Was Jesus a socialist??

I'll tell you what He wasn't.  A Christian.  

It continues to amaze me how much Americans will twist themselves into logical/empirical pretzels in order to avoid recognizing that they have been sold a load of b***s**t propaganda about TEH EBIL SOCIALIZM.

Socialism, in the form its advocates envisioned, has NEVER been tried on any large scale in human history. There were (and are, cf. Cuba) dictatorial autocracies who CALL THEMSELVES "socialist" but they are not actually socialist any more than George W. Bush was a "compassionate conservative" or Trump was a "brilliant businessman"

The basic tenets of socialism, which is having the workers own the means of production, HAVE worked at some scales. There are numerous worked-owned businesses around the world and the evidence suggests that employee ownership works about as well as the traditional smash-labor-up-production-f**k-the-workers capitalist model of company ownership.

Moreover, if you look around the world at which societies have the happiest people (per self-report) and the longest lives, it is TEH EBIL SOCIALIZST countries like Finland, Norway, Canada, Japan or...wait for it...the United States, from about 1950 through 1980, when it, too, had a highly unionized workforce, a strong social safety net, progressive taxation, strong anti-monopoly enforcement, media outlets run as public trusts (not profit maximization entities) and so forth.

But, hey, if you'd rather live a "s**thole" country (h/t His Trumpness) than live a long happy life, you go right on believing the propaganda about TEH EBIL SOCIALIZM.

How is anyone supposed to know the answer to that? Anything he may have done and anything you know about him is second-hand knowledge.

How do you know it ever existed....ancient works of fiction should by right be allocated to the dustbin....  

No,more a masochist that got himself nailed :( 

I'm having a bit of a hard time thinking of Jesus  as a socialist - probably because it's a political term. But I will say Jesus had socialist behavior and that must not  be such a bad thing because his Father was proud of him and he welcomed him into heaven. Cheers!

Jesus was absolutely a socialist, his cousin John was practically a Marxist.
Compare the Baptist's "If you have two coats, give one to your brother who has none" (Lk 3:11) with Marx's "from each according to his resources, to each according to his needs".

No.. Jesus is God..

As far as the system God set up in the old kingdom of israel each and ever family was given an area of land to farm and prosper on.. People could and did take loans and get into financial trouble and would lose control of their family land and be subjected to servitude.. But every 50th year was called the jubile year where all those who had lost their family and and who where in debt would have their debts forgiven and their family land restored to them..

So in the kingdom people had equal private ownership of the main measn of prosperity ( faming land ).. They could lose thet land because of ineptitude or other reasons but every 50th year that land would be automatically restored to that family.. This ensured that people would get another chance and no family would end up being totally destitute and without hope for the potential of a better future..


This was not socialism.. But it was not the same as modern capitalism.. They had their own unique system..

 First, socialism is a government-run policy of control  (it is soft communism which is anti-God) it is not something run by the church. On that alone we have a major divide that should prevent Christians from accepting it. The claimed goal of “Socialism’ is to cure the unfairness that has taken place, to bring about economic equality. The belief is that wealth should be collected by the government and evenly distributed to members of society that are poor. What they do not tell you is that it keeps a major portion of the population on the lower end never to rise any further. It squashes anyone who wants more.

  The Book of Acts does describe believers helping their fellow believers which were always part of Judaism, this was not a new idea introduced by Jesus. James, in the Book of James, addresses this in those who are poor in the church. To help the poor is "not" a mandate for redistribution of wealth. Jesus did not use his teachings to enforce “social justice” to make equal outcomes for all. 

  Acts 2:44-46: “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.”

  First, notice they had ALL things in common- their faith was their life. What it doesn't say is that those who were well to do are to give it all to those so that they were now equal with those who were in need. They shared freely among those who believed but not everyone contributed. This was a small group that sold what they could and gave to those in need among them. They did not make a law inside the church to take from one to give to another. The New Testament does not obligate believers like the Old Testament law of tithing that had 10% to support the Levitical priests who taught them.

  You will find it is those in the church who had lands and abundance of possessions were able to sell them to help others. What they all had in common was the Lord, their faith. Rome was a central government; giving to others was not enforced as Roman law, Jesus "never" taught that one must give their money over to Caesar for him to decide whom to distribute it to. He said to give Caeser what is due him (taxes) and then give to God. He affirmed the church to help those among themselves in need. And it was done freely because they shared in their faith and trials together and looked to God as their source in all things. So no, Jesus was NOT a Socialist!

There are some who say anyone who is against capitalist greed is a Socialist. I'd say Jesus wasn't a capitalist but don't go as far as to label Him a Socialist whatever that is..