The Consequences of Capitalist Theology: Examining the Impact of American Capitalism on Biblical Interpretation of Scripture

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The mission and messages of Jesus Christ to the world has been distorted and blended with capitalist theory and economic philosophies that have brainwashed millions of people throughout history, mainly American society. This brainwashing has thrown potential worshipers of Jesus Christ off the paths of righteousness and eternal life, and into an abyss of false doctrine, behavior, and beliefs. In areas of judgment, compassion, everyday living, and church worship, capitalist theology has seriously distorted the journey for salvation of believers who try to follow Christ and His path to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Over a short period of time, specifically in the past 50 years, men of theological degree have slowly twisted and edited the Word of God to fit an agenda under a capitalist system of American government. To pull this off, they have rewritten the Bible to first get people to obey the government instead of Christ teachings, and once the people become submissive to government, they can control them with laws transformed into worldly behavior contrary to the teachings and mission of Christ. We will examine this transformation carefully and uncover some of the ways they have distorted the Word of God to gain authoritarian obedience from millions of people.

The transformation began with a demand for admiration for religious leaders. These leaders establish a worldly reputation for themselves, highly esteemed among men and government leaders. They demanded the attention of the people through commercialized propaganda of empirical decrees from ancient rulers; man-made doctrines and documents, and later in history through radio and eventually television. They built empires, lavish churches and organizations that call for respect and recognition. They build schools and seminaries recognized and accredited by the government, and they either enforce taxation or invented ways to avoid paying taxes. They have also utilized financial and political clout in supporting politicians that will accommodate them in social and public policy.

The way capitalism has been inserted into the Christian church in America begins with the ideologies and teachings from the founding of the country, which was based in slave labor, land ownership and theft; all capitalist actions. Wealthy men of political leadership were slave owners and ordered the removal of the indigenous peoples from their lands, throughout the world, under the rule of the Doctrine of Discovery, which gave governing authorities the right to take away lands and establish laws that benefited them as land owners over all others.

“This doctrine, articulated in various legal rulings and treaties, pre-dates the establishment of the United States and is rooted in a series of papal bulls issued in the 15th century by the Catholic Church, which granted European explorers the right to claim lands inhabited by non-Christians.”

Key documents include:

1.    Treaties: Numerous treaties were made between the U.S. government and Native American tribes. Many of these treaties involved cessions of land in exchange for various promises, such as payment, protection, or certain rights.

2.    Indian Removal Act of 1830: This act facilitated the forced removal of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to designated "Indian Territory" west of the Mississippi River.

3.    Supreme Court Decisions: Various court cases, such as Johnson v. M'Intosh (1823), established the legal principles that recognized the rights of landholders in the U.S. over Indigenous lands based on the Doctrine of Discovery.

These documents and policies collectively provided the framework for U.S. claims over Indigenous territories and were often enacted without the consent of the Indigenous peoples affected.

Many political policies of this sort strengthened Christian churches and denominations in the country to create and alter bible passages that would convince believers to submit to American authorities and their documents. For instance, Christian scholars of the time created a bible specifically for African and Indigenous peoples to read from. It was changed and tailored by removing certain books and verses of the Word of God. They changed the word “servant,” in man-made, new versions of the bible to the word “slave,” in many passages and books of the Old and New Testaments. These changes were made during the early stages of colonial rule and continue to this current time, as theologians began editing bibles and introducing new versions of the King James version of 1611.

Christian leaders in early America created a Bible specifically for enslaved Africans in the early 19th century. This Bible, known as the "Slave Bible," was published in 1807. The publishers aimed to use the Bible as a tool for religious instruction among enslaved people while deliberately omitting passages that might inspire rebellion or encourage the idea of freedom. The Slave Bible selectively presented content, focusing on passages that emphasized obedience and submission, and excluded significant portions of the Old and New Testaments, including key stories about liberation. This edited version was used by missionaries and slaveholders to reinforce the institution of slavery and promote a particular interpretation of Christianity that aligned with the interests of the enslavers. It is currently on display now at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., is a special exhibit centered on a rare Bible from the 1800s that was used by British missionaries to convert and educate slaves.

As stated, the purpose of changing and editing the Holy Bible is to discourage freedom and rebellion and to bring believers under the fear and rule of the governing authorities of the US. The same concept is still present in sermons and teachings of theological schools and evangelical pastors who teach from many distorted versions of the Bible. One example is of Romans chapter 13 where they change the meaning and inspiration of the message from church authority to government authority. The chapter is so distorted and untruthful that people have been brainwashed to believe the newer versions over the original King James version. Preachers and teachers stand stubbornly on the meaning of the newer versions, which bring people under the control of government leaders instead of the power which God gave to the church leaders spoken of in Romans 13.

