JESUS A COMMY?
Communism has become a dirty word because of American propaganda and unappealing communist regimes around the world. We must remember that these parties do not represent communism, they are perceptions. There is a considerable variety of views among self-identified communists.Communism refers to a conjectured future classless, stateless social organization based upon common ownership of the means of production. From each according to their ability to each according to their need. As much distaste there is for this ideology of community living and sharing, It appeals to me a lot. And I dare say it appealed to Jesus and the Apostles. wikipedia.org states:
“The notion of communism has a long history in Western thought, long predating Marx and Engels. Already in ancient Greece the idea of communism was connected to a myth about the "golden age" of humanity, when society lived in full harmony, before private property developed. Some have argued that Plato's The Republic and works by other ancient political theorists advocated communism in the form of communal living, and that various early Christian sects (and in particular the early Church, as recorded in Acts of the Apostles, and indigenous tribes in the pre-Columbian Americas practiced communism in the form of communal living and common ownership Other attempts to establish communistic societies were made by the Essenes and by the Judean desert sect.”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism#Early_Communism)
What I find partiqularly interesting about this is that the Essenes are regarded as pioneer communists. This is enlightening becsue there is more evidience and discussion with theologists, archelogists and historians that Jesus was an Essene.
According to Josephus, the historian, they had customs and observances such as collective ownership, elected a leader to attend to the interests of them all whose orders they obeyed, were forbidden from swearing oaths and sacrificing animals, controlled their temper and served as channels of peace, had no slaves but served each other and, as a result of communal ownership, did not engage in trading. Both Josephus and Philo have lengthy accounts of their communal meetings, meals and religious celebrations. From what has been deduced, the food of the Essenes was not allowed to be altered (by being cooked, for instance); and they may have been strict vegetarians, eating mostly bread, wild roots and fruits. After a total of three years probation, newly joining members would take an oath that included the commitment to practise piety towards the Deity and righteousness towards humanity, to maintain a pure life-style, to abstain from criminal and immoral activities, to transmit their rules uncorrupted and to preserve the books of the Essenes and the names of the Angels. Their theology included belief in the immortality of the soul and that they would receive their souls back after death.
According to Martin A. Larson, the now misunderstood Essenes were Jewish Pythagoreans who lived as monks. As vegetarians, celibates, and self-reliant communists, they preached a coming war with the Sons of Darkness. As the Sons of Light, this reflected a separate influence from Zoroastrianism via their parent ideology of Pythagoreanism. John the Baptist is widely regarded to be a prime example of an Essene who had left the communal life, and it is thought they aspired to emulate their own founding Teacher of Righteousness who was probably crucified. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essenes)
***The pic is of the ancient home of the Essenes
