No, the first Christians were not socialists

[Michie]

*You are in the Catholic forum*

We are called to be generous, not abandon private property.

Continued below.
No, the First Christians Were Not Socialists

 

[archer75]

It's important to remember the distinction in socialist lingo between personal property (your comb, your car, your clothes, your books, your phone, your pots and pans) and private property (a factory, a farm, a mine - i.e. - the means of producing goods).

 

[Albion]

The article is exactly correct. In brief, the early Christians were NOT Socialists because:

1. Socialism is enforced by government, using the law and police powers. A group of people who choose to share some or all of their possessions VOLUNTARILY are not, therefore, Socialists.

2. Socialism shares--to the extent that it actually does--for its own reasons, according to its own standards of justice. If Christians share in order to be Christlike or to adhere to the Golden Rule, etc., the two systems are marching to different drummers.

3. Socialism does not simply redistribute wealth. It also controls the means of producing the wealth. There is no indication that the early Christians did anything like that.

 

[W2L]

The Lord is neither capitalist or socialist. His kingdom is not of this world.