Jesus & Marx: Comparing the human and divine

Most intellectuals in Kerala and even God-fearing Christians are sympathetic towards the communists because of their professed concern for the poor and the oppressed. Unlike other political outfits, they seem to be free from the communal virus. Unfortunately with all their wisdom, discipline and concern, their godless ideology had not worked for the benefit of the poor or brought progress to the land wherever they are in power.

The recent attempt by the Marxist Communist Party to woo Christians to their fold by listing Jesus Christ as one among their martyrs has invited a storm of protests in Kerala and outside. Some Christian leaders, however, have welcomed the Communist endorsement of Jesus Christ as an emancipator of mankind.

Kerala CPM secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, describing Jesus as one of the great liberators of mankind said he was an icon of human emancipation. He referred to the Biblical account of the liberator once driving out money lenders, thieves and criminals from the place of worship.

It is amusing that the party that considered religion as the opium of the people and promoted atheism should seek to court the Christians by their belated appreciation of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The communist world has its Bible– The Atheist's Handbook. It was first issued by Moscow's Academy of Science in 1961.

Unfortunately for the CPM, it may not be easy to hoodwink the church which is aware of the long history of an ideology that seeks to destroy faith in God and deprive individuals of all freedom and dignity, making them mere slaves in a mighty state apparatus as instrument for realisation of their imaginary utopia. The great Soviet experiment was looked upon as holding great promises for mankind and its collapse had disillusioned all those who put faith in the same. Lately a similar experiment in West Bengal ended up in disaster. Poverty of the masses anywhere had served as breeding ground for communism but adoption of its method of class struggle had not yielded the desired results.

It is the contention of Marx that economics determine human happiness and that God and morality have no role in progress. Communist regimes in fact consider religious influences as even harmful to their ideology. When the Soviets in their early years adopted the slogan 'Let us drive out the capitalists from earth and God from heaven' they were merely reflecting the legacy of Karl Marx, the propounder of communism.

Sometime ago the Kerala leadership had come out against party men taking part in religious rituals. A few prominent men had left the party in protest. The party was also accused by the church of making covert attempts to promote atheism through manipulation of school text books.

A Rumanian Christian leader, Rev Richard Wurmbrand, in his book, 'Who was Karl Marx' brings out interesting details about the background of this champion of the labouring class. Though this jew was baptised as a Christian, he became a fighter against God and wrote books against religion. He brought up all his children as atheists. Several of his associates were given to devil worship. The Jew-turned Christian, Wurmbrand, found enough evidence to believe that Marx too sympathised with Satan worshippers. He quotes Marx as writing: 'I hate all gods who do not recognise human self-consciousness as the supreme godhead.'

Robert Payne, one of Marx's biographers wrote in Marx: 'He had a devil's view of the world, and devil's malignity. Sometimes he seemed to know that he was accomplishing works of evil.'

When Christ declared that 'my kingdom is not of this world' he also laid down the principles for becoming members of His kingdom. Those principles militate against the ways of the world. For the communists, on the other hand, their strategies allow for no other kingdom than the one they are building here.

Christ was of course concerned about the oppressed and the poor and commended all those who showed compassion towards them. The communists too show their preference for the poor of the land and direct their energies for their uplift. And the Christians and Communists are bound to work for the betterment of the marginalized sections. While some may find common ground in this regard, the communist can not conceive of a hope that extends beyond the grave and the Christian thinks that he is a pilgrim and stranger on this earth.

The display of a painting of Jesus Christ along with communist icons Karl Marx, Lenin and Che Guevara at the exhibition had also triggered a controversy. Comrades who thereby seek to please Christians are liable to forget that this attempt to bring down the Son of God to the level of mere mortals, would only alienate them further. Communism had produced a crop of leaders and icons who resorted to ruthless and inhuman ways to achieve their goals stood exposed today. The revolution which they launched would meet the fate of other revolutions that had happened earlier. On the other hand, the signs of the times point out that history is fulfilling the great prophesies relating to the coming of His kingdom.

Marx only took into account man's stomach, he totally ignored the fact that man has a spirit too and that he loves to live in freedom and with dignity.

In the enveloping darkness of this world, it is neither the communism nor capitalism that holds hope for the future. It is the light of Christ who wanted men to overcome evil with good.

In 'The World as I see it', Einstein wrote: 'If one purges the Judaism of the prophets and Christianity as Jesus Christ taught it, of subsequent additions, specially of priestcraft , one is left with a teaching which is capable of curing all the social evils of humanity. It is the duty of every man of goodwill to strive steadfastly in his own little world to make this really human teaching a living force as far as he can.' The communists will do well to respond to such a call.