Communism and the Christian

Communism: Is it the Christian thing to accept? In a simple form, it means communal universal sharing. Let's examine what Mr. Wikipedia has to say about the ideology of communism:

Communism is a socioeconomic order structured upon the common ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes, money, and the state... All of these share the analysis that the current order of society stems from its economic system, capitalism; that in this system there are two major social classes; that conflict between these two classes is the root of all problems in society; and that this situation will ultimately be resolved through a social revolution. The two classes are the working class—who must work to survive and who make up the majority within society—and the capitalist class—a minority who derives profit from employing the working class through private ownership of the means of production. (Wikipedia; "Communism").

     First off, ideology is the beliefs and ideas of a group of people. Thus, Christianity is an ideology. The belief is in an Almighty, Loving God who planned eternal life for mankind. Like Communism, Christianity is a universal endeavor. God wants that all peoples to be saved. Where is salvation? Utopia. In 1516 A.D. Thomas More introduced the goal of Utopia - a place of communal ownership and prosperity.
     Utopia, in Christianity, is Heaven where all things are perfect. The differentiating idea between Communism and Christianity is about communal ownership. Utopia in Heaven is owned by God. Furthermore, God is the common focus of all the heavenly community, but the focus is on the King, not the commoners. Thus, heavenly Utopia is not communistic in practice but a Theocracy. The subjects of the Kingdom of God even wear different crowns:

1. Crown of life (Jas 1:12; Rev 2:10)
2. An incorruptible crown (1 Cor 9:25)
3. Crown of rejoicing (1 Thes 2:9)
4. Crown of righteousness (2 Tim 4:8)
5. Crown of glory (1 Pet 5:4)
6. Elders crowns of gold (Rev 4:4)
7. Son of Man and Conqueror's crown (Jesus's) (Rev 9:7; Rev 14:14)

     Let us separate the hierarchy in Heaven: The King with a golden crown, ruling elders with golden crowns, choirs with crowns of rejoicing, worshipers with crowns of righteousness, and all with crowns of life and glory. The commoners have the lesser crowns. Then we know that even Jesus was created a little less than the angels because he had human flesh (Heb 2:9) as he was subject to death!

     On the other hand, theoretical communism is the elimination of the social classes. Christianity, even in the world, has a hierarchy: (1) The King, (2) the patriarchs, (3) the prophets, (4) the apostles, (5) the bishops, (6) the elders, (7) servants, (8) teachers, and (9) the disciples. Like it or not, that was indeed a social stratum with a hierarchy. Each group had their importance, and of different degrees, but Jesus was not a "respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34). 

     The apostles argued who would be first in the Kingdom of God. Even "the publicans and the harlots" go into the kingdom of God before you (the Pharisees)" according to Jesus (Mat 21:31). Those people were the commoners. Like it or not, the order in Heaven will be more like the King and the serfs than social equality. Not being a respecter of persons is spiritual equality - that of which Lincoln spoke in the Gettysburg Address. On the other hand, all Christians are to be servants to the King, merely with different functions. Everyone is to serve God but do so by serving others:

But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. (Mat 20:26-28)

    Therefore, the very reason for sharing is different! The social stratum of the Kingdom of God is tempered by everyone doing the common good. What is the common good? To serve the King to obtain eternal life in an heavenly Utopia. Christians don't work for each other but to serve the King! Not to pay pecuniary tribute, but gratitude. The focal point is on the King and not the "masses". Christians serve them to demonstrate their love for the King!
     Communism seeks to eliminate the state. Christianity's goal is colonialism - to expand the state. Of course, the "state" is the Kingdom of God, and that is wherever the King happens to be. The Heaven and the earth are His Kingdoms, although they both have a pretender to the throne - Satan.
     Christians are to expand the state. Jesus instructs how to do that:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost... (Mat 28:19)

    Communism is universal as well. There is a difference: Communism desires to have a community in the world which shares. That is humanism. The rich young capitalist man in the New Testament did that! He elaborated on all he had done for his fellow man, but did nothing for the King! (Matthew 19:16–30; Mark 10:17–31; Luke 18:18–30). The Greatest Commandment has a corollary: charity to others is the means to manifest charity to God. The people must do so willingly because it is the Doctrine of Christ, not the ideology of Communism!  The Kingdom of God has a King. The Commune has only commoners, or so they say!
     In Communism, property is paramount. It is "given" by some and belongs to all. In Christianity the property is of no interest, and is called "the world":

Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. (Tit 2:12).

