A World Without Sin
Bill Fortenberry
I was recently asked to explain a certain portion of Karl Marx’s German Ideology for a friend. When I accepted the task of analyzing this short treatise on communism, I had no idea of the great treasure of understanding that it would open up to me. I have long recognized the errors of the socialist concept: the illusion that true freedom can only be found in government control, the foolish notion that men can only be happy through uniformity and the insane belief that the mere meeting of a man’s needs would eliminate all of his desires. All this I have recognized since elementary school, but it was not until I read this pamphlet by Karl Marx that I realized the true nature of socialism.
It is now abundantly clear to me that socialism, in all of its many forms, is primarily a religious movement; not the advocating of any particular sect, but the complete abolition of all religious principles and ideas. The concept of sin is repugnant to the socialist. He desires, above all else, to view all of humanity (and, consequently, himself) as intrinsically good. To accomplish this, the socialist must call for the elimination of all private property, for the ownership of property necessitates accountability for what is done with that property. It is for this same reason that every socialist regime degenerates into a totalitarian state, because the freedom to make choices requires one to be accountable for the results of those choices. Freedom and private property produce personal responsibility; personal responsibility presupposes sin, and it is the elimination of the sins of capitalism which forms the core of all socialist movements.
Many conservatives have expressed great surprise and amazement that so many Americans have been willing to accept socialism. Economists have proven time and again that communal ownership produces financial ruin, and our historians have provided countless examples of the failures of socialist societies in the past. No one seeking freedom, security or financial gain would ever desire such a system. Why, then, is it so popular among the citizens of this great nation?
The answer is simple. America is willing to accept socialism because America has rejected God. Without God, there remains no forgiveness of sin, and without access to forgiveness, sin itself must be eliminated. This is the utopia which socialism promises: a world in which the abundant provision for every need has eliminated the lust to have more; a world of perfect uniformity so that no man becomes envious by comparing his state with that of another; a world in which freedom from responsibility has produced universal freedom from guilt; a world without sin.
This is the essence of socialism. This is where we must focus our attacks. Socialism is a religious movement, and if this movement is to be defeated in America, it must be defeated on a religious level.
It is now abundantly clear to me that socialism, in all of its many forms, is primarily a religious movement; not the advocating of any particular sect, but the complete abolition of all religious principles and ideas. The concept of sin is repugnant to the socialist. He desires, above all else, to view all of humanity (and, consequently, himself) as intrinsically good. To accomplish this, the socialist must call for the elimination of all private property, for the ownership of property necessitates accountability for what is done with that property. It is for this same reason that every socialist regime degenerates into a totalitarian state, because the freedom to make choices requires one to be accountable for the results of those choices. Freedom and private property produce personal responsibility; personal responsibility presupposes sin, and it is the elimination of the sins of capitalism which forms the core of all socialist movements.
Many conservatives have expressed great surprise and amazement that so many Americans have been willing to accept socialism. Economists have proven time and again that communal ownership produces financial ruin, and our historians have provided countless examples of the failures of socialist societies in the past. No one seeking freedom, security or financial gain would ever desire such a system. Why, then, is it so popular among the citizens of this great nation?
The answer is simple. America is willing to accept socialism because America has rejected God. Without God, there remains no forgiveness of sin, and without access to forgiveness, sin itself must be eliminated. This is the utopia which socialism promises: a world in which the abundant provision for every need has eliminated the lust to have more; a world of perfect uniformity so that no man becomes envious by comparing his state with that of another; a world in which freedom from responsibility has produced universal freedom from guilt; a world without sin.
This is the essence of socialism. This is where we must focus our attacks. Socialism is a religious movement, and if this movement is to be defeated in America, it must be defeated on a religious level.