The purpose of this deception is to catechize believers under theories of capitalist and economic rule instead of having faith in Christ to provide for their needs. It is also being used to discourage opposition to government laws and powers that bind people to their rules and attempt to instill certain policies that benefit the wealthy and those in power. One such indoctrination makes people believe that any disobedience to government law constitutes punishment or even the death penalty. While at the same time the same government enact wars, committing murder, against other countries just to enrich themselves. 

Another doctrine instituted by the American government called the Monroe Doctrine, which started as a way to escape the rule of European Colonization of the Americas, (a rebellion), ended with the US in the 19th century using the doctrine to justify U.S. expansion (e.g., Mexican-American War, annexations), and where the U.S. claimed the right to intervene in Latin America to prevent European intervention (often used to justify military interventions). Many Latin American countries saw it as U.S. imperialism, justifying interventions and economic dominance.

American missionaries often used these man-made doctrines to justify their invasion of other countries and lands and to steal and enslave millions of people to satisfy the greed of the wealthy and the interest of European nations and the US. All done under the label of Christianity and in the name of Jesus Christ. This is the bases of the distortion of the Holy Bible, and using God’s name and Word in vain. To this day, many people are being deceived by the twisted doctrines and versions of the Bible and the deception affects their everyday lives and behavior. From who to respect and see as the authority to political policies of subjugation and control. 

The proof of their desperate need to use the bible to enforce their agendas and political policies onto a nation is seen through their distortion of the image of God and Jesus, and many characters of the bible as being of European descent, white people. Because rulers of the US from its founding were wealthy white men, they felt the need to reinforce this image to uphold the ruling authority. Many Hollywood producers, textbook publishing companies, and independent filmmakers today still reenforce this image.

To uphold this hierarchy, they do not teach the equal distribution of wealth as the book of Acts teaches; (Acts 4:32-35), they teach individualism and survival of the fittest, which is the root of the Christian capitalist spirit. They have gone as far as to currently teach equity and diversity are acts of defiance of Gods nature and they display this by withholding needs from people who are politically unable to fight against government oppression and policy. They do not teach that the love on money is the root of all evil like the bible teaches, (1 Timothy 6:10), but they teach the prosperity gospel of riches and wealth if the people tithe individually to the church. 

They do not teach to actually “love thy neighbor,” but subtle discrimination against people who are not of the same race or ethnicity, thus their laws against immigration and their practices of discrimination against people of color. Under their laws they withhold healthcare, housing, and job opportunities from the underserved and justify it under the label of merit. They have gotten so far away from the actual teachings of Christ that they have become apostate in their beliefs and have landed in a state of true perdition; and they would rather believe the lies they have told instead of the truth of the Bible they claim to represent.

As they dig deeper into this abyss of lies, they must reedit the bible to fit their agendas and false beliefs. Which is why they promote these newer versions of the Bible in order to justify their lies and convince new believers that submission to government authority and to their false doctrine is what God wants from His followers. Of course, God wants His followers to obey the laws and rules of the land that are based on His commandments, which is to not commit murder, adultery, not to steal, covet, or bear false witnesses because “love worketh no ill to his neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:9, 10. 

These commandments are ingrained into the hearts and consciences of everyone through the grace of God toward humanity, unfortunately, only some of these commandments are followed by those who enforce the laws of the land and who write political policy for this nation. Though murder is outlawed, adultery is not. Lying under oath, taking bribes, and lusting after money and material things are neither outlawed or discouraged by many politicians and church leaders. Yet they enforce laws and rules based on what will benefit them only and punish people as evildoers if they resist ungodly government ordinances.

Capitalism has differentiated between what is acceptable by ruling authorities and what is not. Only certain people can do certain things and get away with those things while others, average people of the land are held to a different standard and level of conviction. Idolizing rich men has become normalized in America. The greed and power of capitalism has led theologians into an entirely different level of false doctrine and their attempt to justify these things has become obvious to the Christian world and the world at large. 

Money and power play a large role in the governing of the church and the nation and has in turn, imposed oppression, persecution, and neglect on people who Christ himself would pardon and have mercy on. Sermons have become carefully crafted lies that manipulate the listeners into capitalist indoctrination and churches have become breeding grounds for citizens of this country to idolize leaders who teach hate, apathy, prosperity, and self-centeredness.