Socialist/Communist philosophy has become a very popular belief among the political left in America. In fact, it has even almost completely taken over one of the two main political parties. One of the top presidential candidates, in fact, was originally elected to congress as a Socialist. He only switched over to the Democrat party in order to run as a Democrat to enhance his chances of success. That said, almost all of the other candidates are just as strong in their Socialist beliefs as is this one. Virtually all of them are pushing hard to promote various Socialist policies that will supposedly create utopia on earth. Just a sampling of the policies include: national rent control, welfare for illegal immigrants, doing away with prisons, abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), the Green New Deal, a “fair” minimum wage (the most popular proposal these days being $15.00/hour), free healthcare, a guaranteed monthly income, free college tuition, and the list goes on and on.
The supposed purpose of all of these proposals is to create a more just society. By their definition, a just society provides a living wage, safe working conditions, universal healthcare, guaranteed safe, comfortable, and affordable housing, and it values immigrants (meaning illegal immigrants). These Socialists believe that “by strengthening our social and economic foundations, we are preparing ourselves to embark on the journey to save our planet by rebuilding our economy and cultivate a just society.” In other words, they are looking to create a utopian dream on earth.
What is the Issue?
While those advancing this utopian dream generally promote it as an economic issue, it’s core actually lies in a different place. Economics is just one outward expression of the real subject at hand. The core really relates to the very nature of man.
In evaluating this matter, we first need to know if it is even possible for man to create utopia on earth. Does human nature support the kind of classless society that is necessary for Socialism to thrive? Will people willingly work when there is nothing personal to gain from working? Will they put forth any effort to contribute to the collective if they are not compelled by some outside force? These are motivation and nature issues, not economic.
The Presuppositions of Conflicting Notions of Utopianism
Everyone, regardless of their religious background, longs for some kind of utopia, and most believe that it is somehow possible to achieve it. Christians understand that utopia is not possible in this world, but will exist in eternity with God. For Naturalists, transcendent reality is considered fantasy, and the only place utopia could possibly exist is in this world. Lets take a look at how this plays out in the two worldview systems.
Biblical Theism
When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, human beings lived in a utopia on earth. There was no sin, and God and man freely fellowshipped in that environment. However, there came a time when the man and woman disobeyed God. This allowed sin to enter the world. From that moment forward, the very idea of utopia on earth was lost. While we have a longing for that kind of utopian existence, it cannot happen as long as sin is in the world.
God, though, did not leave man without hope. He provided a way, through the atoning sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, to have man’s sin forgiven. However, sin still exists on the earth, and the sin nature still corrupts humanity creating the tendency within individuals to rebel against God.
It is that presence of sin that creates the dynamic on earth that does not allow utopia to exist. As much as people might want an earthly utopia, and as hard as politicians might try to create it using laws, political policy, and economic means, it cannot happen as long as the hearts of individuals are corrupted by sin.
This understanding of reality is expressed in many ways in the Bible. Following are a number of verses that point out this truth. These are all taken from the ESV.
Genesis 1:26-28
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 2:15-17
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 3:1-19
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” 16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” 17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
John 3:3
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Romans 6:1-14
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Ephesians 4:22-24
To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Naturalism
Socialism is actually an expression of a naturalistic worldview. Naturalism is the belief that the natural universe is all that exists – there is no supernatural reality. With that as a starting point, believers in Socialism are seeking a way to make this life (the only one they acknowledge to exist) as “fair and equal” (utopian) as possible. There is actually no reason, based on naturalistic presuppositions, why the notions of fair and equal should be morally right, but they believe it anyway. In fact, based on naturalistic beliefs, there is not even a way to objectively define the concept of “moral rightness.” So, using their naturalistic presuppositions, adherents promote a system that “(takes) from each according to his ability, (and gives) to each according to his needs.”
Is the Secularist View of Utopia True?
The main problem with the secularist (Atheist) point of view is that it does not reflect a true understanding of the human person. A naturalistic worldview sees man as nothing more than an evolved natural animal. With that as a foundational understanding, there is no accounting for the aspects of human personhood that do not have a basis in material reality. Such human characteristics as self consciousness, analytical ability, creativity, and free will are not mechanical elements that can be accounted for based purely on biology. The attempts by Naturalists to promote this naturalistic view has no basis in science, and they are purely statements of faith.
What is the Answer?
Utopia does exist, but only in eternity – and only in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Human nature simply does not operate in a way that allows for utopia on earth.
Human character traits such as anger, jealousy, selfishness, pride, and the like, are integral parts of human nature; so much so that it takes extraordinary power to overcome them even a little. When people invite Christ into their lives, the Holy Spirit enters and establishes a new nature that provides the power that enables individuals to live a holy life. That said, the old nature still exists, and the tendency to sin remains. As long as the old nature remains, the negative character traits listed above also remain and prevent even the possibility of creating utopia on earth.
Thus, the answer to creating the best possible outcome on earth does not lie in attempting to create utopia in society by any kind of human efforts. The answer lies in hearts and minds being changed by the power of God living in human beings. While we may not be able to fully create utopia on earth, we can create a relatively fair and just society when enough individuals who have been changed by God all seek to serve him based on his values and his guidance.
© 2019 Freddy Davis