There has been some chat recently about Socialism, even on these pages. I was recently harangued by somebody keen to insist that Socialism was necessarily evil. Indeed, I was told it was a matter that necessarily evinces a false gospel. Despite agreeing with most of my doctrine and theology, the mere mention of Socialism meant I was in hock to to false doctrine and gospel-denying heresy.
Needless to say, I was not wholly convinced. But given it has come up again, I thought I would reshare this old post answering this very critique. Before you read it and certainly before you consider writing in, let me just make the following things clear:
- I do not believe there is one Christian political position. Christians exist across the political and economic spectrum.
- You do not have to share my views and, if you don’t, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are being sub-biblical.
- You are free to dislike, disagree with, find unworkable or reject absolutely any aspect of Socialism you like. Doing so (even being right about it) does not mean it is unbiblical.
With that said, you can read my longer form case for why Socialism isn’t evil. Feel free to disagree or reject the argument if you will. But if you will call it unbiblical, you really will need to answer the scriptures I provide and offer some alternative ones that necessarily undercut them. I think one of the little discussions in the comments section at the bottom is quite instructive in its own way to this end.
It also bears saying, I have addressed this question in various guises and several times over the years. The one I have linked to below is one of the more negative cases i.e. I am not promoting Socialism to you or suggesting it ought to be accepted by anybody, simply that it is not anti-scripture. If you want a more positive case for it (once again, a case that you are welcome to reject for any number of reasons) you can do worse than reading this one here.
But follow the link below and see what you think. You may find there is at least some credit to the case here.
Doesn’t it sound more than a bit daft to say that ‘socialism is evil’?
As Christians we all agree on the biblical doctrine of our human depravity. That being the case we ought to recognise that in our hands every political system is in danger of abuse and misuse.
Capitalism stands permanently condemned for its past ( and in some cases and some countries its present) exploitation of its workers. It took socialist Trades Unions to secure holidays, sick pay and improvements in health and safety for workers. Left to themselves would Capitalists ever have done this? Left to themselves, how long would it have taken capitalists to abolish cheap child labour?
And we are indebted to socialists for our National Health Service and for a welfare system.
But… then again, of course, the pendulum swung in another direction, and human nature asserted its selfish tendencies through megalomaniac unions.
Because of what we are by nature, every political system has flaws. Every political party makes mistakes.
Politically, I’m probably a social conservative.
I think this is right. Every system will have its issues and every people at the centre of it broken hearts that will abuse it to their own ends. No system is perfect.
Like you, I am broadly socially conservative (at least in a number of ways) but I am nevertheless socialist. I am a socially conservative socialist if you like 😊
Socially conservative socialist…. Sounds like Blue Labour? Lord Glasman certainly talks a lot of sense. He recently said the issue isn’t between left and right anymore, it’s between Sovereigntist and Globalist…. Very interesting… 🤔