We all think in shorthand. That is, we carry with us sundry mental shortcuts that move us from one thought to another swiftly. These give us license to dismiss some ideas quickly so that we might be free to mull over others. Which is why these shortcuts, when they are wrong, can be so wrong and destructive. This in turn explains why we are called to be deliberate in our thinking.
Consider this nugget of conventional wisdom: Free markets are fueled by greed, whereas socialism (sometimes called social justice, progressivism, leftist thought) is fueled by compassion. It is bad enough that non-Christians think in these terms. Christians, however, too often find themselves caught up in this folly. We, after all, in submission to our Lord, rightly oppose greed. We, in submission to our Lord, rightly cultivate compassion. Given a sound heart on greed and compassion, and a misguided mental shortcut we will find ourselves turning into the ditch every time. Perhaps we should take a closer look at this nugget, to see if perhaps it might be fool’s gold.
First, is it true that free markets are fueled by greed? No, not true. I am more than happy to concede that one can find greedy people where one finds free markets. On the other hand, one will also find greedy people in controlled markets. Greed exists not because of this economic system or that, not because of great wealth, but because of sinful hearts. In short, the problem is in our hearts. Getting rid of liberty, or getting rid of wealth will not rid the world of greed. Only ridding the world of us will do that. A free market is not fueled by greed, but by service. That is, the only way to succeed in a free market is to serve your customers better than others serve them. You can only win insofar as you help your customers win, by meeting their needs and desires.
But what of compassion and socialism? Don’t they go together? Nope, not in the least. Here are three simple reasons. First, taxing one group of people to give the money to another group of people is bad for the people who receive the money. When Paul says, “If anyone will not work neither shall he eat” (II Thessalonians 3:10) he isn’t being mean, but gracious to those who would not work. When we subsidize not working we get more of it. And when we don’t work we become less what we are made to be as God’s image bearers. It is also harmful to the recipient because it is damaging to the economy, which hits those on the lowest rungs first.
Second, taking from one group to give to another fails the compassion test because it is not compassionate to those who are having their wealth taken. We tend to be okay with this, however, because of the shortcut we’re examining. We think it’s okay to not show compassion to the person with more than us because their having more than us is a sure sign that they are greedy. But we are all wealthy compared to someone. If we want to keep what is ours, being understanding of others would mean we would want them to keep what is theirs, no matter how much they have.
Finally, and most importantly, asking the state to take from one group to give to others isn’t compassionate because we are not the ones making the sacrifice. I am not demonstrating a giving heart if I steal my neighbor’s car, and give it to a struggling single parent. You can’t, in short, be compassionate on someone else’s dime. Christians are called to be compassionate, which means we give what is ours, not what is our neighbors’. We give in the name of Jesus, not in the name of Uncle Sam. Christians are those who sacrifice themselves, not who use the state to sacrifice others.
The next time you are tempted to take this mental shortcut, remember that the Bible is our map. It says we all struggle with greed. And it says we are called to give of our own wealth, not the wealth of others. This in turn, leads to prosperity, for those who have less than we do, for us, and for those who have more.