MSNBC host: Hey, wouldn’t Jesus want us to have universal health care?

I seem to recall “Render unto Caesar what is his… ”

Here is an excellent summation of the fundamental differences between socialism and Christianity.

Differences

Despite the partial congruence, the areas of difference loom large.
Christians cannot concur with the fundamental assertion that fallen
human nature is basically good nor with the belief that it is
virtually perfectible by social engineering. Many Christians believe
that socialists fundamentally misread human nature. In its fallen
state it is not necessarily other-oriented or primarily concerned
about the common good of the community.

Christians also reject any implication that the working class is
morally better than other groups. Many Christians also assert that the
socialist prescription for societal improvement stifles individual
initiative and is therefore doomed to fail.

Christians do not locate the source of evil in economic exploitation
but in human rejection of God. They insist that fallen human nature
causes economic exploitation, not that economic exploitation causes
evil in human nature. Nor do Christians accept as correct the notion
that the proper and central study of human nature should focus on
economics.

While Christians acknowledge the existence of economic classes, they
do not accept the centrality of class structure nor the inevitability
of class conflict. Indeed, Christians and others point out that for
most people the idea of economic class does not take precedence in
self-identification. They note that in the great wars of the 20th
century, as in earlier times, the masses of people placed
identification with their country far above membership in supposed
transnational classes. For example, socialists in France and Great
Britain fought socialists in Germany.

Additionally, Christians reject the marginalization of the individual
and individual responsibility, the widespread policy discrimination in
favour of the working class, the great faith in big government and the
strong emphasis on central planning and government regulation.
Justification of virtually all strikes constitutes another problem.

Perhaps the greatest difference between typical socialist assertions,
at least in our time, and Christian teaching is the widespread
socialist rejection of the concept of soul, of the supernatural realm
and of the need for human salvation rooted in God. Socialists seem to
assume that all reality is material.

In short, while we can identify some important areas of ethical
commonality, Christianity and socialism explain evil differently,
postulate different solutions to human depravity and, in the main,
have different priorities and ideals.

John Redekop teaches political science at Trinity Western University
and is an Abbotsford city councillor.

alliebobbitt on August 14, 2009 at 2:23 PM