Was Jesus a Socialist?

Post Scripts ^ | 5/3/09 | OneVike

[OneVike]

It has been the aim of the Democrat party since they lost the Presidential election in 2004 to subvert the Christian doctrine with the claim that Jesus was a socialist. Their goal is to convince Christians that their Social agenda is morally equivalent with the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. Considering the lack of historical and Biblical knowledge most Americans have, it is not surprising that many have fallen for the misinformation on what Jesus taught (and for whom the teachings were given). These Biblical revisionists have become especially adept at cherry picking Scripture to suit their agenda. Hence, many have come to misunderstand the gospel of Christ by equating it with modern day Socialism.

My first point of contention with the idea that Christ was a socialist, is His teachings and the example of His life. Throughout the time that Christ lived with His disciples, He never worked. Instead he was dependent upon the charity and good hearts of those who surrounded Him. Now that is not to say Jesus was lazy or a bum either. Jesus was always about His Fathers business, and that business was the salvation of mankind. Nowhere in the Scriptures will you find Jesus telling His followers to rely upon anyone except those who were willing to hear the gospel and share what they had. If the people refused to hear the gospel or be charitable, Jesus told His disciples to rebuke them and go to others who were willing to hear the teachings, as when He sent them out by pairs. (Matthew chapter 10)

[OneVike]

Wasn’t there a man and wife who died instantly when they didn’t give 100% of their money to the Apostles? That’s taxation Democrats would love (not applicable to themselves, of course).

Read the article I bring that up. Here is an excerpt.

We can also see in the Book of Acts that a Christian could give as much or as little as they wanted, as in the account of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. (Acts 5:1-10) The Scriptures tell us they were put to death by the Holy Spirit for lying about how much they received because they wanted everyone to believe they donated all the proceeds from some possessions they sold. The lesson we learn from the incident is that they were not required to give everything but to be honest about their donation.

[TheOldLady]

Thank you for the ping. I'm always looking for logical arguments against leftist talking points.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

No.

He didn't take the rich-man’s fortune, he gave that choice to the owner of the fortune, thus justifying private property.

And the tithe was based upon a tax base that considered anything higher than 3% to be obscene.

The entire notion of “being a good steward” to strengthen your family and to be an asset to your community runs directly in the face of the government confiscating your earnings, making you dependent upon the government, and then blowing that money through socialized programs that inevitably fail and destroy the ability of hard workers to earn future wealth, thus killing the goose that lays the golden egg.

For those who are interested, the infiltration of Socialism into Christian churches occurred (ASTONISHINGLY) at the same time that socialism was being pushed out into governmental policy. And (ASTONISHINGLY) they both had the same source: academe.

It was at this point that certain doctrines of the New Testament (aiding the poor, forsaking wealth and materialism) were reinterpreted and amplified to be used as a theological basis for pushing Socialism.

Socialism has been in the pulpit for as long as Wilson was “patient zero” for introducing the “swine-flu” of political and economic ideology directly into a major political party. He was the organism that successfully transmitted the disease from the pigs into the average man.

I'm still researching who played that role in the church, but so far I'm leaning toward Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam, early policy chairman for the Federal Council of Churches in Christ, which later became a major force in forming the World Council of Churches, a “religious” organization that, despite its pastors with deeply sympathetic eyes and empathetic lip-biting, is as red as you can get.

The Federal Council of Churches should not be confused with the American Council of Churches, which was a fundamentalist response to the politicizing of the pulpit.

Bromley was a communist/socialist. Wikipedia defends him, as they always do, by saying he was accused but defended himself. His record speaks for itself. He fought for Socialist revolution in America through religion. He aided Spanish communists. That he used sophistry to defend himself does not make him any less of a communist/socialist than he was.

[DeLaine]

I agree, he’d go right to DC, but only after he spoke to San Francisco. In his absence, we are to do His work.

[hosepipe]

[ Was Jesus a Socialist? ]

What was Jesus politically?.. He was/is/will be A KING...
He is a monarchist.. he owns literally everything, including the voters..

From the fartherest galazy even all the way to Detroit, Jesus OWNS it all..
Jesus evens OWNS Washington D.C..

