May 25, 2020

Social Issues (Part 9): Socialism

Social Issues

Socialism is the political ideology that a central, national government ought to oversee and control all aspects of the economy rather than leaving private businesses and individuals to conduct their business and affairs as they see fit. It is rooted in the notion that all property and wealth are to be shared and the national government is the entity which determines how they are to be shared. Of necessity, socialism demands a strong centralized government to be able to function in this way.

Those who argue in favor of socialism will often claim that it is the fairest way for a society to function economically and that it protects poorer citizens from oppression by wealthy individuals and big corporations. Many will even attempt to use the Bible in order to defend this idea (hence the reason why we are discussing it here). One alleged example of socialism that is commonly given is that of the early Christians who sold their property to share with those who were in need (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35).Continue Reading

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May 20, 2020

Remember the Lawgiver

Moses and the Ten Commandments

After delivering the Israelites from Pharaoh and their bondage in Egypt, God gave them the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17). These commandments served as a foundation for the rest of the law.

Yet in a sense, this foundation also had a foundation. The Ten Commandments provided the basis for the law, but the only reason the law mattered was because of the one who gave the law. So who was the lawgiver? That was God. They needed to understand this in order to appreciate the importance of the laws that were given. They were reminded of this in the “preface” to the Ten Commandments:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2).

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May 18, 2020

Social Issues (Part 8): Nationalism

Social Issues

Before we begin, we need to be careful how we talk about nationalism because different people may have different ideas in mind when they use the term. On a fundamental level, nationalism is the desire for a nation to gain and/or maintain sovereignty (the right to rule itself without being ruled by others). In this sense it is closely associated with patriotism. These are not wrong in themselves. However, a spirit of nationalism can be dangerous when taken to an extreme, especially when it is in support of an oppressive and wicked government.

Those who argue in favor of nationalism will appeal to the people’s common language, culture, history, etc., in order to promote national unity. This in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. However, there are three potential dangers that could come from this: (1) a willingness to support a godless, tyrannical government/leader who is advancing the cause of the nation; (2) a willingness to rally around an immoral or unjust cause because it has been adopted by the nation as a whole; and (3) a willingness to blindly follow the direction of the leaders because of the belief that they must be doing God’s will (or that the nation as a whole can be called the people of God).Continue Reading

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March 20, 2020

Pray for Leaders During the Spread of the Coronavirus

Prayer, Coronavirus

The topic that has everyone’s attention this week is the spread of the Coronavirus that has turned into a global pandemic. I discussed this topic previously on the podcast, focusing on some things that we as Christians need to do during this situation. One of those things is prayer.

In this article, I want to expand on the need for prayer – particularly the need to pray for our leaders (civil authorities) as this crisis moves along.Continue Reading

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July 2, 2019

Socialism (Season 13, Episode 9)

Socialism (Season 13, Episode 9)

 
 
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Socialism (Season 13, Episode 9)

In this season, we’re discussing social issues – problems that are facing our society and what the Bible has to say about these issues.

Socialism can take various forms, but the most common way it is used today is to describe a particular political ideology. In a nutshell, socialism is the belief that a central, national government ought to oversee and control all aspects of the economy, rather than leaving private businesses and individuals to conduct their business as they see fit. It is rooted in the notion that all property and wealth is to be shared and the national government is the entity which determines how they are to be shared. Of necessity, socialism demands a strong centralized government to be able to function in this way.

Those who argue in favor of socialism will often claim that it is the fairest way for a society to function economically and that it protects individuals from wealthy individuals or big corporations. Many will even attempt to use the Bible in order to defend this idea. One alleged example of socialism that is commonly given is that of the early Christians who sold their property to share with those who were in need (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35).

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February 6, 2019

Who Is to Blame for the Abortion Tragedy?

Ultrasound

Many who defend the practice of abortion attempt to classify it under the heading of “health care” or as “a woman’s right to choose.” The reality is that the practice of abortion is the act by which the life of a child in the womb is deliberately terminated. In other words, when an abortion is performed, an unborn child (a human being) is intentionally killed.

In our society, the issue about abortion has shifted away from the question about when life begins. If it does not matter when life begins, then it does not matter when an abortion occurs. This means one of two things:

  1. EITHER abortion is wrong at every stage of pregnancy (this is the pro-life position);
  2. OR abortion is acceptable at every stage of pregnancy, even up to the point of birth (this is now the pro-abortion position).

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November 13, 2018

Proverbs About Government (Season 11, Episode 11)

Proverbs About Government (Season 11, Episode 11)

 
 
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Proverbs About Government (Season 11, Episode 11)

In this season, we’re discussing some lessons from the book of Proverbs.

It may be surprising to learn of the number of passages in the book of Proverbs that deal with the topic of government. In this episode, we discuss several of these passages that teach us about the role and place of government, instructions to those in positions of civil authority, and what our responsibility is toward those who rule over us.

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If you found this episode to be useful, please share it with others. Also, if you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. This also helps others hear about the podcast. Thanks.

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