God is a Socialist

**warning, as I finished this post, I realized that this is an insanely long post…so unless you have a looong time…you might want to delay reading this…..also, some extreme ideas might be mentioned here because as I am learning and studying more, I am beginning to realize how extreme and different and truly weird it really will be to be a true Christian. You have been warned. These opinions are also subject to change as I research and learn more, but that’s what we are all here for…discussion**

I don’t get politics.  At all.  The whole government system makes about as much sense as the computer formula’s in the BCS (which is to say none).  I am pretty much on the level of my Jr. High students when it comes to political matters.  Just try to bring up the word Obama in the classroom and here is what happens: 90% of the black kids will say he is the greatest president since that white dude in Independence Day (history is not a strong suit).  90% of the white kids will say he is the antichrist.  The other 20% are reading video game magazines.  And that is pretty much the extent of my current political knowledge.  All I know is that Obama is the worst president in the history of the world and is forcing every sick person to receive treatment in a hospital, which nobody wants (according to my conservative friends who post such things on facebook and on Fox News).  I also know that Obama is the 2nd coming of Jesus and will lead us to an uber-utpoian society where there is no hate, crime, or money left (take out those last 2 words for the general view from a Democrat, minority, or CNN).  I have heard so many comments from both sides in passing that I really have no idea which end to fall on.  I am not going to get into the healthcare issue (maybe another post) and wondering why ensuring everyone gets treatment is such a bad thing…but instead I want to touch on briefly the overarching term that I hear more than any other in trying to degrade President Obama: He is a socialist.

To reiterate: I am dumb about politics.  The only thing I remember about government in high school is that apparently Americans should hate watermelon bubble gum.

Eat your heart out Mr. Harding

I heard a comment somewhere from someone that a true Christian society was actually a Socialist society.  So, I was wondering why all Christians seem to be against Obama for being a socialist.  Then I figured out I better define what socialism is, determine if God really supported socialism, and see if Obama is a socialist and whether that was a bad thing or not.  But in the process, I got a headache and decided I would rather watch baseball for a while.  Thankfully, I recovered and now I want to see if God really is a socialist and how that should force us to respond if indeed He is.

First: the complex defining process.  I enjoy science because of the precise, concise, and some other “cise: word that I can use to define a word.  Any term in government is essentially the exact opposite of that.  I am copying this definition from the definitive encyclopedia that all teachers hate (but I still love): Wikipedia.  Socialism refers to the various theories of economic organization which advocate either public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources.  A more comprehensive definition of socialism is an economic system that directly maximizes use-values as opposed to exchange-values and has transcended commodity production and wage labors, along with a corresponding set of social and economic relations,  including the organization of economic institutions and method of resource allocation; often implying a method of compensation based on individual merit, the amount of labor expended or individual contribution.

That definition makes this show seem to actually make sense

So, that doesn’t help at all.  I wish there was a Socialism for Dummies website (there might be, just too lazy to find it).  From what I found out, here is a sort of concise definition of the basics of socialism: an economic system in which the production and distribution of goods or services are controlled substantially by the government rather than by private enterprise.  This also seems to involve a redistribution of wealth as those who have help those who don’t have.  Basically the government is in more control….this sounds bad to be given the current state of the government.  But I am not here to judge as of yet, I simply want to find out what God has to say on how a society should be run.

In order to look at how God would run a country, I think we have to look first and foremost at Israel and the rules and regulation he set up there.  Again, not a perfect example, but I believe it is the only example we have of a country and a government that God himself set the rules for.  So, here we go.

In amongst all the other crazy rules you find a description of the Year of Jubilee and other similar redistribution regulations.  Every 50 years it appears, according the Leviticus 25.13, wealth was redistributed in Israel. Individuals who had been sold into slavery to pay for their debts were allowed to go free and return to their family land. Individuals who were able to buy up the neighborhood for their own purposes were required to give the land back to the families who owned it in that 50th year. This process was seemingly designed to allow for people to accumulate wealth and properties (as cattle and money were not technically reallocated) but still allowed for all Israelites to receive the same benefits and same opportunities for success if something bad happened for a few years to knock them out of the ranks of the “successful”.  According to my understanding (in other words, copied from the commentary in the ESV), “the Year of Jubilee essentially prohibited the amassing of large estates, which would reduce many Israelites to tenant status on their ancestral land (sound familiar to today a bit?)

This appears to be a pretty basic description of socialism.  You can build up wealth, but only temporarily.  God is the one in control of everything and he states clearly that when a brother needs help and has to sell himself or his property to survive, it is neighbor that should “come and redeem what his brother has sold.”  Again, this theocratic society does allow for personal wealth to a certain extent, but it also requires a redistribution every 50 years to ensure that all the “unfortunate” are taken care of and no-one is neglected and all are given the same opportunity for taking care of themselves.  This requires that the government isn’t in complete control of all resources, as I understand communism teaches, but it is somewhere in the middle between socialism and capitalism (where it’s every man for himself and screw those who can’t make it), which is how I gather the essence of socialism is defined.  But that was the Old Testament, and as we all know the majority of the “old law” no longer really applies.  So, what descriptions of how God thinks about this matter are stated in the New Testament?