[Alamo-Girl]

So very true, dear brother in Christ. "King of Kings" is one of His Names:

And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. - Revelation 19:16

Thank you for sharing your views, dear brother in Christ!

[tflabo]

Wasn’t there a man and wife who died instantly when they didn’t give 100% of their money to the Apostles

Yes..Ananias and Saphira in Acts Chapter 5. They sold land and kept back a portion but they lied that they sold it all. They lied to the Holy Spirit and thats why they died.

PS. The early Christians gave possessions to the church and not the state. HUGE difference!

[usconservative]

So you say he’s a Capitalist by virtue of what Jesus Christ said? Well, how about the Sermon on the Mount? “Woe unto you who are rich...”. Uh, that sounds more like a class envious redistributionist - excatly like Obama! LOL LOL LOL.

Lighten up, Francis.

There are more than 1,500 references to money in the Bible, both old and new testament. For every verse you may find that talks about the 'evils' of money or the mismanagement of it, I can probably find one that says something different.

Religions do not encourage Individualism - it requires subserviance to God. And in this case “God” is manifested in any Religions hierarchy: a Pope, An Elder, A Pastor, or an Ayatollah - all of whom claim to speak for God. It requires altruism from all of us, only instead of sacrificng to The State Moral Code of Collectivism

I see you're either an atheist or agnostic. Sorry, I'm not debating someone who's mind is already closed.

[usconservative]

I agree, he’d go right to DC, but only after he spoke to San Francisco.

I dunno, I think Washington DC is worse. But then, I've never been to San Francisco. ;-)

[DeLaine]

Reputation alone, I was thinking. I think he’d be hard pressed today to choose between cities. So much work! So little time!

[tflabo]

Jesus was apolitical. His words prove it; Render unto Caeser the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's... Matthew 22:21

[BlueStateBlues]

No, He wasn’t. He was a preacher and a healer who happened to have a band of followers who traveled with him. The poor and the sick came to Him, and He worked with what He had.

Although I have heard a rumor that He smoked some medical marijuana just after they nailed Him to the cross.

[hosepipe]

[ The minute Religion starts attempting to shape political agendas ]

Jesus came to make ALL religion obsolete, AND DID...
"You MUST be born again"- Jesus

Some are, some are not..

[Clemenza]

You either have Him in your heart or you don’t. You shouldn’t use Him to advance a personal political agenda (not talking about you, hosepipe, just certain other folks, left and right).

[Yudan]

Vike,

I think we’ve had this conversation.

In my heart I believe that the LAST thing The Lord would have pushed for is a Leviathan Statist Nanny that takes the place of the Kingdom of God in the hearts of men.

[driftdiver]

“I happen to think Jesusu would go right to Washington DC. Just look at what a bunch of heathen-bastards are running the place!!”

Except when Jesus returns it will be to collect believers. Its currently our job to go among those and spread his Word.

[hosepipe]

[ You either have Him in your heart or you don’t. You shouldn’t use Him to advance a personal political agenda (not talking about you, hosepipe, just certain other folks, left and right). ]

Literally EVERYONE is a preacher...
All are preaching loudly something by what they do, or do not, do..
What comes out our mouths(or pen) has some minor impact..

[tflabo]

Socialism as an ideology sounds wonderful but in practical application it fails miserably. When the first Pilgrims settled here they brought their European socialism and they literally starved and suffered great lack. When it was decided to let each family farm its own crops then the bounty increased. This led to what we celebrate as Thanksgiving! I heard this taught in a sermon by the late Dr. D. James Kennedy.

[Bosco]

To a certain extent, they have a point.

The point is that central planning has to have absolute control over the economy and know the desires of the people. Hayek discusses this in "The Road to Serfdom".

But it is today's socialist/statist who presumes to know the right thing to do for a myriad of people and their wants and desires, and that in and of itself is an attempt for man to be God. It requires total control. By definition that violates the 1st commandment - "You shall not have any gods before Me."

Jesus, on the other hand, is the only Person who is qualified to be that leader. And that is what Scripture talks about: mankind needs a perfect King, and Jesus is that King. Jesus is God.

Willingly or unwillingly, every knee will bow before Him in the future.