In this short paper, I will make the case against socialism and why a Christian should not support socialism as a system of secular government. It is my view that socialism leads to communism and the destruction of the values upheld in the Word of God. There are many examples one could use in the secular world to show how this system of ideas has ruined the society and lives of people under its power. However, the best reasons why a Christian must not support socialism are found in the Holy Bible.
Before I start, I would like to give you the definition of the term. According to an online Dictionary, socialism is, “Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy” and, “A political theory advocating public ownership of the means of production and the sharing of political power by the whole community.” So, what this means is that certain businesses and production are to be owned by the government and the redistribution of wealth. In simple terms, it means that the harder you work and the more money you earn the worst you will become. For example, take a company that has 30 workers. 10 of the workers work very hard and earn the most money and produce the most products. 10 of the workers don’t work that hard and make just enough to get by. The other 10 workers do very little and don’t meet the target of production. In a socialist society, the leader would then average the overall production. Those workers who work less and produce a lesser number of the goods like this system because it will increase their overall number of productions without doing as much as those with the highest number of productions. This brings me to my first point.
Socialism is based on materialism
According to Socialism all that really exists and matters is the material world. In fact, Karl Marx the founder of socialism created the notion of dialectical materialism. This is the belief that matter contains within itself a creative power. This worldview led Marx to believe that suffering in the world is caused by the unequal distribution of material things such as wealth.
The biblical view contradicts this position. Scripture teaches that there is a material world and a non-material world. Scripture also teaches that the greatest problem facing the world is spiritual as a result of sin. The value of life and quality of life is not based on how much we have but on our relationship with the living God.
Socialism discourages righteousness
As my example shows above Socialism desires to distribute wealth regardless of how much a people produces. This also applies to the needs of people. Those who refuse to work as hard as others can profit from another man’s work. So those at the top support those at the bottom.
Again, this is not the view of Scripture. In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, the Bible teaches that those who refuse to work also refuse aid. Notice how the Bible says, “would not work.” There is a foundation in Scripture to support those who are unable to work or that are seeking to work. The biblical principle is that the individual is responsible for himself, not the hard work of others. The aid giving is based on virtue and reward for a good report.
Socialism and Stealing
One of the fundamental principles of socialism is that the government ought to have the right to take money from the highest earners and give it to lower earners. This is not voluntarily sharing your wealth with those less fortunate; it is the government forcing you to give a percentage of your earnings. This is not Christianity, it is stealing. Socialists do not believe in a private property. Karl Marx famously once said, “all property is theft.”
Destruction of Marriage and the Family
Socialism seeks to destroy the values of marriage and the family. Friedrich Engels who co-wrote The Communist Manifesto once wrote that society would be better if the single family ceases to be the economic unit of society. The care of children would then become a matter of public legislation. Please make no mistake about it, socialism is the gateway to communism.
There is of course much more to be said and written about concerning the topic at hand. However, here are four basic principles why a Christian must not support this system of government nor embrace the ideas that socialism seeks to promote.
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