Over one century ago a German intellectual summed up his life’s mission with these words: “My object in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism.”
The man who penned those famous words, Karl Marx, the father of Communism, believed that a fully functional society was possible only when each citizen worked collectively for the good of all society and received a fair share of the wealth.
Beginning with the Russian Revolution of 1917, Marx’s ideas drastically altered the course of the twentieth century and continue to impact our world today.
Christian Marxism
As Marx’s ideology has gained in popularity, some Christians now believe that their Christian faith is compatible with Marxism. One writer stated, “The time has come to build new bridges of reconciliation and solidarity between Christians and Marxists,” (Miller) while another noted, “Jesus was a Marxist” (Arel).
Although “Christian” Marxism may seem appealing on surface-level, for the Christian, Marxism must ultimately be judged, not by its appeal, but by its consistency with Biblical principles.
Marxism is incompatible with Christianity for the following three reasons: first, Marxism denies the existence of God, second, Marxism rejects the Biblical concept of private property, and third, Marxism discards the fallen nature of man.
1. Marxism Denies God’s Existence
First, Marxism denies the existence and relevance of God. Speaking of his disdain for all forms of established religion, Marx said, “Religion is the opium of the people.”
Marxism’s denial of God, if true, carries grave implications for Christianity; for if there really is no God, then the Bible is simply a fairy tale, God is nothing more than a mythological father figure, and the gospel is a deceptive hoax.
Furthermore, if there is no God, then there is no eternity, and only this earthly life matters. No more is spiritual salvation and the hope of heaven the greatest need of humanity; economic salvation and a better life on earth are more desirous.
In essence, by denying God and replacing Him with materialism, Marxists have broken the first and most important commandment: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).
Christians who openly embrace Marxism have already lost the battle to an ideology that denies and displaces the very God that the Christian faith is all about.
2. Marxism Rejects The Biblical Idea of Private Property
Some “Christians” think it is both possible and consistent with Christianity to reject Marxist thought about God but to accept the Marxist idea of economic redistribution.
These “Christians” fail to realize the second inconsistency between Marxism and Christianity: Marxism rejects the Biblical concept of private property. As Marx himself said, “The theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolish all private property.”
The Ten Commandments
While Marxism seeks to do away with private property, the Ten Commandments strongly emphasize the right of each individual to private property. This right to private property is implied in the tenth commandment “Thou shalt not covet,” and clearly stated in the eight commandment “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15, 17).
Thus, when Communists seize private property for the benefit of the proletariat (the working class), they are directly violating scripture, whether or not they have good intentions.
What About Acts 2?
Some “Christian” Marxists attempt to conveniently circumvent these two commandments by pointing to the early Jerusalem Christian community in Acts 2 and 4 that possessed all things in common and gave to every man as he had need.
Speaking of this early community, Andrew Miller said, “oddly enough, Marx said something suspiciously similar [to these passages] to the tone of: ‘…from each according to his ability to each according to his need.’”
However, Miller and other “Christian” Marxists fail to realize that the early Jerusalem community was only temporary and voluntary. It was never intended as a model for how all Christians should live, and most importantly, there was no government coercion involved at all in the “redistribution process.”
“Christian” Marxists claim that Scripture somehow supports Marxism, when in reality, they (the Christian Marxists) are distorting Biblical truth.
3. Marxism Discard Man’s Sin Nature
Last, Marxism denies the sin nature of man. According to Marxism, man’s problem is not sin, because man is basically good, but he is corrupted by his circumstances.
In contrast to Marxist thought, the Bible says, “ The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
The Gospel Redefined
This denial of the inherent sin nature of man by Marxists leads to a redefining of the entire gospel, beginning first with a redefining of what sin actually is. “To Marx, capitalism is guilty of original sin rather than humanity” (Daniel). According to Marx, capitalism, not sin, is the great evil that man must fight against.
Next, salvation is redefined as the freeing of the poor from their chains of economic, not spiritual, slavery. Finally, heaven itself is redefined, not as an eternal reality, but as a blissful utopia—a paradise on earth—achieved only once the state has vanished and the material needs of all individuals have been adequately met.
