Presbyterians Dancing with Karl Marx Part 3

I entitled this series “Presbyterians Dancing with Karl Marx,” but originally I named it, “Why are they singing the Internationale?” The original title occurred to me after reading a story by a member of Agricultural Missions Inc. She wrote of hearing the Landless Workers singing the Brazilian version of the Internationale as a ritual at the beginning of their day. So the research that finally pushed me into these posts was an attempt to answer the question that the story evoked: Why are they singing the Internationale?

The Internationale, first used in France and later in the Communist Soviet Union has some rather interesting words. The original French version’s first verse begins:

Arise, the damned of the earth,
Arise, prisoners of hunger,
Reason thunders in its crater,
It is the eruption of the end!
Let's make a blank slate of the past,

The second verse offers the solution for the damned:

There are no supreme saviours,
Neither God, nor Caesars, nor tribune
Producers, let's save ourselves!

The Soviet one is not much different neither are most other versions. Various revolutionary groups have used this song including those who stood their ground in the “Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.”1 However, the song has its strongest history among revolutionary Marxists movements.

But there is a bigger question than why are they singing that song. Why are those who call themselves Christian aligning with groups who either adhere to a godless Marxist ideology, or adhere to the false gods of other cultures and ethnic groups?

Why not do the hard work of the gospel, which includes caring for the needy, feeding the poor and above all else proclaiming Jesus Christ as the unique Savior of lost sinners?

There are many organizations in the Presbyterian Church that do this without aligning themselves with far left organizations. For instance just recently Presbyterian Global Fellowship had their 2007 conference. Their speakers were those concerned with both social issues and proclaiming the good news that Jesus came to redeem a people for his own. Also, there is Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship and Outreach Foundation who have joined together to form Antioch Partners.

When Christians disconnect from proclaiming Jesus Christ crucified, they disconnect from their foundations. In the temptation in the wilderness, Satan attempted to entice Jesus to exchange his allegiance to his Father, for the kingdoms of this world. Jesus’ answer was “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

Nothing but pottage is left if a Christian does otherwise.

Exchanging Jesus for the gods of this world

One particular organization that is used by Presbyterians for travel on what is seen as reality checks on social justice issues is Global Exchange. Presbyterian Women lists them on their web page dedicated to their Brazilian trip. They also list the Marxists leaning Landless Workers Movement of Brazil on this page.

One of the ladies who is confounder with Medea Benjamin of Global Exchange and a group called Codepink took a group to Venezuela to the sixth World Social Forum. There a group from both Global Exchange and Codepink met with the leftist president Hugo Chavez. The cofounder, Jodie Evans wrote of Chavez:

He was a doll. Generous, open, passionate, excited, stimulated by the requests and happy to be planning with us. He was realistic but willing to stretch. I was fascinated to learn what a well educated environmentalist he is. The next project of his administration is one focused on the environment. When we asked him to take a stronger leadership position in the international anti-war movement, he was happy to do so, and said "this is not a lost cause, we can stop this war." (bold Evans’)

Jodie Evans and Medea Benjamin may be excused for their adoring flattery of the despots and ideologies of the world; they do not claim a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. But those who call themselves Christians including Presbyterian Women and Presbyterian “Just Trade” need to remember they belong to the One through whom and for whom all things were created. (Col 1:1

Returning to congregations of prayer and the Word

Perhaps Barth had the very best advise for the Church in crisis times although he was writing in 1933. This will be a long quote but worth reading for our time:

The prime need of our time is for a spiritual centre of resistance: one that would, for the first time, give a meaning and a content to Church politics. The man who understands this will not 'gird himself for any fight,' but will put on his programme, 'Work and Pray.'

Now, let no one say too hastily: 'This is no good to-day, amid the summer of 1933.' [the end of the summer of 2007!] There are some theologians who ought to hang down their heads with shame for having preached such fine sermons on 'God is our only Helper' (Psalm xlvi.; Luther's rendering) and then snapping out 'It's no good now.' They should let the word come home to themselves that: 'The help of the Lord is really the only help; indeed, the only real-politik of help to the Church." ...

Again, let no one say to hastily that in the concrete situation in which the Churches are now placed, something has to be done, altogether different from what has been suggested, in order to stop the mischief. Of course something has to be done; very much so; but most decidedly nothing other than this, viz. that the Church congregations be gathered together again, but aright and anew in fear and joy, to the Word by means of the Word. All the crying about and over the Church will not deliver the Church. Where the Church is a Church she is already delivered. Let persecution be never so severe, it will not affect her! 'Still,' it is said, 'still,' shall the City of God abide, lusty beside her tiny stream' (Psalm xlvi 5; Luther's translation).

(Theological Existence Today)

In an attempt to do good works minus the glorifying of Christ, the Church becomes faithless. The call of the Church is to go to the entire world. The call is to reach out to all kinds of needs including the needs of the landless poor in every nation, but it is not a call for the Church to align herself with the godless ideologies and forces of the world.

I believe we have forgotten that the homeless, the poor, the dammed of the earth, as both the Bible and the Internationale describe us, not only need material help we also need to know Jesus Christ as the risen Savior, crucified for our salvation.


1 See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Internationale.