Don’t Replace God with Government
By Natalie Beck
While you've definitely heard the saying "don't bring up religion or politics," I'm here to talk about both. To me, and millions of other Americans, religion, and politics are not only an essential part of our lives but very much intertwined. I'm incredibly thankful for the freedoms that I am afforded as a citizen of the United States of America. I hope you are too, and I hope you want to protect those freedoms with every fiber of your being. I don't think many Americans, especially those who have never left America, realize how truly blessed we are to live in this country and the freedoms we are afforded. It wasn't until I left this country that I became more thankful to be born here. However, as of late, I've seen two things that scare me: the rise of socialism and the lack of political engagement among some Christians.
I love to travel and experience other cultures. Still, I find myself returning home with a feeling of immense gratitude and the realization that not every country experiences the beautiful freedoms that we do. Many countries' freedoms have been gradually eroded, and it didn't just happen overnight. Venezuela used to be one of Latin America's most prosperous nations, politically and economically. In 1999 Hugo Chavez became president of Venezuela on the promise of "hope and change." He told his people that Venezuela was a nation of great wealth but was being pillaged by the West and "evil" capitalism. Over time, socialism took over the country and destroyed it. According to The Economist, after two decades of socialism, 82% of Venezuelan households now live in poverty.
Today, in America, we have people advocating for socialism, which is terrifying. An astonishing 61% of 18-24-year-olds are in favor of socialism. Maybe they like socialism because it is trendy, and the mainstream media says they should. However, I don't think they really know what the implications are or what socialism would actually mean for our country. We should not forget that countries that have considered socialism have failed, and leaders that have advocated for socialism have often been unable to deliver on their promises. Moreover, we should recognize what we would be giving up for socialism: the freedoms that define America. The Heritage Foundation explains, "Socialism's failure to deliver on its promises of bread, peace, and land to the people is confirmed by the repeated, open resistance of dissidents: in Hungary in 1956, Czechoslovakia in 1968, Poland in 1980 with the formation of Solidarity, China's Tiananmen Square in 1989, and in present-day Cuba." There is no other way to put it-- socialism doesn't work. Instead, it has brought the deaths of more than 100 million victims and purely destroys livelihoods. To every American condemning the country we live in— I ask you to wake up. To stop feeling ungrateful— and to look at what happens to countries who do not have the foundation, America has upheld such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If you align your faith with how you view politics, you must also deem it essential to understand its implications.
My faith is a critical component of my life, and I want to follow God and trust what His word says over any government, politician, or social media outlet. I highlighted Venezuela because it serves as an example of a complete socialist takeover. Private industry is seemingly non-existent (except for black markets), elections are rigged, and political protests are squashed. From a faith perspective, socialism is not biblical in any way. Socialism makes everyone equally poor and replaces God with government, and replaces parents with the party. If you advocate for human rights, which, as a Christian, you should, you should be an anti-socialist. A podcast that I have been listening to recently called "Just Thinking" said this: "There is no justification in scripture of thinking as a matter of policy to take from the rich and give to the poor. The government doesn't have the right to equalize." People throw out so many terms that sound good, that imply compassion, and promise care for our most vulnerable. However, socialism has been tried before. It did not bring compassion or equality, but violence, religious persecution, and mass poverty. I know many people mean well and have compassion for those who are less fortunate. But socialism is not the answer, especially for Christians.
I believe God cares about how we engage with our politics, including how we vote. I want to fight for Godly men and women to be in government. As citizens of America, it is our duty to vote. God has placed people in government for a reason: to uphold laws and protect our freedoms. If we do not like the outcomes of specific policies or the decisions of individual politicians, but we don't vote, then we have no right to complain. Apart from running for office, voting is the most tangible way to bring about change in our government. Too often, I see women saying something along the lines of: "God is in control, so we don't have to worry about politics" or "politics it is just too overwhelming." Politics is overwhelming, it can be a lot, but that shouldn't be our excuse to remain apathetic. Not caring leads to our politicians not caring, and when our politicians stop caring, slowly, but surely, we start to lose our freedoms.
One of those freedoms is the freedom of religion, which should be important to everyone because it's how we can openly practice our faith. Recently, some governors have not been upholding the law and have taken away millions of American's right to worship at church. While COVID-19 is dangerous if people are allowed to protest, why can't they be allowed to worship? The general oversight and lack of respect for our religious institutions that our government has should scare us. Now that we've seen some of our politicians' true colors, we need to do our research on candidates, so we are not voting foolishly. However, the alarm and fear mean nothing if Christians and folks from all religions aren't politically engaged.
I'm not saying politics has to be at the forefront of your life 24/7, but take some action in researching and thinking for yourself. If you appreciate the ability to openly practice your faith, and you advocate for socialism, I'd argue the two rarely work together. Socialist and communist governments don't provide you the freedom to practice your faith. Also, keep in mind that socialism has a very confrontational history with religion. While the regimes of Eastern Europe said they were tolerant of religion, they were not. And if you need modern proof of socialism's relationship with religion, look no further than western China, where the government has persecuted and enslaved millions of Muslims and Christians. Lastly, there are so many resources that make learning about political issues interesting, exciting, and understandable. There is so much information available to us; we just have to do the work to find it. If you allow your faith to influence every aspect of your life, but not your politics, I urge you to start thinking of the two as going hand-in-hand.
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