Quote:
Originally Posted by KOD
Well, for the most part..........it does. The Soviets discovered that belief in a supreme power APART from one's government is the beginning of the rejection of that government as the ruling authority. Since socialism requires obedience and adherence to central directives (Social Security, Medicare, Universal Healthcare, environmental dictates, minority rights rules) in order to function, most socialists/leftists recognize the need for focus on enforcement of social order rather than hope in some devine power.
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I nevertheless don't accept the government as the final authority, but merely the acting force that implements directives for the good of the society... a government that does not do this needs to be changed or destroyed. Without some external benchmark, we have no way to judge the rights or wrongs of a given government. This doesn't mean this external benchmark has to come from some supreme power, but I don't think it's inconsistent with socialism/communism... People can view certain interpretations and understandings of religion as a threat and contradictory to capitalism too... the "threat" of religion on a system is not just restricted to socialists/communists, but capitalists as well.