If the future of the nation were a function of logic, then conservatives would have a very easy job.
No debate would be needed, really. In the choice between the two competing models Judeo-Christian civilization has given us, with socialist arguments for “big government” on the one side and a market-oriented system that favors the freedoms of the individual over the powers of the state on the other, there would be no contest.
In fact, it would indeed be a formal “no contest,” as only one of the models has ever been realized in the real world in which we live.
Adam Smith, Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig von Mises, and Milton Friedman may have had impeccable credentials in terms of theory, but the whole point of their work is that it occurred within the reality of functioning free markets.
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What Does the Bible Say About Socialism?
Throughout the scripture, from the first pages of Genesis, God gives men and women resources for their use — for their good and the good of others.
1 Timothy 5:8 says, "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
The responsibility was given to the individual, not delegated to the government.
Under capitalism, people own their property and businesses and are mostly free to use them as they see fit. But in today's politically correct environment a person's use of his or her own property is often mocked as selfish or greedy. Sadly, too many educators today undermine the confidence of our young people in our country's economic systems, insinuating that freedom to use the property isn't "fair" to those without.
Under socialism, people have limited ownership of property and businesses, which must operate under government control and regulation, and the government determines how all profits and property can be used. People who embrace the use of governmental power to suit their own social ends argue that this can create a kinder, gentler society as government decides who gets what, all in the name of helping the less fortunate. This assumes that good-hearted people, i.e. the government, are seizing the assets of less worthy people to give to the more deserving. And it matters WHO gets to decide the definition of "deserving." It sets up a system in which the government picks winners and losers, sometimes to gain the favor of voters.
Under communism, there is no veneer of personal ownership. The government owns and controls the property and the people exist as workers for the state, which controls all of their lives without pretense. In truth, it is the political leadership who control the power and property, and there is little access to opportunity for most people.
But in the Bible, God clearly gives resources to people and then holds them accountable for their stewardship.
"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man." Proverbs 24:33-34
But for those whose work yields a profit, sharing with those in need is expected, and not something we can delegate to the government. The Apostle Paul was a great example of this, paying his own way as a tentmaker, and urging others to work to pay for themselves and others.
In Acts 20:35, Paul wrote, "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
Socialism insinuates that the person who works is not deserving of the reward and breeds resentment against those who have success and it also weakens the connection between work and reward. Fundamentally, it violates the 10th commandment, "thou shalt not covet," by encouraging people to look at what others have, deciding what should be taken away. But to build lasting wealth and resources, labor is required.
As Christians, we are called to work to the best of our ability, to care for our families and those in need around us. Our work is one way that we communicate to the world around us what a life submitted to Christ can be. We want to honor God with our efforts.
Colossians 3:23 puts it well: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."
SOCIALISM HAS NEVER WORKED ANYWHERE...NEVER HAS NEVER WILL. THE HUMAN ELEMENT MAKES IT CLEAR.
A SOCIALIST ECONOMY MAKES EVERYONE POOR EXCEPT THE PEOPLE RUNNING IT. IT IS SIMPLY HUMAN NATURE. WORST OF ALL IS THE LOSS OF BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS.
JIM EISENHAUER
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