World News Through the Third Lens: Socialism and Christianity

Socialism and Christianity by: Les Young

Normally the religious moniker of "Christian" is connected with the political label "Right Wing Conservative." This is not necessarily accurate or flattering. Take, for example, the group named "Hutaree," which means "Christian Warrior." The Bowling Green Daily News today labeled them as bad as the terrorists we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The problem with all of this is that real Christians don't fight this way. On the other side of the coin, "Christians" have been formally connected with socialism for decades. As far back as 1966, in hearings before the U.S.A. House Committee on Un-American Activities on February 26, 1966, Richard Arens, general counsel to the Committee, declared: "Thus far, in the leadership of the National Council of Churches, we have found over 100 persons in leadership capacity with either Communist-front records or records of services in Communist causes. The aggregate affiliations of the leadership is in the thousands."

In the late 1970's, as an independent insurance agent who also had a Master's degree in Forestry, I had put together a special workers' compensation safety group, designed to improve safety and lower insurance costs for loggers. A contact was made with the "social justice" department of a well-known Protestant denomination, headquartered in New York. One of their projects at the time was to try and unionize loggers in Mississippi. Suffice it to say that in dealing with these people, there was nothing "Christian" about their strategies or their language.

As a nation, we have been moving in the direction of socialism for a long time. The biggest steps in that direction seem to come in times of crisis. (The New Deal during the Great Depression, the Patriot Act following 9/11, Federalization of banks, auto manufacturers following the economic crisis of 2008). If the passage of Health Care Reform sticks, we will have made another giant step in that direction. Religious groups seem to be lined up on both sides of many issues, earning them political labels such as: "Progressive Liberals" or "Tea Baggers." Just what are the politics of Christianity when it comes to the economy, labor, management, and profit and what tactics should be employed to effect reform? I can't thoroughly answer those questions in this blog, but I can put forth a few Scriptures that should at least cause us to think.

A Biblical (Third Lens) Perspective:

Concerning management and labor: "Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters but always with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ. Don't just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ's servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you're really serving God. Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free. Masters, it's the same with you. No abuse, please, and no threats. You and your servants are both under the same master in heaven. He makes no distinction between you and them." (Ephesians 6:5-9, Mssg)

Concerning rewarding everyone equally, regardless of effort/results: "...his work will be shown for what it is because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss..." (1 Corinthians 3:14-15, NIV)


Regarding being able to earn from investments as well as labor: "The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more...The man who had received the five talents brought the other five....See I have gained five more. His master replied, 'Well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness." (Matthew 25:16, 20-21)


Regarding being able to enjoy the fruit of your own labor: "A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too I see is from the hand of God, for without Him who can eat or find enjoyment?" (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25). And under the perfect rule of the Messiah: "They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands." (Isaiah 65:21-22)


All of this seems to be closely akin to the spirit of the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self evident; that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." And while Christians of good conscience have always been willing to take up arms to secure and defend such rights, the normal method of Christian combat (or reform) can be described in these two Scriptures: "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). Christian! Fight the good fight of faith!