“Jesus was a Socialist” (NOT!) and “Human Gases are Destroying the Planet!”

Last Sunday on my way home from church, I was listening in on Dr. Dean Odell’s radio show.  I don’t usually enjoy Dr. Odell, because his liberal political views permeate so much of his so-called medical advice, and with me being such a hard-line conservative, there just isn’t a lot of affection in me for the good doctor.  But this particular Sunday afternoon he struck a nerve with the quintessential liberal quip, “Jesus was a socialist!”  Thank God I wasn’t in heavy traffic!  Nothing stirs my ire more than hearing people make claims that Jesus was a socialist, especially when it is said in that matter-of-fact “the debate is over—human gas is destroying the planet,” superior tone of the liberal elite. 

Here is the truth.  Jesus was NOT a Socialist.  In fact, he was the opposite of a Socialist.  He was an Individualist in every way and it doesn’t take a Biblical scholar to figure that out.  First of all, I’d like to challenge anyone reading this to find where in the New Testament it is written that the government should feed and clothe the hungry.  Where?  Corinthians…the “love chapter?”  Nope.  It isn’t there.  From the teachings of Christ and those of Paul and the Apostles, nowhere is it written that it is the responsibility of the government to feed and clothe the hungry.  Instead, it is repeatedly laid upon the family, the community, the Church, and the individual Christian to care for the poor. 

In John chapter 21, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you truly love me?” to which Peter replies, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.”  Jesus responds, “Feed my lambs.”  Jesus goes on to tell Peter, “take care of my sheep” and “ feed my sheep” in order to prove his love for his Lord.  As is the case throughout the New Testament, Jesus is instructing all of the disciples as well as Peter personally, and more than that, the entire Church, present day and future.  Peter was identified by Christ himself as a symbol for the entire Church in Matt 16: 18, when he changes Peter’s name from Simon to Peter.  ^“And I tell you that you are Peter, (Peter means “rock”) and on this rock I will build my church…” Jesus is making his message clear that it is the job of the Church, present and future, to feed the hungry and not only to fulfill an obligation, but to show their love for their Lord!  The demonstration of love is accomplished only person to person, not from a corporation to a person or a government to an association or by any other means of delivery.  If you said, “Coca Cola loves McDonalds,” you are not using the word “loves” in the same context that Christ was using the word “love.”  Christ is using the pure form of “agape” love, which is the love of Christ being shown from one individual to another, person to person, face to face. 

In Romans 12:20, Paul says to the persecuted Christians of Rome, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him.”  Paul is addressing the Church, while, in fact, giving a specific design for the Church, delivering the infamous “one body many parts” sermon.  Keep in mind, Christians were oppressed by the Roman government.  Paul did not pretend the Roman government was listening to anything he had to say.  This message was directly for the Christians and the Church of Rome, not all citizens of Rome—most of whom had likely sat and watched a few Christians get torn apart by lions for a little weekend entertainment recently—and definitely not the government.

In James chapter 1, James writes to Christian Jews, greeting them as, “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations…” in verse 27 he writes, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  If you believe that “Religion” and government are two very separate things, you cannot believe that James is addressing government officials or rulers of kingdoms.  He is talking to THE CHRISTIAN and the CHURCH!!! 

Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, it isn’t just the Church’s responsibility to feed and clothe the poor, but also to expect those on the receiving end to participate in the process as well!  In 1 Timothy chapter 5, Timothy explains that widows should not be included on the widows and orphans list unless she is “over 60, has been faithful to her husband and is well known for good deeds.”  2 Thessalonians 3:10 states, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”  And in Galatians chapter 6, “a man reaps what he sows.” 

Let me not neglect to mention that in order for the government to give to the poor, as they are currently doing and desperately trying to do at an increasing rate daily, they must first collect what is to be given away, for our purposes, money.  Both stealing and going into debt are addressed in the Good Book too.

Levying illegitimate taxes is stealing. According to our Constitution, there are some specific purposes for which our government can collect taxes. Food stamps, cash for clunkers, cell phones, health care, are not among them.  Stealing is addressed repeatedly in the New Testament, such as in Ephesians 4:28, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need,” Romans 13:9, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,” and 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10: “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”  So a government that practices stealing can expect what, exactly? 

And what about the debt we go into in order to provide this so-called “charity?”  There is ample scripture to support the evils of this practice as well.  Romans 13:8 states, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another,” and Proverbs 22:7, “…the borrower is servant to the lender,” (Do we want to “serve” China?)

The act of charitable giving is considered to be the utmost act of Christian love.  1 Corinthians chapter 13 states, “now these three remain, faith hope and charity (also interpreted as “love.”) But the greatest of these is charity.” Charitable giving involves a personal interaction in which the Holy Spirit is involved in the choosing of the gift and the receiver and both giver and receiver are blessed through the experience.  The government, usurping charitable giving from its people, sucks the very heart from it.  It disconnects the giver and the receiver, steals the blessing from the giver and the sense of gratitude from the receiver.  Can you say “entitlement mentality?” While I do not believe in a collective soul, and Christ clearly did not believe in a collective soul, groups of people certainly develop a character, and it is the character of the American people that is being destroyed by abandoning our tradition of charity from person to person and adopting this government to subject ideology.   

Entire generations of people are losing the ability to be humbled by the generosity of others, to feel a need to become worthy of the charity bestowed upon them, to feel a sense of obligation to pass on the generosity to others when they become capable of giving themselves.  Do not allow anyone to make the statement, “Jesus was a Socialist” without making the argument of your life!!  If there was ever something we don’t want to pass down to our children and grandchildren, this is it!