Consequences of Denial
Interestingly enough, while Marxist intellectuals deny the concept of original sin, Marxist regimes give us clear examples of the extreme levels of malevolent behavior capable in the human man.
According to statistician R. J. Rummel, Communist regimes slaughtered around 110 million of their own citizens in the twentieth century. Dictators such as Josef Stalin and Mao Zedong demonstrated that man is not basically good but inherently evil and capable of perpetrating unimaginable wickedness and cruelty.
The Bible and the record of history both speak clearly of the sinful nature of all men, and in contrast to Marxism’s claims about man’s inherent goodness, every man was “born in sin” and needs, not an improvement of his circumstances, but a regeneration of his sin-filled heart through the blood of Christ.
The Ultimate Solution
So the question remains: can a true Christian be a Marxist? For the intentional Christian, the answer is a resounding “NO”. Only by twisting and reinterpreting God’s Word to make it fit with Marxist ideology can a professing Christian hold to Marxism.
As we interact daily with others in the marketplace, we would do well to remember this fundamental truth: while some people will always seek in vain to “level the playing field” in the realm of economics, the only place where the ground is truly level is at the foot of the cross, where all—rich or poor—can find spiritual redemption and eternal riches in Jesus Christ.
What You Can Do Right Now
If you care about the future of America, I strongly encourage you to watch the films “Agenda: Grinding America Down” and Agenda:Masters of Deceit.”
Both films uncover the people and groups that have successfully targeted America’s morality and freedom in their effort to grind America down. The films will equip you to do what you can where you are to combat Communism and Socialism.
You can find the films here at agendadocumentary.com or on Amazon.
25 Comments
Jeremy Howlett · July 29, 2020 at 9:03 am
I think a similar topic that should be consider with even more weight is whether you can be a Christian and a capitalist. Capitalism is driven by greed, selfishness, and the seeking for one’s own gain at the expense of all others around. Too often we unite capitalism and democracy when they are not the same. Capitalism has taken over democracy with lobbyists, overpaid politicians, and greedy self-centered presidents. We need to be just aware of the evils of capitalism as we do communism.
Joshua Bontrager · July 30, 2020 at 12:07 pm
Jeremy,
Thanks for your comment.
I agree with you that lobbyists and corrupt politicians pose a grave threat to our constitutional republic. However, I strongly differ in that I do not lay the blame for these problems at the feet of capitalism. Here are a few important points I’d encourage you to consider: (1) Capitalism is based on human need, while socialism is based on human greed. In a free market system, people vote with their dollars to support specific companies, whether that be Amazon, Apple, McDonald’s, or the local Mom and Pop stores. If enough people don’t like what they’re getting, they can always switch to another company that does a better job, in which case the original company goes out of business.
(2) By contrast, socialism is based on the desire to get something for nothing, whether that’s universal basic income, free healthcare, etc., But someone always has to pay for the “free stuff,” which again requires free enterprise.
(3) Capitalism, or free markets, place power in the hands of the people. Socialism always leads to an economic takeover by the elite. Even Lenin admitted this much: “The road to socialism is communism.”
(4) Unfortunately, our system in America has been partially corrupted into what some call “crony capitalism.” This happens when government, rather than acting as an umpire to make sure all the rules are played by, actually enters into the free enterprise game to pick winners and losers. Examples include bailouts of large corporations and banks (like what happened in 2008-2009). Other examples include government passing laws that benefit big corporations in specific industries, while negatively impacting consumers and smaller businesses, who aren’t able to spend millions lobbying every year. As one example, Big Pharma companies contribute heavily to the FDA’s drug-review budget. And in 1986, Congress passed a law making it impossible for Americans to sue vaccine manufacturs. The marriage of big government and big business is incredibly dangerous, almost like fascism. However, this is not true capitalism.
For more information, I’d encourage you to check out this excellent video by Andy Puzder, entitled, “Capitalism vs. Socialism”.
