Is socialism sin?
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Is national socialism typically just inferior, naive and inept or inherently sinful? Let’s look at Britain’s struggle with it.
The late Prime Minister of Britain (1979-1990), Margaret Thatcher, called socialism sin. Not known as a theologian, she was a second to none critic of communism and socialism. She saw what socialism did to England prior to her becoming PM.
“ . . there is one heresy which it seems to be that some political doctrines embrace. It is the belief that Man is perfectible… . This takes the form of supposing that if we get our social institutions right—if we provide properly for education, health and all other branches of social welfare—we shall have exorcized the Devil. This is bad theology and it also conflicts with our experience.” - Margaret Thatcher speech at St. Lawrence Jewry, London, March 31, 1978.
“Socialism turned good citizens into bad ones; it turned strong nations into weak one; it promoted vice and discouraged virtue … it transformed formerly hard working and self- reliant men and women into whining, weak and flabby loafers. Socialism was not a fine idea that had been misapplied it was an inherently wicked idea.” -There Is No Alternative - Why Margaret Thatcher Matters, p.8
Seeing man as inherently good rather than evil smacks of the Social Gospel of the 19th Century and is still seen in some liberal churches today. The implications for salvation and eternity are critical; if sin is no big deal; if we are not under God’s judgment for our sin then Christ’s payment on the Cross for our sin was not necessary. Repenting for sin, forgiveness would become meaningless.
Though hard pressed to think of encouraging examples I am open to the possibility of an atypical brand of limited socialism somewhere that does not exhibit the negative traits given herein. Where is it? Even the reknown kibbut farm collectives in Israel have mostly shifted to a privitatization model over the past hundred years. Many ran into financial crises.
“After 100 years, the kibbutz movement has completely changed. Only a quarter of kibbutzim still function as equalized cooperatives, while the rest have begun paying salaries to their members.” - Wikopedia.
Granted the needed check and balances to discourage greed and deceit, free enterprise seems superior.
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The late Prime Minister of Britain (1979-1990), Margaret Thatcher, called socialism sin. Not known as a theologian, she was a second to none critic of communism and socialism. She saw what socialism did to England prior to her becoming PM.
“ . . there is one heresy which it seems to be that some political doctrines embrace. It is the belief that Man is perfectible… . This takes the form of supposing that if we get our social institutions right—if we provide properly for education, health and all other branches of social welfare—we shall have exorcized the Devil. This is bad theology and it also conflicts with our experience.” - Margaret Thatcher speech at St. Lawrence Jewry, London, March 31, 1978.
“Socialism turned good citizens into bad ones; it turned strong nations into weak one; it promoted vice and discouraged virtue … it transformed formerly hard working and self- reliant men and women into whining, weak and flabby loafers. Socialism was not a fine idea that had been misapplied it was an inherently wicked idea.” -There Is No Alternative - Why Margaret Thatcher Matters, p.8
Seeing man as inherently good rather than evil smacks of the Social Gospel of the 19th Century and is still seen in some liberal churches today. The implications for salvation and eternity are critical; if sin is no big deal; if we are not under God’s judgment for our sin then Christ’s payment on the Cross for our sin was not necessary. Repenting for sin, forgiveness would become meaningless.
Though hard pressed to think of encouraging examples I am open to the possibility of an atypical brand of limited socialism somewhere that does not exhibit the negative traits given herein. Where is it? Even the reknown kibbut farm collectives in Israel have mostly shifted to a privitatization model over the past hundred years. Many ran into financial crises.
“After 100 years, the kibbutz movement has completely changed. Only a quarter of kibbutzim still function as equalized cooperatives, while the rest have begun paying salaries to their members.” - Wikopedia.
Granted the needed check and balances to discourage greed and deceit, free enterprise seems superior.
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At this year’s Basics Conference Alistair Begg had a good line:
The problem with Socialism is that men take advantage of men to get ahead.Took some people a minute to get it.
But with Capitalism it is the exact opposite.
The problem is not so much in a political ideal, it is in Man himself. As long as Man is in a sinful state, he will always seek to find ways to manipulate and use others, in order to satiate his evil desires.
Discussion