So I’ve been getting tired of some our southern neighbours continually referring to
I’m not a political scientist but I wanted to look up the
definition of some of these terms we throw around like “socialism”, “communism”
and “capitalism”.
Below are the definitions as found in Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary. You may read through them now
or refer back to them as we discuss some of the terms below.
Socialism
1 : any
of various economic and political theories advocating collective or
governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and
distribution of goods
2
b : a system or condition of
society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3 : a
stage of society in Marxist theory
transitional between capitalism and communism and
distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done
Marxist Communism
Capitalized
a : a doctrine based on
revolutionary Marxian socialism and Marxism-Leninism that was
the official ideology of the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics
b : a totalitarian system of
government in which a single authoritarian party controls state-owned
means of production
c : a final stage of society in
Marxist theory in which the state has withered away and economic goods are
distributed equitably
Capitalism
: an
economic system characterized by private or
corporate ownership of capital goods,
by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices,
production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by
competition in a free market
a way of organizing an economy so that the things that are
used to make and transport products (such as land, oil, factories, ships, etc.)
are owned by individual people and companies rather than by the government
Looking at the definition of Socialism , Canada
Every government, including
the U.S.A.
I don’t mean to wade into
heated debates and I certainly do not mean to offend any of my American friends
( whom I love dearly) but I think the words we are using need some definition.
(Note: Wikipedia describes
Canada as having a mixed economy - Mixed economy is an economic
system in which both the state and private
sector direct the economy, reflecting characteristics of both market
economies and planned
economies.[1] Most
mixed economies can be described as market
economies with strong regulatory
oversight, in addition to having a variety of
government-sponsored aspects)
Is that system perfect? No.
Does that system ever get
taken advantage of? O yes.
But I thank God for it all
the time.
For the fact that my friend
whose daughter was born premature didn’t have to go bankrupt. (This friend is
of flag waving American heritage but
admitted his deep appreciation for our health care system)
For my own family. For though
I struggle daily with a mental illness and cannot work full time, I can still
work part time and my wife can take an entire year off work to be with our
newborn ( whose birth did not cost us thousands of dollars in hospital fees ).
I am deeply grateful to God
and country for these things. This is
not about putting down any other countries ( including the U.S. who has been a massive supporter of Canada
Comprise, primarily, is not
adjusting one’s principles, but adjusting one’s attitude.
On another note, a lot of
people from the left and right like to quote Scripture in this regard – so lets
take a look at that.
Both Jesus and the Biblical
authors speak much on caring for the poor, the widows and orphans, the
weak, the sick, those in prison and the “feeble minded”
( i.e. Mat 25:36, Luke 4:18, James
1:27)
Also in the book of Acts it
speaks of the early church laying aside selfish gain and greed and “having all
things common”. (Acts 2, 5)
Please note this is hardly
Marxist communism, with ruthless dictators and forced giving up of goods. This
is voluntary. It is love in action. And I suppose for this broken world it is a
bit too Utopian.
However The Bible also speaks
firmly about personal responsibility.
As usual people can quote the
Bible picking out only the verses they want to hear, or they can do a wholehearted search of it,
balancing one passage with another to see what this Book actually teaches in
all its CONTEXT.
A perfect example on this
topic , I find, are the 1st and
2nd books of Thessalonians.
1Th
5:14 Now we exhort you,
brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak,
be patient with all.
1Th
5:15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always
pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
1Th
5:15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always
pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
Or as the less literal NLT puts it:
1Th
5:14 Brothers and sisters,
we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take
tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.
1Th
5:15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do
good to each other and to all people.
1Th
5:15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do
good to each other and to all people.
Further on we read:
2Th
3:10 For even when we were
with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
2Th
3:11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a
disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.
2Th
3:12 Now those who are
such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in
quietness and eat their own bread.
In the end, my personal belief is that all human beings are
created in the Image of God and are therefore of invaluable worth and should be
treated as such.
It is also my opinion ( and it seems to be the consensus of
most actual professionals) that the best and healthiest long term way to help a
human being is to treat with both compassion AND accountability.
