Nine Biblical Principles that Expose the Social Justice Movement and Marxism

By B. Nathaniel Sullivan

Under the “feel good” mantras of compassion, justice, and fairness, the social justice movement (SJM) promotes socialism and Marxism and maligns capitalism as oppressive and unfair. Social justice advocates pit Whites against Blacks, men against women, and heterosexuals against homosexuals and other LGBTQ individuals.

Some social justice crusaders are well-intentioned, but many have nefarious motives and know full well what they are doing. They say that Blacks, women, and homosexuals are oppressed by a society and culture stacked against them. Their rhetoric notwithstanding, things are not always as they appear; nor are they always as the prevailing narrative depicts them. We will do well to learn in practical terms where the social justice movement, with its Marxist underpinnings, is taking America.

Moreover, as Christians, we must evaluate the social justice movement and its tenets in light of biblical teachings. Do these ideologies align with Scripture, or do the social justice movement and Marxism stand together in opposition to what the Bible tells us about economic and social systems and human activity within them?

Let’s examine nine biblical principles and showcase them against numerous statements made by Karl Marx.1 As you read, note how Marxist ideals have taken hold in various places and among numerous leaders in our own country. Also, note how thoroughly they are gaining a foothold in society.

Marxism Is Unbiblical, and Even Anti-Biblical and Anti-Christian Principle One: The God of the Bible, and none other, is God, and we are to acknowledge and revere Him and Him only (see Exod. 20:1-3; Deut. 5:5-7; 13:4; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 14:1). By contrast, Marx said, “Communism begins where atheism begins.”2 “My object in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism.”3 “There are, besides, eternal truths, such as Freedom, etc., that are common to all states of society. But Communism abolishes eternal truths, it abolishes all religion, and all morality, instead of constituting them on a new basis; it therefore acts in contradiction to all past historical experience.”4

Principle Two: God created every member of the human family in His image. Everyone is a sovereign5 individual, and every person should be treated with dignity and respect (see Gen. 1:26-28; 9:6). Marx denied this biblical tenet. He said, “The democratic concept of man is false because it is Christian. The democratic concept holds that . . . each man is a sovereign being. This is the illusion, dream, and postulate of Christianity.”6

Principle Three: The Bible commends hard work and the benefit of enjoying the results of one’s labor (see Prov. 6:6-11; 10:4-5; 12:14; 13:4; 14:23; 16:26; 22:29; 28:19; Eccles. 3:9-13; 2 Thess. 3:6-12). On the other hand, Karl Marx said: “A heavy or progressive or graduated income tax is necessary for the proper development of Communism.”7 “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.”8 Marx was referring to government redistribution of wealth, a principle tenet of the social justice movement.9

Pastor Adrian Rogers was right when he observed, “You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”10

Principle Four: In connection with human sovereignty (having been made in God’s image), the Bible affirms property rights (see Exod. 20:15,17; Deut. 5:19,21). Karl Marx was vehemently opposed to the idea of private property. He said, “The theory of Communism may be summed up in one sentence: Abolish all private property.”11

Alarmingly, aversion to property rights is taking hold in America. The World Economic Forum tells us that in 2030, “You’ll own nothing. And you’ll be happy.”12 What’s wrong with that? Well, quite a bit, actually! In a must-watch video from the Centre for Risk Analysis, speaker and author Douglas Kruger speaks about “The Great Reset,” which seeks to fundamentally restructure the global economy. Kruger warns, “When we talk about collective ownership we are often told that the great thing about it is that everybody will own. The reality of the thing is that nobody but those in power own.” To learn more about this destructive ideology, view the video in its entirety at discoverbedrocktruth.org/danger-of-the-great-reset.

Principle Five: The Bible affirms economic freedom, including the exchange of what one owns for something else.13 This implies a benefit for both the buyer and the seller (see Gen. 23; Matt. 13:44-46; 20:1-16; 24:45-51; 25:14-30; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 10:25-37). Karl Marx viewed economic freedom with disdain. He said, “Accumulation of wealth at one pole is at the same time accumulation of misery, agony of toil, slavery, ignorance, brutality, mental degradation, at the opposite pole.”14 Marx also said, “There must be something rotten in the very core of a social system which increases its wealth without diminishing its misery.”15

Capitalism does increase wealth and decrease misery simultaneously. Furthermore, we need to be aware that communism, socialism’s sister, doesn’t alleviate misery at all. Rather, it creates and exacerbates it.

Principle Six: The Bible commends charity from individuals, the church, and, by extension, faith-based organizations (see Lev. 19:9-10; 23:22; Deut. 24:20-22; Prov. 14:21; 17:5; 19:17; 22:9; 28:3; 29:7; Acts 11:27-30; Rom. 15:25-27; 1 Cor. 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 8:1–9:15; Gal. 2:9-10; Eph. 4:28). Karl Marx believed the state should take from those who have so that it can give to those who don’t have. With socialism, government coercion is the order of the day. Here is Marx’s philosophy: “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.”16

Principle Seven: Parents are responsible before God for the education and training of their children (see Deut. 6:4-25; Prov. 1:8; 3:12; 6:20; 10:1; 13:1,24; 15:20; 17:25; 22:15; 23:13-14; 28:7; 29:15; Eph. 6:1-4). Karl Marx, by contrast, believed that children belonged to the state. Marx declared, “The education of all children, from the moment that they can get along without a mother’s care, shall be in state institutions.”17

Consider the recent battles between parents and the education elites in school boards across America with regard to what children will be taught. Tell me, does the state own America’s children, or are parents ultimately responsible for them? The Bible is clear. Children do not belong to the state! We are at a crossroads in America on this issue. It is time for parents, and Christian parents, in particular, to take a stand!

