Joanne M. Miller: Jesus was no socialist, nor was he a rebel
Re “Be careful about bashing Socialists” (Letters, March 15): Let’s be truthful about who Jesus was. Aside from the fact that socialism is a modern political construct, Jesus was apolitical. He taught his followers to render unto Caesar’s what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.
He did not take from the rich and give to the poor, as socialists propose. He taught us to give willingly of our abundance to help the poor. He loved the rich and the poor. Likewise, Jesus was not a rebel. He was a rabbi who taught in the temple. He worked within the system. The religious leaders of the day were the rebels. They should have known their own scriptures well enough to have recognized and accepted Jesus as the messiah. They were the people who betrayed him. Even though he was innocent of charges against him, he went willingly with the authorities as he was arrested.
As we celebrate his resurrection, let us remember Jesus as the savior who died for us – not as a construct of our own political agendas.
Joanne M. Miller, Ripon
This story was originally published March 17, 2016 at 2:55 PM with the headline "Joanne M. Miller: Jesus was no socialist, nor was he a rebel."