I am a socialist.
See, the foundation of socialist communities are altruistic; they seek to enhance the quality of life for all of society. Socialism strives to create a world of equality, where each has what he needs but no more, where we share with our neighbors, where we do the same amount of work for the same amount of reward.
In theory, this is the best, most pure, most "Christian" societal structure. The problem, though, is that it is unrealistic. So in theory, yes, I am a socialist. But realistically, I don’t think this could ever work in a world so horribly skewed as our own.
Many men and women are selfless, law-abiding citizens who are concerned with the welfare of others, but many are also self-seeking, law-breaking criminals who are concerned with the welfare of themselves. There is a reason that our prisons are filled past maximum capacity: humans sin, and sin often.
In the history of humankind after Genesis 2, our world has seen horrible atrocities resulting from our sin. We've seen the bubonic plague and cancer, the Crusades and terrorism, gladiatorial killings and the Holocaust. Anyone who argues that our world is good has amazingly low standards, because it is filled with evil.
Mankind can not be counted on to live in a socialist community. By nature, we are greedy; by nature, we are selfish; by nature, we are lazy. Once the human ingredient is mixed in, suddenly the batch of harmonious socialism goes sour. Realistically, it can never work, which is why we need some sort of government.
I am not offering government up as a perfect, end-all solution. It is filled with corruption, malice, greed, and self-interest. It is filled with people, after all. But although it has many flaws, it is necessary. We need a set structure, with rules and standards, to keep our world from chaos.
I do not know which political structure is best. Some--like socialism-- are wonderful in theory, while others are more realistic. Historical studies and knowledge come into play here, allowing us to look back on what succeeded and failed in past civilizations. History shows where monarchies turn into dictatorships, and where democracy turns into socialism, and where socialism turns into anarchy. We have to learn from our mistakes.
The plain truth, though, is that no system will ever be perfect. As long as humans are involved, so will be flaws and so will be mistakes and so will be injustices. Humans own a slight twist on the Midas Touch: we touch something, and it immediately turns imperfect.
The Bible tells us that whatever is built by men will soon pass, but that which is built on God will live on. Without God at the center of our society, it will never completely work. Since we do not live in a "Christian" country, but rather one with religious freedom, I suppose God is not at the center of our legal system. So, our government can never be perfect. As long as we are in charge, we will live in flawed societies.
I do have an idea of what a perfect society would be like, and it is socialist at its core: it is the Early Church. The rich and the poor ate together at one table. When one was in need, their brothers and sisters would provide. They were a community in every sense of the word: they shared, they nurtured, they gave, they received, they prayed, they worked--they were selflessly concerned with the other members of the Church. This is what society should look like.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure this is possible. Even that Early Church later developed into one of the most corrupt institutions in history, the medieval Catholic Church. So despite our best efforts, societies will always be far from perfect. Government will be corrupt, anarchy will be chaotic-- we can't win.
However, we should still strive to make society better. It will never be perfect, but it can be better. We can pray for our political leaders, and we can even become political leaders ourselves. Government is necessary, flawed as it is, and we must work within it to improve society.
Imagine a world where each has what he needs but no more, where we share with our neighbors, where we do the same amount of work for the same amount of reward. Perhaps this socialist utopia cannot be found east of Eden.
(November 3. 2010)
See, the foundation of socialist communities are altruistic; they seek to enhance the quality of life for all of society. Socialism strives to create a world of equality, where each has what he needs but no more, where we share with our neighbors, where we do the same amount of work for the same amount of reward.
In theory, this is the best, most pure, most "Christian" societal structure. The problem, though, is that it is unrealistic. So in theory, yes, I am a socialist. But realistically, I don’t think this could ever work in a world so horribly skewed as our own.
Many men and women are selfless, law-abiding citizens who are concerned with the welfare of others, but many are also self-seeking, law-breaking criminals who are concerned with the welfare of themselves. There is a reason that our prisons are filled past maximum capacity: humans sin, and sin often.
In the history of humankind after Genesis 2, our world has seen horrible atrocities resulting from our sin. We've seen the bubonic plague and cancer, the Crusades and terrorism, gladiatorial killings and the Holocaust. Anyone who argues that our world is good has amazingly low standards, because it is filled with evil.
Mankind can not be counted on to live in a socialist community. By nature, we are greedy; by nature, we are selfish; by nature, we are lazy. Once the human ingredient is mixed in, suddenly the batch of harmonious socialism goes sour. Realistically, it can never work, which is why we need some sort of government.
I am not offering government up as a perfect, end-all solution. It is filled with corruption, malice, greed, and self-interest. It is filled with people, after all. But although it has many flaws, it is necessary. We need a set structure, with rules and standards, to keep our world from chaos.
I do not know which political structure is best. Some--like socialism-- are wonderful in theory, while others are more realistic. Historical studies and knowledge come into play here, allowing us to look back on what succeeded and failed in past civilizations. History shows where monarchies turn into dictatorships, and where democracy turns into socialism, and where socialism turns into anarchy. We have to learn from our mistakes.
The plain truth, though, is that no system will ever be perfect. As long as humans are involved, so will be flaws and so will be mistakes and so will be injustices. Humans own a slight twist on the Midas Touch: we touch something, and it immediately turns imperfect.
The Bible tells us that whatever is built by men will soon pass, but that which is built on God will live on. Without God at the center of our society, it will never completely work. Since we do not live in a "Christian" country, but rather one with religious freedom, I suppose God is not at the center of our legal system. So, our government can never be perfect. As long as we are in charge, we will live in flawed societies.
I do have an idea of what a perfect society would be like, and it is socialist at its core: it is the Early Church. The rich and the poor ate together at one table. When one was in need, their brothers and sisters would provide. They were a community in every sense of the word: they shared, they nurtured, they gave, they received, they prayed, they worked--they were selflessly concerned with the other members of the Church. This is what society should look like.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure this is possible. Even that Early Church later developed into one of the most corrupt institutions in history, the medieval Catholic Church. So despite our best efforts, societies will always be far from perfect. Government will be corrupt, anarchy will be chaotic-- we can't win.
However, we should still strive to make society better. It will never be perfect, but it can be better. We can pray for our political leaders, and we can even become political leaders ourselves. Government is necessary, flawed as it is, and we must work within it to improve society.
Imagine a world where each has what he needs but no more, where we share with our neighbors, where we do the same amount of work for the same amount of reward. Perhaps this socialist utopia cannot be found east of Eden.
(November 3. 2010)
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