In anticipation of next week's election in the United States, CGI Pastor Bill Watson asked his congregation a series of questions to help them decide whether or not they are communists! The pastor obviously thinks that he is being clever - avoiding an outright endorsement of his favorite candidate, but his devious hijinks should be apparent to everyone. His "fun" quiz consisted of the following types of questions requiring a yes or no answer:
Do you support Critical Race Theory?
Do you support media companies controlling and/or censoring information on their platforms?
Do you support open borders?
Do you support sanctuary cities?
Do you support transgender/queer theory?
Should transitioning males be allowed to participate in female sports or use their locker rooms?
Should children under 18 years of age be given transitioning drugs without parental consent?
Are there more than two genders?
Do you support homosexual marriage?
Do you support defunding the police?
Do you support the elimination of private health insurance?
Should illegal immigrants be allowed to receive Medicaid and Social Security?
Should illegal immigrants be allowed to vote?
Are you satisfied with current gas and grocery prices?
Do you support imposing a capital gains tax on unrealized profits?
Do you support mandatory vaccination?
Do you agree with the United States subordinating its public health guidelines to the United Nations?
Should books with sexual content appear in grade school libraries?
Should transvestites be permitted to read to small children?
Do you support parent participation in the education of their children?
Do you support "15-Minute" cities? (daily necessities and services incorporated into urban planning)?
Do you support packing the Supreme Court?
Do you support increased inheritance taxes?
Do you support late-term or partial-birth abortions?
According to Bill, if you answered "no" to ten or more of these questions, you probably aren't a communist - meaning you should be voting for Donald Trump on Tuesday! Of course, to anyone with an open mind, his questions will appear absurdly prejudicial! In other words, personal bias is evident in the way that the questions were formulated. For example, I don't know of very many folks who actually "support" abortions of any kind, but I do no of a good many folks who support a woman's right to decide in consultation with her doctor whether or not to have an abortion.
Moreover, none of these questions offer much insight into whether or not someone is a communist! According to The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels, "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." In modern times, they believed that society had resolved itself into two classes, the capitalists (Bourgeoisie) and the working class (Proletariat). They believed that the Capitalistic society which had developed as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution was inherently unfair to the vast majority of mankind, and this led them to a number of conclusions about what society should look like. Of course, the first priority was the overthrow of the Bourgeoisie. For Marx and Engel, a Communist society would involve: 1) abolish private property, 2) a progressive or graduated income tax, 3) abolition of inheritance rights, 4) confiscation of property of emigrants and rebels, 5) centralization of credit in the hands of the state, 6) centralization of the means of communication and transportation under state control, 7)state control of agriculture and industry, 8) a universal work requirement, 9) the gradual abolition of the distinctions between urban and rural, industry and agriculture, 10) free education for all children in public schools. Under such a system, they envisioned the eventual decline of the need for political power. This is the theory behind communism according to the original communists.
In other words, Bill has effectively redefined communism to make it fit his perception of what Kamala Harris and the Democrats represent. Nevertheless, I am hopeful that my readers are smart enough to discern the difference between increasing inheritance taxes and eliminating inheritance. I hope that my ACOG and Trumpist friends also realize that most of our Democratic brethren support the concept of private property and capitalism. Yes, of course, it is appropriate to point out that they generally support a more robust role for government in the economy, but it is inaccurate to say that they support state ownership and control of the private sector. Likewise, although most Democrats support the notion of separation of church and state, most of them are religious and have no agenda to do away with religion. As for a universal work requirement, excuse me for pointing out that that sounds more like a Republican objective than a Democratic one! Finally, isn't there a commandment about NOT bearing false witness against your neighbor? In fact, isn't that one of the BIG TEN that the ACOGs profess to be so fond of?
In short, voting for Kamala Harris or the Democrats does NOT make you a communist! Likewise, voting for the Great Orange One does NOT make you a fascist! Moreover, a true minister of Jesus Christ should NOT be dispensing his political views from the pulpit, and he definitely should NOT be lying about, exaggerating, or otherwise distorting the truth about anyone or anything. It is a SIN, pure and simple! Now, let's see if the Church of God International posts Bill's political message!
The following link supplies a more objective quiz for determining the degree to which someone is or isn't a communist: IDR Labs Communism Test