Aside from Jesus’ many preachings on feeding and clothing and taking care of the poor as well as the assumption that Jesus’ and his disciples all lived and shared the same money and resources and shared this willingly with all the poor and others who came into their presence (John 12.6; Luke 8.1-3) not unlike missionaries today, but we see this same principal applied to the early church. 

The scripture says the early church lived together communally, sharing as each had need. The story is told of those who sold their individual property and brought the proceeds to the apostles who distributed the resources according to present needs. (Acts 2.42-47)  Each individual had personal ownership so again, it falls short of communism. But this open and selfless sharing of resources with those who were in need is the interesting part of this whole idea of socialism. This lifestyle, as I see it, can best be described as Socialist as those with extra are called upon to give to the apostles. These individuals then distribute the resources to those who are struggling. There was an “I am my brother’s keeper” mentality where “elders” provided guidance for those who needed assistance in financial decision making.  Again, this appears to be the basics of socialism.  Only, in our situation, it is the government making the decisions instead of elders or spiritual leaders of the early church. (please understand that there is still the element of decision in giving and sharing with the poor and needy which is sort of eliminated in today’s socialism when taxes force the matter; I am not discussing this, only the end result as of right now)

The idea that “what is mine is mine and I’m going to protect it from anyone who comes asking” is so ridiculously anti-biblical that one can only assume Satan himself started this idea in the church and it clearly  leads us away from scripture. Generosity is the standard from scripture. Jesus clearly says that we should lend to those who ask, and when someone asks us for something to give them more than they ask for. Now, some would argue that we need to qualify these needs as there are those who would choose to be lazy and just look for handouts; and we do need to consider those when we look at where our funds and money would be going. But fundamentally any system appears to be badly flawed (both morally and spiritually) when the gain of personal wealth supersedes a neighbor’s life threatening poverty.

Whenevier I hear the words healthcare or Obama,  people are screaming “socialism”. Yet if you look to Scripture, clearly those who had MORE were called upon to help those who didn’t have enough. And if this is Socialism (and in it’s basic form, it truly appears to be), then it is also clearly supported by scriptural examples. All of Biblical teaching about money and ownership is based in the concept of generosity. When people are generous, the poor are cared for. Any system or party that ignores the poor, that fails to be generous with those who are suffering life threatening poverty… is wrong.

To wrap up this ridiculously long post (will this be a trend?), here is a quote from Albert Einstein on socialism:

"I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate (the) grave evils (of capitalism), namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. In such an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized in a planned fashion. A planned economy, which adjusts production to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman, and child. The education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow-men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society."

Honestly, I think the heart of the issue is that we are too selfish to want to provide for the needs of others that aren't as fortunate as us.  We come up with excuses that they are too lazy or their “evil” ways led them to the welfare path so we shouldn’t encourage and reward this behavior…but think about it:  Are you giving that reason for their benefit, or so you can go buy something for yourself?  I know we live in an imperfect world and I know there are people who take advantage of the system, but I’m also pretty sure God wants us to provide for all the poor and needy in any society.

If your problem with Obama being a socialist is truly that the funds that will be used to help the poor and needy (healthcare, etc) will also be used for un-bliblical terms (abortion) then your concerns are valid and Biblical.  HOWEVER, when you really look at it and think about, is the reason that you don’t want to give your money so others can have healthcare because you want to take care of yourself and gain more and more wealth and you are just mad at the government for taking more of your “hard-earned” money so some lazy sap can take care of his family….then we have a problem.  Part of what gives Christians such a bad name is the lack of concern for the poor and needy.  We have so many around us that need help financially, among other things, and we just purchase fancier sound systems and auditoriums for our church and better minivans and bigger houses for our family so we have excess while our neighbor is struggling to take care of his sick child.  That is honestly why I just might be in favor of this universal health care idea.  (Without further research) If the fundamental idea behind it is that I have to give up a few extra dollars a month so that the family that lives with no running water and 5 malnourished babies can finally get some doctor care, then I’m ok with that. (or at least I will be when I get my heart right with God).

My conclusion: God operates on socialist levels,and I believe that during the Millennial reign and for all eternity it will be a “socialist” rule.  But considering we are not being ruled by God and the "redistribution of wealth" will quite possibly be used for very un-Biblical uses, then in a worldly government the best way for Christians to operate would be in a Capitalistic society so that the Christians could then in turn form their own "socialist" environment to properly care for the needy and each other.  Almost a separate country within a country - how's that for being set apart.