By Mark Swarbrick
The Unbiblical and Antichristian roots of Marxism
What is socialism? At its root, socialism is more than just an economic practice. Those on the outside looking in may think socialism is merely making sure that people in desperate need of help in society are taken care of. But a simple government program to help the elderly or injured is not full-blown socialism. Socialism is actually a philosophy that believes that evil in the world can be overcome by man, without any reference to man’s fallen nature or the need for God in society.
The danger of socialism is obfuscated by the tendency of socialists to use limited beneficial social programs as a smokescreen to cover for their sinister and heinous intentions, which they implement behind the scenes. Socialism is always progressive. By that, I mean that socialists will always attempt to take a good social program and twist it into pure socialism.
Venezuela is a case in point. They were a rich country with their oil wealth benefitting everyone. Sixty years ago, the South American nation was twice as prosperous as China and four times as rich as Japan. It had the fourth wealthiest economy in the world and was the most thriving country in Latin America. Gradually socialist programs were introduced and increased. When Hugo Chavez paid Dominion Voting Systems to steal the election for him, he seized power and ramped up socialism. Eventually, it destroyed the economy. Corporations fled the country, and today people in Venezuela are starving, unable to buy basic necessities. Socialism destroyed them.
The implementation of Social Security in the United States is another prime example. In 1935 Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed a program in which people provided for their own future economic security by contributing a portion of their work income through payroll tax deductions. That was a great idea. Everyone would be saving throughout their life to take care of themselves. When they became elderly or disabled, they would have means to care for themselves.
It was intended that the money be kept separate from the general fund and be “saved” for the future welfare of the elderly. But it wasn’t long before politicians just started spending that money and today there is no separate savings for individuals. Today Social Security in the U.S. is a massive ever-expanding socialist program that is on a road to go completely bankrupt in 2035. It’s appetite for growth is insatiable. They are now making plans to give a guaranteed income to everyone, whether they work or not.
Those who support more and more “social programs” often mean well, but they are naïve, not realizing there are ungodly Marxist politicians behind the scenes that intend to drive those seemingly innocent programs into full-scale socialism. While some government-implemented social programs are necessary, they must be limited and carefully watched that they don’t grow into something malevolent.
Socialism was popularized by the German philosopher Karl Marx in the 19th century. He was an atheist who utterly rejected the truth of God’s written word. Contrary to the teaching of Scripture, Marx believed that all the ills of society – crime, unemployment, poverty – could be solved by socialism. Christians understand that man’s problems are rooted in a spiritual condition and cannot be solved by government alone. Christians should recognize that all implementations of Marxism, socialism, or communism, are unscriptural practices that are counter to Christianity. Christians everywhere should oppose all forms of Marxism.
Here are seven reasons why socialism is an evil and unbiblical practice:
1. Thou Shalt Not Steal
The 8th of the Ten Commandments says that we should not steal. Socialism is theft. It is a government official holding a gun to the head of someone and stealing money that they have earned. They have no choice but to surrender the money. That is stealing, and the Bible says that is wrong. We must remember that the only money that the government has is money that it takes from someone who earned it. If that tax is not paid, what happens? Eventually, a man with a gun (a policeman) will come and put you in jail.
Today, government officials steal money from hard-working people and give it to people who want abortions. In the U.S., that has recently been expanded under the Biden regime to support the murder of babies worldwide, not just in America.
The Bible says in Proverbs 13:22 that an inheritance belongs to the children. In America, the Democrats are working on reinstituting the death tax and taking close to half of all estates of those who die. That is stealing the inheritance that the Bible says belongs to the children, not to the government. Capital gains taxes will also be raised to nearly 50 percent, which means half of what a person earns by stock investments will be stolen by the government. In America the government is printing money by the trillions to support socialism. Someday that money has to be paid back. Who will pay it back? Future generations. Socialism is stealing from the children and grandchildren.
In Luke 3:14, some soldiers asked Jesus what they should do. Jesus told them, “Don’t extort money…” That is precisely what is happening with socialism. The government is extorting money at ever-increasing exorbitant rates, and it is enforced by men with guns. Socialism is extortion.
Whenever you elevate politicians to the level of mob bosses who can steal from corporations and dole out the proceeds to whomever they wish, you create an environment rife with corruption. Frequently socialist governments degrade into totalitarian dictatorships where despots take power and stay in office through fraudulent elections. Crooked politicians love socialism because it puts them in a position of handling all the stolen money, which they can give out to companies that will support their reelection campaigns. Socialism ensures that those in power are most likely to stay in power.
2. Socialism Discourages Charity
The Bible has a welfare program that prescribes that each family take care of its own elderly or infirm. It commands that everyone should give to the poor. In yesteryear, the benevolence programs of churches were engaged in the building of orphanages and hospitals. They still do, but not as much as they did before the age of socialism.
With the advent of socialism, many Christians have come to believe that it is the government’s job to take care of people who need help. God intended that giving to those in need would be done voluntarily out of hearts of compassion. Socialism has caused people to become insensitive to the needs of others and has caused the Church to become lax in getting out into the street and helping people in need. Social concerns should primarily be the purview of the Church, not the government.
