How
Christians Should View Socialism
Bernie
Sanders has certainly taken the country by surprise during this election cycle.
He is a self-professed socialist and makes no apologies for it. Seeing the rise
of socialist views in our country, many Christians often criticize it as
ungodly or sinful. This has caused me to consider how Christians ought to think
about and view socialism. In doing so, I have a few things to point out.
1. Socialism is not sin in and of itself. In fact, the Bible does not advocate
for any particular form of government. This means that it is not explicitly
forbidden in scripture. Saying that socialism is fundamentally sinful is like
saying that drinking alcohol is also fundamentally sinful. Neither one is
prohibited in scripture.
2. Socialism lies on the negative side of history. There have been
numerous socialist governments in our world’s history and still are some. Most
of them have seen a terrible demise. When people make large decisions, they
often look to history to see how things have previously turned out for
something similar. If this is the case, why aren’t people doing this with
socialism as well? It has not worked very well.
3. Christians can get along with socialists. Again socialism is not
explicitly prohibited, but there are biblical principles that seem to point in
another direction. However, simply because someone is a socialist does not mean
they are an idiot or not worthy to love and respect. We are called to love and
respect everyone no matter what their views may be.
4. Christians have a responsibility to be involved in the political
process. This does not necessarily mean running for office, but it could. All
believers have a responsibility to be involved though so if socialism seems
like a bad idea, believers should stand up for what is right and logically and
thoughtfully present their argument. While socialism is likely not a good idea,
how can we convince others that it is not good? This is a responsibility we
have.
We are called to live in this world. This world
is not our home, and it is not our final resting place. Therefore, although we
are involved in the workings of this world, we are not part of it. The things
we fight for the most are the things most important to us. If that is whether
or not to be a socialist country, that is what is most important to you. Consider
this though: is it worth it? God seeks justice in the world, and if socialism
isn’t a threat to justice, we should be making a bigger deal out of other
things rather than socialism. I will openly tell people that I disagree with
socialism, but it is because of my belief in limited government, not because it
is explicitly forbidden in scripture (it is not). In matters like these, we
must tread carefully and seek to glorify God in our arguments and our stances.
If it will ruin others’ perception of you as a follower of Christ, it is not
worth it and you should stay out of it. His glory has precedent over everything.
This is the grid through which we should see everything including politics.
