Re: [Marxism] RE: Science Under Attack

[Ken Ranney <kranney@xxxxxxxxxx>]

At 12:14 PM 11/01/2005, Calvin Broadbent wrote:
> What? Subsets? Religion and science by definition have nothing whatsoever
> to do with one another. Much of today's science has nothing to do with
> upholding capitalism, either. Amen.

I agree with your statements.  But both religion and science are dependent
on financial support.  The universities are controlled, or at least heavily
influenced by the capitalist ruling class.  Research is often funded by
foundations of the rich.  Government directs research, again dominated by
the capitalist ruling class.

I include an extract from a 1997 essay of mine showing what the rich (aka
capitalism) have done to one branch of religion.  I assume it is more or
less the same for other religions, all of which support the state.

Over nearly 2000 years there have been astounding changes in practical
Christian theology. While the post-resurrection followers of Jesus were
extreme communists, ("they had everything in common") church members are
now active participants in a culture of possessive individualism.(1)  There
was a time when the church opposed lending at interest; the United Church
of Canada (a major denomination) now invites participation in
interest-yielding church annuities.  There was a time when the church was
uneasy about the market, with admonitions about 'just prices'; yet it now
has nothing to say about market transactions.  There was a time when the
church regarded greed (avarice) as a sin; yet it is now considered
essential for normal economic function. The early church, during the Lord's
prayer, said, "...forgive us our debts/sins as we have forgiven the (money)
debts of those who are indebted to us,"(2) but the modern church has
unabashedly changed 'debts' (without which our market economic system could
not function) to 'trespasses.'(3) Jesus' statement "you cannot serve God
and wealth." is no longer the subject of sermons. Jesus said: "It is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter
the kingdom of God."(4) John Wesley, founder of Methodism, said "We must
exhort all Christians to gain all they can, and to save all they can; that
is, in effect, to grow rich."(5) (Italics added) The Episcopal bishop
William Lawrence comforted his wealthy parishioners, J.P. Morgan among
them, with the assertion that "The rich man is the moral man. Godliness is
in league with riches."(6) Pope John Paul II has been quoted as follows:
"When a firm makes a profit, this means that productive factors have been
properly employed and corresponding human needs have been satisfied."(7)
Most would now hope that the man who, as Wyclif said "must be wicked, or he
could not have been poor yesterday and be rich today," would attend church,
and contribute liberally.(8)

Sources:
1.        Acts 2:44, 4:32.
2.      Matthew 7:12, Luke 11:4.
3.      Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13.
4.      Mark 10:25.
5.      Max Weber,  The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,
(Germany, 1905) translated by Talcott Parsons. (New York, 1958), p. 175.
6.      David Olive's review of Michael Novak's book (title not available)
in the (Toronto) Globe and Mail July 13 1996.
7.      Ibid.
8.      R. H. Tawney, Religion and the Rise of Capitalism, Penguin Books, p 52.




> KEN RANNEY WROTE:
>
> > It is ironic that religion and science, both in part subsets of
> > capitalism, should now be in conflict with each other.
>
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