This is the finding of a poll conducted recently by the Family Research Council.
The Washington Stand comments:
In distressing terms, this finding shows us that the church is slouching toward socialism. What a travesty!
At a basic level, churches are not educating people about the goodness of the free market. Although God gave mankind work to do even prior to the Fall (Genesis 2:15), our churches do not articulate the dignity of work. Although stealing and coveting what our neighbor has are serious sins (Exodus 20:15, 17), few challenge these common socialist commitments. Although Scripture does not present being rich as evil and instead warns against the love of money (1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19), our culture targets the rich. Although investment and stewardship are presented in positive terms (Matthew 25:14-30), churchgoers fall prey to a mindset that exalts collectivism, regulation, and the nanny state.
In failing to outline a biblical theology of the free market (which is begging to be preached!), pastors render their hearers soft targets for socialism. Instead of teaching people to work, help, and build, it preaches a false gospel that — like the devil himself — honors those who steal, kill, and destroy. In such a climate, we need churches that teach the dignity of work, the rightness of personal possessions, the blessedness of appropriate financial flourishing, and the need for sound stewardship. We need, to be more succinct, serious worldview formation.
The poll also finds that only 52% of churchgoers possess a biblical worldview on when life begins and on transgenderism. And 57% claim to possess a biblical worldview in spite of this.
These weak numbers are not merely the result of those within the liberal mainline Protestant churches. These numbers also reflect folks sitting in the pews in evangelical churches, Southern Baptist churches and within denominations that have historically been regarded as conservative or orthodox.
When pastors and churches refuse to teach and instruct congregants in such a manner that a biblical worldview ought to inform a political and cultural worldview, then this is the mess that we get. While some might have critiques of unrestrained corporate capitalism, there is absolutely no biblical basis for choosing socialism over free enterprise.
TC: I agree with all you said. What we see in the churches is a reflection of what we see in society in general. The Weltanschauung of pastors started back in the seminaries. They then espouse these basic beliefs to the congregants.
THE NEW MATHEW 20
For the kingdom of heaven on earth is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. And having agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. About the third hour, he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace idle; and he said to them , ” Go you also into the vineyard, and I will give you what is just.”
So they went. And again he went out about the sixth, and about the ninth and did as before. But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he said to them, ” Why do you stand here all day idle .” ” Because no man has hired us.” He said to them, ” Go you also into the vineyard .”
When the evening had come , the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, “Call the laborers and pay them their wages , beginning with the last even so to the first. ” And when he had done so, there was a murmuring amongest those who had worked but a few hours, for they received much less than those who had worked a full day.
On the morrow the householder received a weary traveler from a far-off city.
” Peace be with you ” the householder said. ” What may I offer thee ? ”
“It has come to my attention ” the traveler said , ” that yesterday you hired laborers at varying times of the day. and at darkness had payed them according to the time they worked”
” Yes ” said the householder, “verily, am I not free to do as I wish with what is mine.”
” Indeed, ” the traveler replied, “did you not consider the law of Caesar that all must receive a minimum income for their employ.”
” I did not ,” answered the householder, ” for I am not a rich man and I can scarcely live on the small profit I now make.”
” And did you not fail to withhold the imperial tax , or FICA or SUI as states the law of Caesar states ?”
” Alas, alas ! ” cried the householder , ” I am but a small farmer , and I could not afford the employ of a scribe.”
” I must inform you, ” said the traveler, that you have violated the law of Caesar and Caesar shall collect his due.” And a cohort appeared and seized the fruits of the householder’s vineyard and took them to the capital.
” Please have mercy!” begged the householder. ” On what am I to live ?”
The traveler gazed across the vineyard. ” Verily ” he asked , ” have you considered not planting grapes? “
Great illustration, Fred.
Yes, there are some bad things going on in the seminaries. But there is also a problem with many, many pastors who know better, and who fail to instruct and teach worldview according to the principles found in scripture to apply to current issues. And into the vacuum rushes a whole bunch of mess.