Was Jesus a Socialist? That is the question.

American Thinker ^ | Nov 2, 2008 | Kyle-Anne Shiver

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Jeff Head]

Jesus was the Son of the Living God who died at the hands of evil and tyranny to save us from our Sins.

His atononement and principle message is geared towards that spiritual salvation...not the sickening, twisted and perverted "liberation" theology madup and taught by marxists.

He espoused free will and choice, and personal responbsibility for man to love His neighbor, do unto others, be charitable, and to love God.

He knew and taught that compelling people to do such things was sin.

Socialists seek to compel others and take from them what is rightfully theirs to do with as they please and thus to be accountable to God for that choice. Taking it and forcing the issue is not charity, it is cumpulsion, tyranny, and a travesty.

MEET THE PEOPLE WHO WILL DEFEAT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

[Cedric]

In the first place there is no reason to refer to Jesus in the past tense.

[ex-snook]

If you believe that a poor person should not suffer because he can’t afford treatment are you a Socialist, a Capitalist or a Christian?

[Partisan Gunslinger]

Jesus speaking:

Mat 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

Mat 20:2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Mat 20:3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

Mat 20:4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

Mat 20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

Mat 20:6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

Mat 20:7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, [that] shall ye receive.

Mat 20:8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them [their] hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

Mat 20:9 And when they came that [were hired] about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

Mat 20:10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

Mat 20:11 And when they had received [it], they murmured against the goodman of the house,

Mat 20:12 Saying, These last have wrought [but] one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

Mat 20:13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

Mat 20:14 Take [that] thine [is], and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

Mat 20:15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

This is a parable about the rewards in heaven for those that turn to God no matter when in life they see the light...but in the parable there are conservative principles about individuals doing the work they agreed to do for the pay they agreed to do it, regardless of the pay of others. Not socialism at all.

[silverleaf]

If Christians were supposed to be socialist why is tithing set at only 10%?

Seems like socialism would require tithing at 70% or higher.

And - who ever met a socialist who deferred to the judgement of God as a higher power than the State?

[Enosh]

Being King, I’d say Jesus is a monarchist.

[Cedric]

What’s your point?

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

Marx built his entire socialist philosophy on the initial premise that God was merely a human delusion

[Carry_Okie]

There is a huge difference between charity and coerced redistribution by a democratic majority: one is voluntary and is preceded by repentance, the other originates out of covetousness, the desire to feel better with other people's money.

One is secures liberty; the other empowers the state to enslave.
One is blessed; the other is damned.

[wmfights]

Jesus fought the state and was killed by the state. He never advocated distributive justice or state ownership of the means of production.

A Christian does not need the state to confiscate his property to redistribute it. A Christian will reveal his faith to others by "fruits of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23).

In fact Scripture tells us doing business for a profit is not bad, but do it wisely (Leviticus 19:36, James 4:13-15, Proverbs 6:6-8, Ephesians 4:28, Ithes. 4:11-12, 2Cor. 12:14). It is what we individually do with our profits that reveal us for what we are.

For example, McCain has adopted a child, his wife has been involved in numerous charities. Obama has never given more than 4% of his income to charity (usually 1% or less) and has supported infanticide. We should know these people by their "fruits".

Supporting a state taking from one person to give to another person does not make us Christian.

[silverleaf]

Michale Novak, on “The Spirit of Democratic Capialism”

http://www.acton.org/publications/mandm/publicat_m_and_m_1999_spr_younkins.php

Interesting that President Bush, in one of his addresses to the nation about the current crisis, used the term “democratic capitalism”

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Just a couple of points.

1. Jesus also preached that we should not let the right hand know what the left hand does. Meaning our charity should be done in secret so as not to beat our chests with pride over the good deeds we do.
Even our freedom to worship as we please has been regulated - I don’t believe the US measures up for the coming of the Lord.

2. Our government has all but taken our religion from us so any good the government does will not be for the ones doing his will and made impoverished and injured from their work.

Again, I don’t believe the US measures up for the coming of the Lord.

3. It is not charity when the charity is forced.

[Wuli]

Socialism perverts the Christian idea of giving, of “helping those in need”, from a good that individuals and societies should do, by the free will of the individuals in our societies, into a politicized choice and mandate that government - not the free society - must TAKE from all to not only fulfill the idea of “helping the needy”, but dictate for you what that means.

In socialism the GOVERNMENT replaces, and dictates FOR, the society.

One only needs to imagine the incongruity of the idea of Yeshua standing before the crowds and telling them to go demand the power of Caesar to take all they need for “charity” from their neighbors. Nothing was more clearly NOT part of His mission.

[maine-iac7]

If you can find ONE instance where Jesus took from or advocated taking from = by force = one man’s wealth to give to another = then you’d better get a new Bible.
Good grief. Jesus a Socialist. It’s a wonder the ‘bambi camp hasn’t claimed this yet. After all, they do say he was a “community organizer” like their little messiah.

Don’t be giving them any last minute ideas

Oh - and he WASN’T a community organizer either. He was a teacher, a healer, THE MESSENGER - not a community organizer and not a socialist...not a communist either, in case that’s bothering you too.

[LibLieSlayer]

No! JESUS was not a socialist!

“Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto GOD the things that are GOD’s”. Matthew 22:21)

LLS

[ctdonath2]

Jesus never remotely indicated we’re to take from others to give to the poor. Give to the poor, render unto Cesar that which is Cesar’s, tithe to the church - but never compel others to “give”.

[popdonnelly]

The concept of socialism would be inconceivable in Jesus’ time. Jesus accepted the existence of temporal rulers.

[Zuriel]

**Jesus fought the state**

What do mean by ‘state’? State of religion, or ‘state’, as the Roman Empire?

Yes, if he was fighting the ‘state’ of religion. The scribes and Pharisees were devoted to head knowledge of God, but there was no heart. They demanded his death.

The Roman Empire was not his kingdom, for his kingdom is not of this world. He even paid taxes to keep the peace, so to speak.

He said the ‘poor you have with you always’. So, one might conclude, that the rich is always present as well.

IMO, God’s communism is,”what’s mine is yours”; while man’s communism is, “What’s yours is MINE!”

[Senator Goldwater]

Jesus fought the state and was killed by the state. He never advocated distributive justice or state ownership of the means of production.

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Thank you.

Next question.