AD on Russell Moore on Socialism - The 'ole Okeydoke

Russell Moore’s Claim That He Hates Socialism

Hey there, this is Smooth AD Robles here, and I've got another Dr. Russell Moore exclusive. Alright, well, we see here he's got a video about socialism. Now, this should be very interesting. I think that a lot of us really want to know what Dr. Russell Moore thinks about socialism, and so this could be a very spicy take.

We'll find out, I guess we will. First thing first, you know, whenever I start to watch a video, I always want to see, you know, what the video's about. So let's read the description here. Dr. Russell Moore says this about socialism.

He says, Socialism is a difficult topic for me. My wife and I adopted our two oldest sons from a Russian orphanage when they were both infants. I've seen firsthand the devastating effects of socialism, and I hate it.

In this episode, I explain what socialism is and help you try to think about it in a more Christian way, especially in light of the current political conversation about socialism in the United States.

Well, hey, sounds like Dr. Russell Moore is coming out strong against socialism. I'm very glad to hear this. In fact, he says he hates it. That's pretty strong language from a guy like Dr. Russell Moore.

He's usually more winsome than this. But anyway, I think that's really all I need to do. I mean, this is a ten-minute video, so let's save us a little time and just read the description and give him the benefit of the doubt.

Well, it's Dr. Russell Moore hates socialism. You heard it here, folks, on Smooth A .D. Robles.

All right, well, just kidding, just kidding.

You know, I was initially planning on only doing Smooth A .D. when it comes to Dr. Russell Moore's YouTube channel. But this topic, I think, deserves probably a little bit more of a serious response, a little bit of a serious analysis.

Not to say that Smooth A .D. is not serious. He very much is, but he might be a little too winsome, if you know what I mean. Anyway, let's watch this video. I thought this was interesting. I saw some people praising this video, and I certainly think there are good aspects of it.

But overall, well, let's figure out what he's up to here, Dr. Russell Moore. This is his video on socialism.

What Socialism Means and Why Russell Moore Thinks It Fails

One of you asked me about socialism. And it may be a difficult thing for me to talk about because I have very strong feelings on it just as a person. Not necessarily as a Christian, but I hate socialism.

All right, so let's just stop right there. So we're about 20 seconds into this video. He started off with a very winsome, very serious music. And I'm still waiting for someone to give me an answer as to why this kind of gospel coalition type stuff always has music just like that.

Is it scientifically proven to increase persuasiveness? But anyway, he starts off with this statement. He hates socialism. That is a strong statement. You don't usually hear that kind of strength coming from a video by Russell Moore or one of these kinds of guys.

They don't usually use that kind of very harsh sort of dividing line rhetoric. So you might wonder what is going on here. Why is he using the word hate for socialism? Because as far as a lot of us knew, he was kind of sympathetic towards Democrats and socialism in general.

But here he is saying, I hate socialism. So I think you should pay attention here because I'm not sure exactly what Russell Moore is up to here. But the fact that he starts off with a very clear statement, I hate socialism, is extremely interesting.

Now, if you notice, also, he just said, as a person, I hate it, not so much as a Christian. And that's got me interested too because I'm not sure how you can divide up yourself as a person. Presumably, he is a Christian.

So if you hate it personally, but as a Christian, you don't hate it, what does that mean? Well, I think we're going to see what that means in just a moment. Let's just listen to this, and I'm going to try not to interrupt too much.

Anyway, let's go.

I don't think it works. I think it's based on a really faulty view of human nature and the way the world works, but also because my oldest sons we adopted from an orphanage in Russia out of the wreckage of the Soviet Union, one of these utopian so-called socialist experiments that was, of course, not only a failure, but also ended up killing a lot of people.

So I have strong feelings on socialism, but let's step back a little bit and just look at it morally. Now, we live in a time of forgetfulness, and that shows up in kind of the two dominating, not dominating because most people aren't necessarily in these camps, but they're the places where all the energy seems to be right now around the world, and that's in populism.

People don't remember where that kind of blood and soil sort of identity, isolationist kind of politics leads, and socialism. People don't remember what socialism actually is or what it has done.

So let me stop here for a second. There's two things I want to point out here. This is so interesting. We need to do a little speech act theory on this whole video because people are asking, what is he up to here?

