Socialism is an economic model that advocates collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, requiring control by a powerful centralized government. Socialism seems altruistic, it promises government assistance for the poor, and the public provision of all the necessities of life, from maternity care to geriatric care, and from kindergarten through university. Socialism emphasizes equality. But, to do good the government must first do wrong, taking someone’s property who’s earned it to give to another who hasn’t; the idea of private property under Socialism is essentially eliminated. Socialism handicaps achievers and rewards laziness. Socialism penalizes innovation and productivity; why work harder than others if you all end up with the same result. Individuals dependent upon government lack personal initiative and personal responsibility. Government provided charity affects both the individual whose property is being taken and the individual receiving the ‘charity.’ When government takes on social welfare, it deprives from citizens the benevolent feelings and love towards each other. For the recipient, what was once seen as an act of kindness becomes an entitlement. Margaret Thatcher said, “The trouble with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” This ends with ‘providers’ without love toward others and recipients without gratitude. Lack of motivation caused by Socialism results in low productivity, leading to shortages of goods and services; and shortages typically cause socialistic governments to have less concern for the environment.

Under Socialism, freedom and human rights are surrendered as the government becomes more authoritarian in order to redistribute society’s goods and services equally among the citizens. Milton Friedman stated, “The society that puts equality before freedom will end up with neither.” Christianity is an ‘other-centered’ belief system that provides a solid foundation for virtue, kindness, goodwill. Under Secularism, society and culture without God, no common moral foundation exists; it typically results in Socialism as there is no personal motivation for virtue and charity, and no basis for freedom and human rights. Socialism pays little attention to human nature treating everyone the same, ignoring individual beliefs, values, and attitudes; it finds it necessary to manage relationships between citizens to prevent societal chaos, with highly subjective laws like hate crimes and discrimination. Socialism destroys the sense of benevolent community among citizens and robs citizens of their humanity, as is witnessed in Socialistic countries around the world. We need our Christian heritage.