PATRICK GARNER: What does the Bible say about socialism?

In recent weeks I have read numerous opinions pieces theorizing as to why evangelicals support Donald Trump, a man with a propensity for public vulgarity, who misstates the titles of biblical scripture, and who couldn’t recite a single biblical verse when asked.

Some have theorized that many evangelicals have been indoctrinated by prosperity theology, a combination of capitalist propaganda and religious fervor, which has made some evangelists, like Trump supporter Joel Osteen, a lot of money. But many Christians do not support prosperity theology. Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, is one of the most vocal critics of capitalism. And, given many biblical verses in support of socialism, it is easy to see why.

Much of Acts reads like a communist screed. Take a look at Acts 2, verses 44 and 45: “And all that believed were together, and had all things in common; and sold their possession and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.” The aim of socialism is the elimination of class-based hierarchies. In Acts, people are abdicating their possessions for the betterment of all, to meet the needs of everyone, i.e. socialism in action. After the people gave up their material goods, the apostles distributed everything so that “distribution was made unto every man according as he had need” (Acts 4:35).

Mathew 25:31-46, dictates that those who do not provide everyone with clothes, food, shelter, and medical needs will face eternal punishment, while those who do provide those things to everyone will be given eternal life. Luke 14:13-14 echoes this: “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid in the resurrection of the just.”

The New Testament repeatedly encourages people to forsake materialism: “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” In other words, to be perfect is to behave like a socialist. And then there is the damning verse in Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve both God and Money” Take that, Joel Osteen.

I am not a religious man, but I was raised in a United Methodist Church and I have read the Bible cover to cover. My favorite parable in the New Testament is the one about feeding the multitudes with loaves and fish. In this parable only a few have food, but when that food is shared, everyone has plenty. Christ’s miracle is pure Marxism in that when what the few have is distributed evenly, regardless of class or background, everyone is sustained. This, ladies and gentleman, is the ultimate goal of socialism.

I am sure that many people will voice disagreement with me that the Bible promotes socialism. They may even provide biblical passages that suggest capitalism is justified. The Bible contains hundreds, if not thousands of contradictions. This is because the various scriptures were each written by different people with different ideologies over a gulf of time.

The end result is that anyone can flip through the Bible and find justification for his or her beliefs. However, I maintain that for every passage in the New Testament that supports capitalism, I can find two that support socialism. Anyone want to invite me to their church and take me up on that wager?

Patrick Garner is an educator and critical theorist who studied under philosopher Slavoj Zizek at the European Graduate School in Switzerland. He was a recipient of the Southwest Georgia Top 40 under 40 in 2013, and is an active ultra-marathon runner competing in distances of up to 100 miles.