In Acts 3:6 we learn that Peter told the beggar, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."
Obviously Peter did not take money from others, nor did he demand that Herod take care of the man and his medical needs, No, he gave the man what all men truly need. Healing through Christ Jesus.
Liberal sure seem to claim to love a Jesus that they hate.
Socialism is slavery to the State.
Stalinists lie. Always.
If Jesus believes in self sacrifice for the good of others, how could he oppose Socialism when those are the principles that justify socialism?
Jesus had problems with wealth. Camels passing through a needles eye and so on.
Let’s concentrate on what the Founding Fathers would have felt about the horrendous state of affairs of the Keynesian Regime (Keynesian moving toward Stalinist ). They are doing 360s in their graves.
Remember what Jesus said when He healed people... Go and sin no more. He expected the people to be self motivated to correct action after He helped them.
Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages."He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
"Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."
John 12:3-8
“Christian socialism”
A contradiction-in-terms.
The economic system that is compatible with God-given human nature, God-given natural rights, and the Biblical concept of justice, is free enterprise, market economy, and capitalism.
This economic system grants individuals freedom in their choices regarding consumption and production. Freedom protects the individual from coercion by the state, which is a necessary fact of socialism. Justice requires that man be free from state coercion in order to use his talents to God's glory, and with integrity to work and reap rewards. Further capitalism is based on private property, the legitimacy of which is affirmed in the Bible, and on encouragement of responsibility and just reward for work. Only a free economic system can provide this type of justice and protect men from coercion by other men.
In the Bible, I think it is accurate to say, the only time God intervenes in man’s political affairs is to give us governments to PUNISH us for our faithlessness.
So would Jesus give us a Socialist government? Depends on how mad He is with us.
Seeing how the man was always at that gate every day, it is probable that Jesus has passed by this same man himself while entering the Temple. But Jesus' position on socialism can be wrapped up in Matthew 25:14-30
For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus didn’t believe in theft. He believed in kindness.
He would support the conservative that does his best and then personally gives to those that fall on hard times.
Socialism = Communism = Marxism = Theft.
The simple thing is this...
Christ sacrifice his self for others .......
he did not sacrifice others for others .......
and certainly do not sacrifice others for his self
Christianity is about willing self sacrifice. You need no law or goverment for this
Socialism is about sacrificing others, by force, if necessary, for others and yourself.
They’re not the same.
The people who the writer is taking on though, are more likely to make the claim that Jesus wouldn't support modern day capitalism and that socialism is the alternative. It's like that with politics -- people are always more definite about what they oppose than about what they're for. If you want to argue with their point of view you have to start at the other end -- with what Jesus would think of today's capitalism.
FWIW: This is a tough topic because it starts with the always difficult (impossible?) question of what some historical figure would think of things that happened long after his or her death and adds all the complications of theology.
Giving comes down to choice and liberty vs. forced confiscation.
“duh”
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