Bavinck against Capitalism

"Today's Christianity is narrow-minded & selfish. One evil day it enlisted in the service of wealth and power, thus positioning itself over against the sick and the weak. The altar today serves only to protect the throne.
The priest has lowered himself to be an accomplice of the monarch, & the church has become a mainstay of capitalism. But original Christianity had an entirely different purpose. It opposed all competition btwn social classes. It wanted community & cooperation of its members.
It recommended harmony and love such as exist between members of the same body. If the Christian religion of today wants to regain its lost influence and become a blessing to society, its attitude will have to change radically.
It should not lock itself up in large cathedrals, where only the prominent & well-to-do appear; it has to come down to people from all walks of life; it has to go out into the highways and byways of life & seek those who are lost.
Christianity must become socially minded or else it will disappear."
–Bavinck “Essays on Religion, Science, and Society”

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Feb 11
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Sadly, “service to the Lord” in American church culture often means taking on unreasonable expectations & duties for the church.

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