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!

World News Through the Third Lens

Obama bans federal funds from paying for private-insurance abortions by: Les Young, March 25, 2010

The captioned headline appeared in the local paper today, over the byline by David Espo of the Associated Press. At the same time a blog was posted by the editor of "Worth Reading" which reads: President Signs Meaningless Abortion Executive Order. Both reports stated that, unlike Tuesday's signing of the massive socialistic law which was done publicly, before cameras and a partisan crowd, this signing was done in private, with no cameras and in the presence of a small group of "anti-abortion" Democrats, including Rep. Bart Stupak. When comparing the two reports, it appears that the phrase, "bans federal funds from paying for private-insurance abortions" is key. The executive order covers only certain elective abortions. What it fails to cover are abortions that would be performed at community health centers - many of which will be Planned Parenthood Clinics - created by the legislation.

Barack Obama, the most pro-abortion president in history, signed the order as his payoff for votes from pro-life Democrats. The sad thing is that the executive order is basically worthless. As mentioned above, it does not even address certain abortions. It is no wonder that the head of Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the nation, was at the bill signing, smiling approval. Secondly, executive orders cannot stand up in court to the extent that they override law. Just think for a moment; if they could, there would be no need for the legislative branch of government. If President Obama didn't like the abortion provisions present in the bill, he should have vetoed it. Thirdly, executive orders can be undone at the drop of a hat, by Obama himself, or any succeeding president.

All poisonous legislation is given such innocuous labels. The so-called "health care reform bill" is now a law, titled the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act." Affordable! Caterpillar Corporation is estimating an almost immediate increase of $100 million in the company's health care costs. A law which ultimately socializes 1/6th of the U.S. economy is going to produce a fallout of horrific proportions. There are different degrees of socialism, but we are now past the moderate fringes of this ideological enemy of freedom and liberty. There is currently underway a strong movement in more than 30 states to take the law to court. The state of Virginia has already passed legislation refusing to comply with it.

Through The Third Lens of Scripture: In the history of Israel, following the death of King Solomon, Rehoboam ascended to the throne. A group of men, led by a man named Jeroboam went to Rehoboam and pleaded: "Your father put a heavy yoke upon us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put upon us, and we will serve you." (2 Chronicles 10:4) Rehoboam put them off for three days while seeking counsel. The elder statesmen who had served under Solomon said: "If you would be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants." (2 Chronicles 10:7). Rejecting this advice, Rehoboam went to his own cronies who advised: "Tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions." (2 Chronicles 10:10-11). Reheboam listened to the advice of his younger peers and three days later, delivered his decision to the rest of Israel. Here's what happened: "When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: 'What share do we have in David [for Rehoboam was grandson of David], what part in Jesse's son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!'......So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day." (2 Chronicles 10:16, 19). This could be descriptive of the political and social fallout from this law, especially if it is followed up with more socialistic laws, such as cap and trade, amnesty for illegal aliens, etc.

Concerning the abortion provisions in the law, coupled with the fact that by split decision judicial fiat we have abortion on demand as the de facto law of the land already, and we have made a real mess for ourselves. Scripture is far from silent on this issue. Life begins at conception, is precious to God and not without purpose. Consider these words of the Lord, speaking to Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5). Or this, where David is speaking to the Lord: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place...." (Psalms 139:13-15). Therefor, when children are sacrificed (innocent blood shed) to some false god, such as fear, convenience, necessity, etc. this is God's attitude. "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him.....hands that shed innocent blood," (Proverbs 6:16-17). "Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord's command, in order to remove them from His presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done, including the shedding of innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive." (2 Kings 24:3-4).

I hate to say it, but once the smoke is settled, many of us are going to have to deal with a battle of conscience. Virtually every person I know who takes the Gospel of the Kingdom to the streets, and offers the life alternatives to those for whom Jesus shed His precious blood, while standing against the shedding of innocent blood, are law-abiding, tax-paying citizens, who accomplish more good with one dollar than the government can with $100. But what will we do when it is for certain that our tax dollars are paying for the genocide of the pre-born? Hopefully there will be some jurisdictions who have enacted righteous legislation.

Let us not forget that there several different ways in which one can suffer suffer. You can suffer for being a law-breaker. To this, the Lord says: "If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler" (1 Peter 4:15). You can suffer for being a Christian, and again the Lord speaks: "However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that Name" (1 Peter 4:16). And you can suffer, Christian or not, just because you live in a nation that has rejected God and is undergoing judgment. This was the lot of Jeremiah, to whom the Lord said: "...Before your eyes and in your days I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in this place" (Jeremiah 16:9 - also the next 4 verses) Then there is the ultimate suffering of those who do not repent, but who continue to offend the Holy God, rather than cry out to Him for mercy. These may enjoy "the good life" for a season. Asaph struggled with this, but eventually God revealed truth to him; a truth which comforts all those who love the truth. "...I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.....They are free from the burdens common to man......always carefree, they increase in wealth....When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!" (Psalms 73:3,5,12,16-19)