Principle Eight: The government’s job is to maintain order in society by commending those who do right and punishing those who do wrong. Nowhere in Scripture do we see any indication that it is the government’s job to meet people’s needs (see Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-17; 1 Tim. 2:1-2). Karl Marx believed in upsetting and overthrowing order and establishing a “new order” rooted in socialist and communist principles. Note the ruthless nature of the following statements from Marx. “We have no compassion, and we ask no compassion from you. When our turn comes, we shall not make excuses for the terror.”18 “Catch a man a fish, and you can sell it to him. Teach a man to fish, and you ruin a wonderful business opportunity.”19 “[T]he Communists everywhere support every revolutionary movement against the existing social and political order of things . . . They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions.”20 “The meaning of peace is the absence of opposition to socialism.”21 It’s amazing that socialism has a reputation for being compassionate!

Principle Nine: Remembering a godly heritage and God’s redemptive work keeps individuals and nations from straying away from the truth and from right living (see Exod. 12:1-28; Deut. 5:12-15; 6:4-25; 24:17-19; Josh. 4:1-24; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Eph. 2:11-13). Karl Marx understood that distorting and misrepresenting a nation’s heritage would make the people vulnerable to takeover. Marx said, “Take away a nation’s heritage, and they are more easily persuaded.”22 “Keep people from their history, and they are easily controlled.”23 “If you can cut the people off from their history, then they can be easily persuaded.”24

Three Important Takeaways First, Marxism is taking hold in America, and a primary vehicle for this invasion and the ongoing cultural realignment taking place is the social justice movement. Second, Marxism and the social justice movement stand contrary to freedom, opportunity, and prosperity for all. Freedom-loving people everywhere must speak against them and educate their children to be wary of them. Finally, Christians especially need to understand that the tenets of the social justice movement are antithetical to biblical teachings and, therefore, anti-Christian. Pastors need to be preaching against the social justice movement, and Christians in the pews need to be warning their brothers and sisters in Christ about it.

You can start by sharing this article.25 Be informed, inform others, and pray that God will open people’s eyes everywhere to the dangers of Marxism and the social justice movement. Nothing less than the future of liberty, which includes the freedom to share the gospel with others, is at stake.

A Bible study based on this article is available at discoverbedrocktruth.org/exposemarxismbiblestudy/.

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B. Nathaniel Sullivan is a writer, Christian educator, and blogger at wordfoundations.com and discoverbedrocktruth.org.

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Endnotes

1. Marx’s statements in this article are from just one quotations website, azquotes.com. I did not do extensive research to dig them up as these are prominent, well-known statements from Marx. Links to these quotes and the biblical passages that refute them are at https://wordfoundations.com/marxquotes.

2. https://azquotes.com/quote/575534.

3. https://azquotes.com/quote/466849.

4. https://azquotes.com/quote/899386.

5. The word sovereign is used here, not in the ultimate sense, for only God is sovereign in this way. It is used to convey the idea that human beings have qualities that reflect that God has made them in His image, and this sets them apart from the rest of God’s created order. Thus, human sovereignty does not mean that people are godlike, but that they are like God—capable of having preferences, making judgments, understanding and making moral and ethical choices, and designed to be free, not manipulated or controlled by the government.

6. https://azquotes.com/quote/766382.

7. https://azquotes.com/quote/1214851.

8. https://azquotes.com/quote/189350.

9. Social justice,“also known as economic justice, is a term describing the redistribution of wealth supposedly for the common good of all. However, this comes at the expense of wage earners and liberty by demanding a society to conform. Those who work and have must give to those who don’t work and don’t have.” Social justice, therefore, tilts strongly in the direction of socialism, Marxism, and communism—and away from free enterprise. See https://conservapedia.com/Social_Justice.

10. Charles Heck, “Adrian Rogers on Socialism,” Worldly Saints, February 7, 2016, https://worldlysaints.wordpress.com/2016/02/07/adrian-rogers-on-socialism.

11. https://azquotes.com/quote/189357.

12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mMIocEGGM0.

13. See principle eight on this list at https://discoverbedrocktruth.org/principles-of-economic-liberty.

14. https://azquotes.com/quote/813327.

15. https://azquotes.com/quote/1238796.

16. https://azquotes.com/quote/189350.

17. https://azquotes.com/quote/370513.

18. https://azquotes.com/quote/652760.

19. https://azquotes.com/quote/521113.

20. https://azquotes.com/quote/577000.

21. https://azquotes.com/quote/189363.

22. https://azquotes.com/quote/1125159.

23. https://azquotes.com/quote/823584.

24. https://azquotes.com/quote/571986.

25. This article is available online at https://wordfoundations.com/exposemarxism/.

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Copyright © 2022 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.