Hello, my friends. I apologize for the long delay in updating the website, and hope that you enjoy this new piece that I've written.

    The question of capitalism and socialism, and which of the two is more biblical, has plagued my mind for a long time. My brother attended Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and became friends with some people there who claimed to be Christian Socialists. My brother, being a very politically conservative Christian, was baffled by how these people could claim to be followers of Jesus and support wealth redistribution, and other socialist principles.

  As it turns out, there are several verses in the bible that support, or appear to support both sides. Let us first discuss the potential biblical motivation for socialism.

    In Matthew 19:23, Jesus said to his disciples: “Verily, I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter the kingdom of heaven.” The scriptures indicate here that the accumulation of wealth makes it more and more difficult for a man to enter heaven.

 Christ also says on the Sermon on the mount: “Give to him that asketh thee: and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away.”(Matt. 5:42) It would appear here as if Christ is advocating complete charity and equality for people. This was said of the early church in the book of Acts: “All the believers were one in heart and mind. None claimed his possessions as his own, but shared all they had…There was none needy among them. When those owning lands or houses sold them, they brought sale money and put it at the apostles’ feet; distributed to any in need.” (Acts 4:32-35) It would appear here as if the apostles and the early church operated under a system of socialism which worked well for them.

    However, the context behind the words is equally as important as the words being said, so let us take these verses supporting socialism and critique them, to put them to the test to ensure they are valid. The verse from Matthew 19:23, when taken in context, reflects Christ’s teachings on the evils of loving wealth before loving God.The temptation to become a slave to wealth is much greater to a rich man than a poor person. It is not a sin to have wealth, but it IS a sin to love wealth before God.

      The verses from Matt. 5:42 and Acts 4:32-35 reflect the principles of charity in the bible. Often the bible talks about the importance of giving to the poor and taking care of those who are in need. However, you will find that both capitalism and socialism advocate charity. The difference between the two systems when it comes to charity and giving are simply that capitalism advocates private charity from churches or individuals, whereas socialism advocates state-controlled charity through wealth redistribution and often-oppressive taxation. It is not in the desired ends that the two systems differ, but in the means by which to achieve the ends. You will note that there is not one instance in the bible where Christ advocates forced government charity. All manner of Scripture in the Good Book refer to private charity given out of your own free will. “God Loves a Cheerful Giver.” The Bible never condemns wealth, but it does condemn its misuse. Money is not the root of all evil. The LOVE of money is theroot of all evil.

    You will also notice that the book of Proverbs talks in detail several times on the importance of being frugal with wealth. “Go to the ant, you sluggard!” Etc. The importance of hard work and being frugal is all over Proverbs.

     The Commandment of “Thou Shalt Not Steal” also clearly implies a biblical motivation for the right to private property, just as “Thou Shalt Not Kill” clearly implies a right to life. Let me expand on this point, to avoid confusion. The 10 Commandments hold several negative prohibitions from which we as humans derive our basic individual rights. When the 6th Commandment says "Thou Shalt Not Kill," it is saying that you and I possess the God-given right to live, which is so valuable and precious that God himself put down a prohibition in the Scriptures against taking the right to life away. Therefore, when we see it said "Thou Shalt Not Steal," it implies that every human being has an innate, God-Given right to private property, which is so precious that God himself put down a prohibition on stealing the property of others.

    In summary, it is clear that though socialism may appear to have a biblical basis, it falls short of living up to the biblical standard because all charity in the bible is private and freely given. Capitalism is the economic system advocated by the bible, and this is evidenced by the many Proverbs advocating the proper use of wealth and frugality, along with the principles of private property set forth by the commandment of “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

    That seems as good a summary of the biblical motivation for a capitalist worldview as I could possibly give. It is for these reasons that I strongly support the view that the Bible is inherently capitalist, and that due to the fallen nature of earthly man, we are incapable of living under socialism, and must have a free market in order to survive as a society.