3. Socialism Engenders Poverty
Socialism claims there is a limited amount of money, that the rich have more than their fair share, and that if some of it is taken away from them and given to the poor, everyone will be better off. That is a Marxist lie. What really happens is that everyone becomes poor.
The truth is, there is actually an unlimited supply of money because wealth is created by those who provide service to others. The more people there are who work hard to make something or provide a service for someone else, the more wealth is created. But consider what happens if you take away half of what someone earns to be given to someone who did not earn it. They become disincentivized to work so hard.
Socialism depends upon stealing money from the rich. Who are the rich? They are the people who provide jobs. They are the corporations and businesses that provide jobs. Higher taxes are the means of stealing from these “rich” corporations. Two things happen when socialism brings in higher taxes. First, companies have less profit and can hire fewer workers.
Secondly, we must remember that money is mobile. When companies find they can’t make a profit in a country with high taxes, they will simply move their company to another country. This results in fewer jobs for people and less revenue for the government. Whatever else one may think of Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the U.K., she did give some sage advice with this statement: “The trouble with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.”
4. Socialism is Divisive
The philosophy of socialism sets the “haves” against the “have-nots.” To bring in socialism, demagogues have to brainwash the people into believing that all the ills of society are the fault of the rich. Their mantras go like this: The rich are to blame for any poverty or social adversity. The rich are evil. The rich must be punished. The rich have more than their fair share. The rich must be heavily taxed. The whole idea of socialism requires that wealthy people must be denigrated. It is a divisive, unhealthy and unchristian attitude.
Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth.” It is God who gives the ability to create wealth. God does not hate the rich. The Bible tells the rich to help the poor voluntarily, but the Bible never says that the government should steal from the rich.
5. Socialism has an Antichristian Worldview
According to the Bible, the problems of society are the result of the fallen heart of mankind. Sin is the problem, not money or the lack thereof. Surrendering to Jesus Christ and following the precepts of God’s Holy Word is the answer for any society. When that is done, the blessing of wealth naturally follow. On the other hand, socialism believes that the problems of the world are not spiritual but monetary. Socialists believe that a strong socialist government, apart from God, can solve all issues of society. As socialism infects the minds of young people, it replaces Christian eschatology with a secular narrative. Eventually, it erodes both the adherent’s religion and society’s liberty.
6. Socialism Engenders Laziness
The Bible says, “He who will not work, he shall not eat.” (2nd Thessalonians 3:10) Proverbs 16:26 says, “The appetite of laborers works for them; their hunger drives them on.” When people no longer have to work for what they get, they become lazy. It is a fact. Across America, there are innumerable people that subsist on government welfare and don’t bother to look for work. Today, employers cannot find sufficient help to hire because people can get more money from government welfare by staying home doing nothing. This is a very unhealthy and unsustainable situation. God told Adam in the Garden of Eden, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food.” (Genesis 3:19). That is the way things are in this world. Socialism throws out the lie that hard work can be avoided without consequence. All you need is socialism for a life of ease. Unthinking people who don’t know what Scripture says fall for this lie.
I once read a book written by someone who lived in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. He told of how no one would work hard in the factories because they didn’t have to. People who excelled were not rewarded any more than the laziest of workers, so all became lazy. This resulted in a low gross national product, which in turn led to shortages of everything and what was available was likely to be poorly and sloppily made.
I once had a job at a plant that was controlled by a powerful socialist labor union. On my first day of work, I was assigned to move some bags of cement to another location. I tackled the job with enthusiasm, taking pride in my hard work. The head of the union came over and had a talk with me. He said, “Look, we don’t work hard here. We all just take it easy. If someone finds out we can work hard, they will make us all work hard. You must slow down. Take some breaks and go slow. Take your time.” I thought that was quite dishonest and unfair to the people paying me. I kept working hard, and I underestimated the power of the union – they got me fired. In that case, socialism was theft – they were stealing from the company that was paying them. They refused to give an honest day’s work for their wages. They had a gun to the head of the company. Cross the union, and they would shut down the whole plant. The company is no longer in business, most likely killed by socialism.
7. Socialism is Antichristian
Throughout history, socialists have hated Christianity. They have been anti-church, brutally militant, and have killed people by the millions. One hundred million people have been killed by socialist governments. Wherever the socialist welfare state grows, the Church shrinks, often by martyrdom.
Every human being has a need to satisfy their hunger for meaning. God intended that we find that through a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Secularists love socialism because they see its socioeconomic ideology as a substitute for Christian faith. In the philosophy of socialism, they imagine they have found a means of changing the world for the better while ignoring God and continuing in sin. Socialism is a pacifier to soothe the conscience of atheists who are unwittingly destroying the world.
Wherever socialism has been tried, it has destroyed economies and turned into a repressive totalitarian regime that seeks to hinder and eliminate Christianity. Go to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and try to purchase a Bible. Good luck. Go to The People’s Republic of Communist China and try to open a Christian church. We will hold a memorial service for you.
Socialism is a doctrine of demons fostered by Satan to steal freedom from countries and wealth from economies. It offers wealth without work and salvation for society without Jesus. All empty promises. Socialism leads only to totalitarianism and economic collapse.
