Another possible model for a Christian community would be for everyone to agree to buy houses on the same block--but still retain private ownership on these buildings. Then each family or individual would agree to pay a certain amount into a community fund, which would be used to buy common buildings such as a school and community center, and also to finance common meals. Of course, these meals could either be served at the community center or on a rotational basis at each family's home. The community funds would have to be set up as a non-profit corporation, of which each family owns a share.
The advantage of retaining a certain degree of private ownership is that it would be much easier for a family who needed to move--for whatever reason--to do so without becoming destitute or disrupting the community's finances.
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What you are describing is remarkably similar to the old idea of a "parish" - an idea that has woefully morphed into that of "mega-churches" in contemporary culture.
The difference between a "parish" and a "community," as I see it, is the difference between 10% and 100%.
That being said, I wholeheartedly endorse any attempt to recover the lost way of life known as a
"parish." In fact, it is precisely this loss that motivates me to seek community life.
The "commune lite" or "10%" Idea may have been influenced by me. I am more receptive to the commne idea than Jessica, but I do have some difficult questions that need answered. If we had to leave, how could we possibly do it without being financially ruined (both the O'Neils and possibly the commune)? The only answer seems private ownership.
Second, I wouldn't mind living in a comune, but I would still want outside contact. I know we aren't planning on sealing ourselves off completely, but it seems that some members may want to shut out the world more than others. How do we solve differences of opinion in the "outside world" factor?
Third, we want to have a religiously based community with a church on site. I know we are all the same denomination, so this shouldn't be a problem, but we aren't the same rite. I respect other rites, but I'm not exactly receptive to switching over to another at this point in my life (though I might consider it in the future.) How do we solve the church question? I know this one is far in advance, and if this ever works out we would probably just have to go to the church of our choice in the closest town, but still.
There are so many aspects of communal living that I love, but I think I might need some sort of autonomy. For instance, I don't want to have to ask permission from everyone before I go somewhere or buy some little thing. Perhaps this is a sign that I am more intrigued by the idea than the reality. I suppose it means that I'm not ready to kill the "self" and live entirely for and with others. This may be sinful but it's also real. I suppose I have a lot of hard thinking to do.
"I don't want to have to ask permission from everyone before I go somewhere or buy some little thing."
The Jesuits have what Sean called "personalia" - being kind of like an allowance for personal purchases.
Monica and I have an a budget system that includes this personalia. We put all our normal expenses into envelopes, and then we each get $10 a week to do with as we will. I have more fun spending this money, whether for my own uses or for gifts, than I used to have wasting much larger sums on things I didn't need. (And yes, John, my frequent use of the word "fun" is duly noted--I find it almost irresistible to equate virtue with fun whenever possible.)
"I find it almost irresistible to equate virtue with fun whenever possible."
Rightly so. In C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters, Screwtape complains that "the Enemy" is really a hedonist at heart.
An excellent quotation and a FUN book!
Have you met Peter Neulieb's sister Christine? She got me thinking about virtue in terms of happiness--in other words, that we are created such that the only rational choices we can make are those that lead to our own happiness, and it is virtuous to make these choices. We find this happiness by fulfilling our nature and obeying the will of our loving Father.
When I was a child I insisted vehemently that the purpose of life was to have fun. In my own childish way, I don't think I was wrong.
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