What follows is an excerpt from a sermon by Trump-supporting Fundamentalist Southern Baptist megachurch pastor Jack Graham. Graham deliberately lies about the history and nature of socialism. In particular, he attempts to paint modern Democratic Socialism with the brush of Soviet-style socialism/communism. Evidently, Graham views getting Trump re-elected more important than accurately representing beliefs and systems he opposes. Democrats should expect this tactic to be repeated time and again as we head toward the November 2020 general election.
Socialism is fundamentally at odds with the Christian worldview and seeks to suppress all peoples in support of the state. No one serious about their Christian faith can be serious about supporting socialism.
Some young people see capitalism, corporate America, as being greedy, without compassion, without concern, and we have to admit that there is a lot of greed in people’s lives. But here’s the thing, young people under 30 have not seen in their lifetime the devastating effects of Soviet-style repression and oppression through socialism and its big bad brother communism.
Socialism is totally secular and is predicated on atheism. Our faith in Jesus Christ is built on the word of God, the revelation of God, that God exists, that we believe in the resurrection of Christ, and with that faith comes freedom to live an abundant life with liberty, but Karl Marx, the father of scientific socialism, considered religion of all kinds, and specifically Christianity, as the opiate of the masses. You’re on drugs if you believe in God.
It would be a catastrophic miscalculation to think that socialist hostility towards religion, and Christianity specifically, has changed in any way since the days of Karl Marx. Socialist countries today are secular in nature, often repressing and oppressing people of faith, all faiths, and particularly are determined to root out Christianity.
Name me one socialist-style country, communist or otherwise, that is open to faith without oppression and suppression of that faith. It is at the very root of this thing called socialism.
In America, socialism has produced a welfare state of sorts, and that will not work for the future of America. It’s not working now.
Every healthy person should work, and that includes senior adults in so-called retirement. The goal of your life is not to get to the beach and better your tan or lower your golf score when you quit working. The goal of your life is to honor God, glorify God, by working hard your entire life and serving with him with what he has given you to use for his glory. That’s the goal of your work life, and it never stops.
— Jack Graham, sermon at Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, Texas, July 7, 2019
“Name me one socialist-style country, communist or otherwise, that is open to faith without oppression and suppression of that faith.”
Uh, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Canada…I could go on.
What about theocratic socialist countries that only oppress Christianity, like Saudi Arabia, Iran, etc.?
Or more or less secular socialist countries that only suppress non-Christian religions, like Uganda, Central African Republic, etc.?
You have to wonder if they are just lying, or have shielded themselves from facts for so long, that they actually believe their own shit.
Oh boy, the old canard that confuses socialism with communism is about as accurate as me saying that conservative ideology is equivalent to anarchy. Conservatives don’t want government interfering overly in their lives, and anarchists don’t want governments.
Of course, the reality is different. Even communist regimes see socialism simply as a step on the way to communism, whereby everything done by government is for the benefit of its citizens, but there is still a place for capitalism via individual enterprise. Once this has been achieved the next step is transfer everything of everything to common’ ownership, at which point the balance tips in favour of corruption and totalitarianism, inevitable in any communist society.
The reality is that most western societies are versions of democratic socialism, as it works and it makes sense. Europe has adopted it strongly, seeing the benefits of creating fairer societies that care for the weaker people in society, or spreading health costs, paying welfare to families that are struggling, and so on. All this whilst still allowing capitalism to thrive (good grief, London is perhaps the world’s leading financial centre!), understanding that socialist ideals must be paid for via the taxes that are earned via well paid jobs. The US has a paradoxical approach to this democratic socialism, though still embracing it. In part it still insists on adhering to the old concepts of self help, whilst realising that some aspects of socialism are inevitable. Hence there is an element of help with social security, limited healthcare, a tax system, and a realisation that some aspects of society require government, be it road building, security, or defence. The problem is that large swathes of the population seem to have no problem with people bankrupting themselves because of unforeseen health issues, nor allowing large disenfranchised demographics to be left to their own, unsupported devices (inner city black teenagers, undocumented immigrants), screaming ‘socialism’ any time a politician makes an attempt to address the issue.
Churchill said that democracy was the worst form of government, till one looked at all the rest and I feel the same way about socialism, living in the UK. Yes there are those who abuse the system,’scroungers’ as they used to be called…but no system is perfect and all governments invest time and money in closing loopholes and catching those illegally claiming state benefits. As a brit too, with family members working in our wonderful NHS, I can’t get my head round becoming ill or having an accident and not having the money to go to a doctor. Or becoming bankrupt after treatment. And Graham may say retirees should work…like he does? He grifts, preys on his sheeple, he’s never going to become exhausted by doing a hard day’s work for a mean boss when old age makes it hard to keep up with that boss’ demands.
They love “socialism” when they’re the ones receiving. For the rest of us, not so much.
A pastor telling me that I can’t retire?
A pastor? Tell me, what kind of work you do, mr. pastor…I’m sure it’s really back-breaking work…meetings at the coffee shops, travel in your parishioner-paid for vehicles to endless church activities, golf games with civic leaders, flying to speaking engagements…you make me sick that I wasted so many years of my life being a part of all this church crap!
You wouldn’t know real work if it hit you in the face!
Re “Socialism is fundamentally at odds with the Christian worldview and seeks to suppress all peoples in support of the state. No one serious about their Christian faith can be serious about supporting socialism.”
Wha? He can’t be serious. The “Christian worldview” contains “God” at the top of its pyramid, followed by priests, and then followed by ordinary people who are taught to obey, obey, obey. This is the theocratic US we are promised.
Damned straight that the Christian worldview doesn’t support socialism, but then it sure doesn’t support capitalism or democracy for that matter. And, why is it that we want to have this worldview guide us?
PS And don’t you just love the way these wankers use the phrase “the state” as opposed to the phrase we use here in the US, “the people.”
this guy probably lays about when he is not preaching. grew up in a parsonage so I know. dad slept in and started his day with lunch out with one of the the churchmen who was not working and later made associate pastor. they continued to have their daily luncheon followed by visits to the hospital,and with the elderly church members. home by early evening. wow what hard work??dad did spend time w/people going thru crisis so was gone longer sometimes, but in general a full time pastor does very little. so it’s easy for this guy to believe this way. he is fully subsidized by other people. also, people who are secure and don’t have to worry about the basics are less likely to believe in fundamentalism.