Donna Schmitt For City Council

We have been hearing a lot about socialism by news commentators and in numerous articles in magazines, newspapers and on the web.  I recently read ‘Born to Lie‘ that included a chapter on socialism, its history and described it as a worldview.  (Consider this my book report!)

One thing I would like to share from that book is what it called, *Scriptural Flaws of Socialism. It clearly illustrated how socialism was in contradiction with the 10 Commandments.  This to me was a whole new outlook on why there is a conflict between socialism and the Bible.  It is a very logical reasoning for why socialism and Christianity cannot mix.

Let me illustrate here:

1. You shall have no other gods before me. – Socialism violates the 1st Commandment by replacing God with the state.  Socialists have a blind faith in socialism even though it historically has failed over and over.  Socialists tolerate all religions except one, Christianity.
2. Have no idols. – Socialism violates the 2nd Commandment in that it worships man and idolizes his fickle desires.  The Humanist Manifesto, the socialist handbook, has changed over the years but it has never deviated from promoting man over God.  When your idol is man you are honoring all of his frailities and imperfections, resulting in a lowering of standards.
3. Honor God’s name. – Socialism violates the 3rd Commandment by advocating man’s right to blaspheme God or to profess Christ while simultaneously promoting laws and practices that violate God’s law.  Socialist have been denying that our country was founded on biblical standards.  If they can’t get people to deny that, they will muddy the facts by re-writing our textbooks.
4. Honor the Sabbath day. – Socialism violates the 4th Commandment by denigrating God’s command to work 6 days and then rest.  It also honors idlers over those that work hard to provide for their family.
5. Honor your parents. Socialism undermines the family and undercutting parental authority. It supports laws that enable the state or the ‘village’ to take over what should be the parents responsibility.
6. Do not murder. Socialism legalizes murder in the form of abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia.  All of which have been part of current and past socialistic societies.  Immediately after World War 2, we tried many war criminals for promoting these very thoughts, yet these same ideas are creeping into our own legislation.
7. Do not commit adultery. Socialism allows and even promotes sexual promiscuity and indiscriminate sexual indulgence.  We’ve seen this as laws change to accommodate and even encourage what would have been degenerate sexual orientation but now has become ‘artistic expression’.  Moral relativism has been the contributing factor of our society’s lack of limits on moral character.  Socialism promotes social relationships but it is not inhibiting in what that could mean.
8. Do not steal. Socialism legalizes theft by calling it redistribution of wealth or theft by taxation.
9. Do not perjure yourself. Socialism promotes class warfare by encouraging the bearing of false witness against your neighbor.  (e.g. contacting authorities if you receive information that is not inline with what is being promoted by authorities.  Where is our freedom of speech?)
10. Do not covet. Socialism promotes class envy by portraying the wealthy as exploiters of the poor.  **Gallup Poll in 2008 did a comparison of donations made by people claiming to be liberals with those of people claiming to be religious and the religious group gave far more than any other group.  Even those that claimed they were secular conservatives (those who attended church once or twice a year) out gave those who claimed to be secular liberals.

I don’t necessarily agree with everything that was presented in the book, Born to Lie, I do have to agree with their basic illustration that if you compare the 10 Commandments, a core belief in Christianity, with socialism’s beliefs you cannot mix socialism with Christianity.

*Born to Lie, by Dr. David L. Goetsch and Dr. Archie P. Jones.

**Conservatives Have Answered Obama’s Call, by Arthur C. Brooks, Wall Street Journal.

Even though I usually stick with local government issues, I am going to break away from that to make a comment on government run healthcare.

Those who currently have healthcare already pay higher premiums to cover the expenses of those who don’t have insurance.  This is a known fact.  Now, the proposal that just passed out of the Senate Finance Committee is adding insult to injury.  They are now talking about taxing cadillac plans, the plans offered by unions and big business, to pay for the government option.  Why isn’t there more concern about this?  Aren’t unions the ones that typically vote in the Democrats?  Why are they offending the groups that vote for them?  Today, unions took out ads against this bill.  Has the love affair between the whitehouse and unions been lost?

As for big businesses having to be taxed for covering their employees with a generous healthplan, what are these senators thinking?  Many of these large companies are able to pay lower wages because they offer great health coverage to their employees.  If those employers will now be penalized they will pass that cost onto their employees.  This will result in a big reduction in what employees are able to take home.  This is less money for spending and results in more closures, less competition, and penalizing the people who already have health insurance.

Right now, healthcare as we know it is not perfect but we need to reevaluate what is being discussed and step back and take more time to find what could be a better solution to this problem.