dramatic irony is shown when the police are talking to Mary about dinner she asks them to stay and eat it. She also states “It’d be a favor to me if you’d eat it up. ”(345 Dahl) We the audience know that Mary used the lamb leg to murder her husband.

Read More

Ronald Reagan Tear Down This Wall Rhetorical Devices

956 Words | 4 Pages

Since these people in communist governments don’t have anything for themselves. Everyone in a communist government are the same there is no two-different person. They have the same house, car, number of children, etc. as well as being similar to everyone no one has any freedoms or a voice. They can’t practice their religion or give their own

Read More

Seeing Faith In Flannery O Connor's Stories

855 Words | 4 Pages

One of O’Connor’s most quoted pieces says "I see from the standpoint of Christian orthodoxy. This means that for me the meaning of life is centered in our Redemption by Christ and what I see in the world I see in its relation to that" (32).

Read More

Communism During The Salem Witch Trials

732 Words | 3 Pages

While communism is meant to help achieve equality for everyone it has been proven we can’t achieve a perfect communist state. Communism first originated from the Greek idea during the Golden Age that harmony and bliss would be achieved without owning private property (Beer, "Origins of Communism"). Lopez 2 It later than resurfaced around 1848 when Karl Marx published his book The Communist Manifesto. During Karl Marx’s time he wanted the proletariat, the working class, to overthrow the government due to bourgeoisie, the high class, having more opportunities and unfair advantages.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Communism A History

713 Words | 3 Pages

Rhetorical Analysis of Communism: A History By Richard Pipes Communism was originally a social theory of a completely unified and harmonious society (3). Private property and class inequality was said to be the root of all evil, so by removing those from society, a government could encourage peace on a national, and later a global scale. Richard Pipes examines the roots of Communism in his book, Communism: A History, and then proceeds to methodically express the failure and decay that comes with it. Pipes argues that Communism is corrupt by appealing to his scholarly audience through a cause-and-effect logos appeal, an ethos appeal that plays on the audience’s appreciation of professionalism, and a pathos appeal built on a foundation of statistical deaths.

Read More

Comparing Marx And Nietzsche's View Of Religion

221 Words | 1 Pages

Marx and Nietzsche both agreed that religion is unnecessary. Marx viewed religion as a form of dissent from the working class. He believed that using religion was an expression of the individual`s personal suffering. Therefore, humans made religion to run away from their daily problems, in the end creating more problems with the concept of religion itself. Marx viewed religion as something made by humans to provide reasoning and answers for their questions and desires.

Read More

Describe The Relationship Between Christianity And Buddism

507 Words | 3 Pages

When you think of communism, however, there are many negative connotations surrounding that word. Even though Christianity and communism are completely different things, Yancey states four things that are common between the two things: equality, sharing, justice, and racial harmony (42).

Read More

Similarities Between Fascism And Communism

1502 Words | 7 Pages

Meanwhile, the theory of Communism was theoretically developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848, with the writing of “The Communist Manifesto” (Heywood, Politics 41). Communism is a system in which all economics and politics are synthesized into one classless state which is most commonly associated with common ownership and people 's leadership by a political party. Although both ideologies coincide in a few aspects when in practice, Communism and Fascism feature different approaches to property and society. Similarities between Fascism and Communism First, under both despotic systems, the state controls the production system, industry, and trade.

Read More

Man's Search For Meaning

1527 Words | 7 Pages

What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment” (Frankl, p. 108). The meaning of life, when used as a general term, has a broad definition because of its ever-changing nature. However, the true definition of the meaning of life is supposed to be established on an individual basis. It’s the events going on in your personal life at that moment in time that defines what meaning is. “To put the question in general terms would be comparable to the question posed to a chess champion: ‘Tell me, Master, what is the best move in the world?’”

Read More

Analysis Of St. John Paul's Fides Et Ratio

1522 Words | 7 Pages

Proverbs 20:5 tells us that intelligence enables everyone, believer and non-believer, to reach the deep waters of knowledge. "God so loved the world that he sent his only Son…" (Jn. 3: 16). Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn. 14: 6). This shows how the Church received the truth about human life as a gift God the Father The true meaning of life, therefore, is a person: Jesus Christ.

Read More

Karl Marx And Liberal Democracy

1891 Words | 8 Pages

Marx saw capital and liberal democracies as the fundamental reasons for the low standards of living and the low social conditions of workers. Karl Marx in particular is especially concerned with the political assumptions behind these two ideologies. According to him, these two types of government should be replaced by communism, since communism would provide a more equal and socially just society. Although this statement may seem unusual, since we tend to associate communism with Stalin and China, the type of communism implemented in these countries is different from the communism that Marx and Engels envisaged in their Communist Manifesto. Marx and Engels’ vision of communism is based on the principle of equality among the people and freedom

Read More

Max Weber's Relationship Between State And Society

1719 Words | 7 Pages

Unlike Weber, Karl Marx thought that capitalism is the creation of bureaucrat class for their interests, in order to dominant the foundation of the society. Nevertheless, for Marx religion is a part of the society and it is basic needs for individuals, so in Marxist perspective about religion there is nothing to do with capitalism, but in Weber’s perspective religion is the source of

Read More

Karl Marx And Class Conflict

1486 Words | 6 Pages

Karl Marx (1818-1883) considered himself not to be a sociologist but a political activist. However, many would disagree and in the view of Hughes (1986), he was ‘both – and a philosopher, historian, economist, and a political scientist as well.’ Much of the work of Marx was political and economic but his main focus was on class conflict and how this led to the rise of capitalism. While nowadays, when people hear the word “communism”, they think of the dictatorial rule of Stalin and the horrific stories of life in a communist state such as the Soviet Union, it is important not to accuse Marx of the deeds carried out in his name.

Read More

More about Comparing Marx's Ideals Of Communism And The Catholic Church

Related Topics

Open Document