John · February 2, 2020 at 11:09 am
Mr. Bontrager,
Can you tell me the source for the opening quote from Marx: “My object in life is to dethrone God and to abolish capitalism.”
Thank you!
Joshua Bontrager · February 4, 2020 at 4:57 pm
John,
Thanks for asking! First of all, I discovered I had the quote slightly wrong. Marx actually said, “My object in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism.” You can find the quote at this link: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/466849 Or you can find it elsewhere online.
Chad · October 6, 2018 at 9:45 pm
I found this quote that I like:
“Economic exchange under Scripture is truly free enterprise; economic exchange in accordance with the logic of fallen man is not.“
Chad · October 5, 2018 at 10:31 pm
I feel that at one time we used politics to accomplish our Christian agendas, but right now we use Christianity to accomplish our political agendas.
Chad · September 27, 2018 at 8:02 am
What do you think of the way that Hutterites practice a near-total community of goods, with all property being colony owned and that the provisions for individual members and their families come from the common resources? What do you think about the way the Hutterites treat property with very little of it being personal property and most of it being communal colony property? Do you think that the way that they do it is a legitimate biblical way of treating property?
Joshua Bontrager · September 28, 2018 at 8:18 pm
Chad,
Great question. Regarding the Biblical foundation, Mr. Craig brought up some good points in his previous comment.
Regarding communalism in general, here are a few of many dangers:
(1) A pressure to conform to the group rather than individually conforming to God’s Word.
(2) A usurpation of the jurisdictional authority of the family. Hillary Clinton’s 1996 book, “It Takes a Village” expanded on the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” However, God gave the parents, not the community the responsibility to raise children.
(3) A limitation on fully following God wherever He leads. For example, in such an environment, it would be hard for an individual to start a business or go to a foreign field if they felt the Lord’s direction.
(4) A removal of the need to individually trust God to meet financial needs.
(5) In many, but not all, cases, a dampening of work incentive.
Ultimately, the biggest danger with such communities is that they exercise too much control over many aspects of one’s life. God will call every individual, not every community, to give a personal account to Him for how they used the time, finances, family, opportunities, and relationships He entrusted to them.
The intentional Christian life is the Berean life, where every idea is critically evaluated by the Word of God. Hence, every individual must know for himself why he believes what he believes. He must not live life a certain way simply because that is how is ancestors have for hundreds of years.
Chad Anderson · September 29, 2018 at 10:08 am
My concern against full on capitalism within a Christian framework is that property (mammon, possessions) could become such of a focus and priority that it is receiving worship instead of God, because we cannot worship both God and our stuff at same time, it’s impossible. So my concern would be that the right to posses private property becomes so elevated in a person’s life that it actually directs their life. It rules their agendas and political views rather than God. Lastly, of course I am only talking of communist type views and capitalist type views within the Body of Christ. Because when these views are in the hands of worldly people running a worldly government then everything gets thrown out the window, no matter what side you lean towards. Personally, if I had to chose I would rather live in a biblical community with God and followers of Christ than live individually under a worldly government that benefits my capitalist views.
George Craig · September 26, 2018 at 9:17 pm
Excellent post! I’ve observed that many social justice Christians get wrapped up in the idea of Christian communism based on Marxism. Those ideas cannot be mixed due to the conflicting ideologies. Good points about private property. There is no Biblical way for the government to steal an individuals private property.
Thanks for mentioning the early-Acts believers. This communalism (voluntary by the individual) should not be confused with communism (forced by the government).
There is an observation about the early believers in Jerusalem also. These were the believers who were the poor that Paul took the offerings to later in his ministry. Why were they poor? Because they had sold their possessions and lands as commanded in the gospels (Mark 10:21-25, also read vs 29-30) and given the monies to the apostles. This is not the pattern we should be following today.
Joshua Bontrager · September 26, 2018 at 9:30 pm
Mr. Craig,
We must always be careful to examine the worldview foundation before embracing any idea.
Great points on Act 2!
