Does the Bible Teach Socialism/Communism? (Part 1)
In the movie, Fiddler on the Roof, set in 1905, a character named Perchik is a Marxist revolutionary. In one scene, he has a conversation with some children about how Laban made Jacob work seven additional years for Rachel. He tells them, “The Bible clearly teaches us you can never trust an employer.” The children ask, “And that is what the Bible teaches us?” He replies, “That is the lesson of the story of Jacob, [pause] if you interpret it correctly.” This is a great example of how people often find in the Bible exactly what they are looking for to wrongly justify themselves and their beliefs.
Those who support socialism/communism do the same thing leveraging the Bible to undergird their social system. They cite passages such as Acts 2:44-45 and Acts 4:32-37—which teach the virtue of voluntarily helping others—to support governmental legislation to redistribute wealth. Nancy Pelosi has quoted her “favorite verse” many times in support of her efforts to mandate socialism: “To minister to the needs of God’s creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.” The only problem is that it isn’t in the Bible, but that doesn’t stop her from pretending it is and using it and the Bible to advance her political philosophy. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez recently tweeted, “Genesis 1: God looked on the world & called it good not once, not twice, but seven times. Genesis 2: God commands all people to ‘serve and protect’ creation. Leviticus: God mandates that not only the people, but the land that sustains them, shall be respected.” She “quotes” these “verses” to support her socialism’s radical environmental agenda. Perhaps someone should quote to her God’s promise that ensures the ongoing fecundity of the earth in Genesis 8:22, (but why quibble over details)? (to be continued).
God bless you, and I love you.
Kevin Cauley