     Property, or material things, are a cause for concern. Christians are to have hope in the unseen, called "faith" (Heb 11:1). Lust of property is sinful. In Communism, lust for property is envy, desiring what belongs to others. The very notion of Communism is a focus on the world. The outcome of Christianity is denying the world in favor of God.
     Property ownership is by the government under Communism. In Christianity, the world belongs to Satan who is "Prince of the Air". Who owns the property is alike in both cases but in both cases, the "owner" is not the rightful heir. As the government in Communism assumed control over the land, Satan assumed ownership of the world. He is the pretender to the throne, and Communism has no throne but an autocracy
     Christians are to leave property, take up their cross and follow Jesus (Mat 6:24). Communism is when everyone drops the cross and follows the government.  Where they lead the serf will follow. On the other hand, for Christians, they are to follow only the King.
     "The meek shall inherit the earth" in Christianity (Psalm 37:11) but the "earth" which they inherit right now is not of this world. It's peace in the City of God which will come down after the lusts of the earth is cleansed:

Him that overcometh (the meek) will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Rev 3:12).

     The focus of the Christian is not on this world but the world to come. On the other hand, Communism fosters a desire to have more than "peace on earth" but for everyone to have a piece of the earth. The world is not the home of the Christian, but is the lust of Communists.
     Communism is a socioeconomic order. In Christianity, "prosperity" is not material but spiritual. Jesus said:

"For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. (Mat 26:11).

     Jesus could have ended poverty with one mere thought. He did not! Poverty is the punishment for mankind for disobedience (Gen 3:19). The importance in Christianity is serving the King, In Communism, they should have no king to serve. Ironically, the abuse of Communism has a triumvirate of sorts - the elite who rule the commoners. The government in Communism is a league of some who see themselves as kings - all pretenders to the throne much like Satan. Of course, pure unadulderated Communism would not have that as its purpose, but original sin makes that the purpose. People all have sinful problems, and Communists are no different:

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)

     The world is the desire of Communists, and the fruits of the land are lusts and pride. With those lusts, the property they wish to obtained will be ruled by those who are the fittest.
     Communism is by survival of the fittest. Although they espouse care for the weakest by the strong, in actuality, their hearts are not so much on the people but the property. Communism depends on the weak dying out. In Christianity, prosperity is for the weak!
     Survival of the fittest is the ideology behind all "isms". In Christianity, the focus is on the weak. Christians are to diminish themselves and elevate God (John 3:7). In Communism, everyone elevates themselves at the expense of God. "Godless Communism" is called that for a reason - the government becomes their god.  Positively comparing Christianity to Communism is heretical. It is not the state who creates wealth but God. "By the sweat of his brow" means that mankind must work hard for what they have. The Authority won't hand it over on a platter. In Communism, the "platter" is huge and well-laden, but it is laid well by the sweat of others' faces!
     In Christianity, giving is charity. In Communism, it is the law. That's enough in itself to end any comparison because the Law is what puts people in chains! Freedom is beholding to God only. Beholding to an institution of any kind is failing to acknowledge grace.
     Under Communism production is only for the able. In  Christianity, everyone is able with few exceptions - only elderly widows and orphans are not expected to not work:

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (Jas 1:27)

     Other scripture indicates that "visiting" is providing for. Communism has a wide umbrella under which too many sluggards crowd!

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: (Prov 6:6)

The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. (Prov 13:4)

    Of course, Communism wants that none be sluggards just as Christianity, but human nature is to be sluggards. Most people want the prosperity of others. That is such a problem that God commanded against that. God's command against Communism is clear:

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. (Exod 20:17)

     The basis of Communism is coveting what belongs to others. They want the property, status, and production of those who sweat to earn what they have. Communism's goal is no money. That sounds good but money is not the problem - in Christianity "the love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Tim 6:10). Christians take the word "money" too literally. It is avarice - capitalistic things. Communism is supported by capitalism. Communists have avarice - they desire things pecuniary. Christians desire eternal life, and provision is merely the outcome for that modest desire!
     Thousands of books could be filled with differences. I will stop here. However, Communism is not pure any longer even of it ever was. Human nature is always the same. Communism in modern times seeks division. Christianity, on the other hand, seeks unity. Communism breeds hatred - jealousy for what others have. Christianity should breed charity - giving not because it is required but desired! Communism divides people, genders, families, government institutions, the educational system, the work force, and even manual and automation labor between good and bad. Since religion is the most vile institution in their eyes, Christianity is the first to go in the Communist system.
     Why is that? Because religion competes with the soul of people against Communism, and Christianity is the most powerful competitor, along with Judaism. Communism understands religion as no more than to drug people into having false allegiances. Why would they want the masses to serve God when they could be serving the government?
     That word "masses" is also differentiating. Christianity is an individual religion which is good for the well-being of everyone and pleases God. Communism is a religion of  the masses and ends up being for the good of the state. Leaders retain power by controlling the masses. Christianity is about freedom, and Communism all about control!
    I prefer loving my neighbors because God desires that. Communists patronize their comrades because the government demands that! I prefer loving God because that is my will. Communists want the government to be loved because that is their command. There is not really much that anyone could favor enough to compare. Communism is a cunning ploy by the Serpent to shirk God's authority. Communism is not a government for the people but against them. It is the government of Satan whose rule is the law of sin.