Alex Miller · September 26, 2018 at 7:18 am
Great post Josh. I believe Marxism should be held with the same disdain as fascism and Nazism, as it’s led to more deaths than any other ideology in history.
An another note, the best book I’ve ever read on Marxism/communism is “The Naked Communist” by W. Cleon Skousen. It traces all communist ideology from its founders through the current day, and gives a great biographical perspective of the lives of communist leaders as well (for example, Karl Marx neglected his family and hardly worked a day in his life). It also gives 45 “Goals of Communism” that were eye-opening, as most have either been completed in America or are continuing to be attempted. Any way, if you’re interested in the topic I couldn’t recommend it enough.
Joshua Bontrager · September 26, 2018 at 7:42 am
Alex,
Spot on. Marxism has led to nothing but massive suffering for all those affected by it.
Unfortunately, people don’t want to see the connection between liberal policies, socialism, and communism. Americans need to understand the true history of Marxism and the road that leads to it, which is the road we’re heading down.
Thanks for the recommendation! That book is one of my father-in-law’s favorites. I’ll add it to my growing list of books to read!
BTW, have you watched the Agenda Documentaries? Since you enjoy studying Marxism, history, and politics, I think you would find them highly fascinating. They cover not only the history of Communism, but also its influence today in shaping American culture.
Alex Miller · September 28, 2018 at 5:38 am
Glad to hear you’ve already heard of the book!
I haven’t watched those documentaries yet. Your Dad gave me copies of them a couple years ago, and I had every intention of watching them but never got around to it. Thanks for the reminder Josh.
Stacey K · September 25, 2018 at 7:51 pm
Thank you so much for this post! I enjoyed “Agenda 2” for its insightful and hopeful message. Do you know whether your father-in-law in looking into shooting a third installment? I think it might be helpful to see the progression and understand the current events through the lens of an agenda.
In an earlier comment, you asked what are the biggest dangers in twisting God’s Word. Twisting and distorting the Truth of the Bible is hazardous because it causes division in the church, easily deceives believers, and, in its own way, dethrones God from His absolute authority. We ought to be careful in handling the Scriptures. Though it is such a precious manual, if we dishonor God through the misuse of His Word, He will dishonor & discipline us. (Proverbs 30:5-6).
Joshua Bontrager · September 26, 2018 at 9:26 pm
Stacy,
My father-in-law is praying and thinking about another film at some point. It’s definitely needed!
Yes, the Bible must be our absolute authority.
Evan Johnson · September 25, 2018 at 4:25 pm
If we give up this battle, we will keep giving into other wrong things.
Chad Anderson · September 25, 2018 at 4:22 pm
I love these types of posts!
Joshua Bontrager · September 25, 2018 at 4:39 pm
Thanks!
Ann · September 25, 2018 at 2:00 pm
A truly excellent post! With or without a Christian background and ethos, Marxism doesn’t work – all it does is create resentment and disharmony. As you say, it is incompatible in all ways with the Bible. Where I live the main opposition to the governing party approves of the Marxist teachings, it’s causing so many problems it’s almost unbelievable.
Melanie · September 25, 2018 at 11:43 am
Insightful points! Thanks so much for sharing.
John · September 25, 2018 at 11:00 am
That is exactly right. We should not twist scripture to fit our ideas but make sure everything we do or believe lines up with scripture.
Joshua Bontrager · September 25, 2018 at 4:42 pm
John,
Martin Luther once said, “My conscience is captive to the Word of God.” That must be our attitude regarding every issue.
What do you think are the biggest danger of twisting God’s Word?
Chad · September 25, 2018 at 10:07 pm
I think that God’s Word gets twisted because humans do not want God’s way but instead they want their own way. Thus, they twist scripture to get their way. So a danger of twisting the Word is that it leads to more and more selfishness.
John · September 25, 2018 at 11:26 pm
Twisting of the scripture is really just changing so that it is what people want to hear, not what the Bible really says. False teachers who claim to be Christians and twist God’s Word have deceived many.