Christian values? Like in the Inquisition? Like in the wars of the Reformation? Like in the pogroms and the Holocaust? Like in the slave trade? Like in the imperialism of the European powers?

Dear David F.,

Have you read the article or only its title?

The author could have done better to name his article, "The Jesusian workplace", but you ought not judge him too harshly just for absentmindedly using some inaccurate colloquial speech.

Dear Yuyutsu,

Colloquial speech is often ethnocentric equating the culture that the speaker identifies with as somewhat superior and better than other cultures. Obviously the writer of the article is a Christian and uses the adjective ‘Christian’ as a synonym for humane or decent. This denigrates other cultures which the writer does not identify with. Christianity has decent and humane aspects, but many of its actions have been neither humane nor decent. Its scriptures contain such denigration of women as:

1 Corinthians 14:33–35 (NIV) states:

"As in all the congregations of the Lord’s people. Women should remain silent in the churches, They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church."

I doubt that most Christians would agree with the above sentiments. Some denominations have female clergy. Nevertheless, the words are in the New Testament, and some Christians try to follow those words.

I find it objectionable to use the adjective, Christian, as a synonym for humane and decent as it is a denigration of the humanity and decency that exists in all cultures.

To be Christian is a personal choice. Living in a Christian society is not a choice. Big dividing line!

Workplace awards and working conditions are built on ethics, practicalities and responsibility, not Christian morality. Totally different.

This article is a confusing mess since it lacks those simple understandings.

Dan

Yes, and given some of his rebel activities clearly opposed to all manner of, conservative rule, conservatism and Christianity being mutually opposed philosophies! Albeit, not seemingly opposed to slavery or the buying and selling of humans, per se?
Alan B.

I always get nervous when political enthusiasts claim that Jesus would endorse their ideological agendas, whether it be right-wingers purporting to propound “Christian family values”, or left-wingers who assume that Christians’ commitment to social justice requires them to endorse their preferred policies.

Yes, Christians should reflect on their values and try to put them into practice in the workplace, the marketplace and at the ballot box. But in the examples David quotes, they might reach different conclusions to his.

People are not concerned about raising minimum wages because they want low-paid workers’ living standards to fall, but because they fear that it might lead to some of those workers losing their jobs, or will fuel more inflation leading to cost of living pressures, higher interest rates and possibly a recession.

Refusing to buy products made in sweatshops might seem noble, but unless we offer those workers a better alternative, the outcomes for them will be even worse. For example, a successful campaign to end child labour in Bangladesh in the 1990s led to child workers being dismissed. In a follow up study “Some were found working in more hazardous situations, in unsafe workshops where they were paid less, or in prostitution”
https://www.unicef.org/media/84761/file/SOWC-1997.pdf
(p.23)

It seems likely that the nurse was asked to do a double shift because their workplace was short-staffed and had no alternative. Would it be a more Christian outcome if they refused, or their patients were left untended?

Jesus the Unionist is not as appealing as Jesus the Messiah because he was not, in fact, a unionist. The social, political and economic climate of Jesus’ day was appalling – a brutal Roman occupation, no welfare state or protections for the poor, pervasive, grinding poverty, systematic slavery, economic exploitation by a rentier class of landlords and a religious hierarchy, and a political class that would happily crucify a man because he was disruptive. Jesus’ words and actions show he cared deeply about these things, but his response was not to join a union or start a political party or join the anti-Roman resistance. It is worth pondering why.