What is Dr. Russell Moore up to here? First things first. The first thing he brings up is a bunch of pragmatic reasons why he hates socialism. So I thought that was interesting in itself because he says it doesn't work.

It doesn't have the right view of mankind. A lot of people died, and I adopted kids from the wreckage of socialism, and all of those might be good reasons to hate socialism, but really they're not the point because we don't decide what's good or bad based on the results necessarily.

We don't decide what's a good system or what's a bad system based on subjective sort of personal feelings and personal results like the fact that he adopted some kids from the wreckage of socialism doesn't tell you whether or not socialism is a good thing or a bad thing.

It doesn't tell you the fact that it doesn't work. The question we have to ask, who defines works? What does it mean that it doesn't work? What was it supposed to be like? You know what I mean? So these are pragmatic reasons, and they might be true.

I agree, socialism is evil. It doesn't work. It leads to deaths, all this kind of stuff. I agree with all that stuff, but that's not really fundamentally why I oppose it. I oppose it because biblically, objectively speaking, it is evil.

It breaks the law of God. But anyway, we'll let him continue because maybe he'll get into that in a minute. But also, do you see how he sees the world? He's dividing up the world. Now, he's a smart man, so he's not going to say, well, everyone falls into these two categories.

But the way he sees the world is primarily two things. It's primarily blood and soil, nationalism, or socialism. Honestly, it gives you a window into how he thinks and why he thinks the way he thinks.

That's not how I would divide up the world. Blood and soil or socialism. Those are the only two options.

Interesting. You can have these posters and T-shirts of Shay, for instance, as though he were a heroic figure rather than a bloodthirsty murderer and terrorist, which he was. So the question is, is socialism Christian?

Let's stop right there.

Let's stop right there. I'm very grateful that he took a stand on Che Guevara. I think this is trying to throw a bone to conservatives because a lot of people point out that Che Guevara was an evil person and people pretend like he's this hero.

And so I'm glad he did that, but it's not very controversial. If you're a Christian and you think Che Guevara is a hero, you've got some serious problems. You've got some serious worldview problems. So thanks for throwing us the bone, but is that really praiseworthy to recognize that an evil terrorist monster was an evil terrorist monster?

I don't really think so. But anyway, let's continue. He's about to talk about, is socialism Christian? All right, here we go.

Whether a Christian Can Be a Socialist

What you might mean by that is, well, can somebody be a socialist and a Christian? Of course. People can be in almost any sort of political system and can be right or wrong about those things and still trust in Christ.

All right, stop right there.

And I want all of you social justice advocates to hear what he said right there because I kind of agree with him. I kind of agree with him. I don't think that's what most people mean when they say, is socialism Christian?

But if that is what you mean, if you mean, can someone be a Christian and claim to be a socialist as well? Sure, you can. You'd be inconsistent. You'd have problematic beliefs. You'd have worldview issues.

But, yes, Christ can forgive the sin of advocating for socialism. So listen up, social justice wars, because a lot of you would like to pretend like you can't be a Christian and advocate for slavery. You can't be.

Was George Whitfield even a Christian? I don't know. This statement has put a stop to that. Okay? Now, these are questions we need to explore because we need to also wonder, can someone be a white nationalist and be a Christian?

Dr. Russell Moore, I'd like to hear your answer on that. Can someone be in the white nationalist party in the United States and be a Christian? According to what you just said, the answer has to be yes, and I would agree.

However, I'd be interested to hear your answer.

People mean when they ask that is, well, what about socialism itself? Is it consistent with a Christian view of reality?

This is the real question that most people mean when they say, is socialism Christian? Let's hear what he has to say.

And in order to answer that, we really have to define terms. And one of the reasons it's hard to talk about this in the short time that we have is because we don't even really know often when we have this conversation what socialism is.

Because there are some people who every time there's a government program that they don't like, they'll call that socialist. So Social Security was called socialist, and Medicare was called socialist, and the Tennessee Valley Authority was called socialist.

And all of these things have happened, and yet we're not a socialist country. Well, why? Because everybody but sort of extreme anarcho-libertarians following after Ayn Rand and people like that, everybody else would agree there ought to be a safety net of some sort.

That the government should do something to provide for people who cannot provide for themselves.

The Safety Net, the State, and the Meaning of Socialism

And just like that, the video is completely irrelevant to any conversation that's being had currently about socialism. Just like that, he's defined himself into irrelevancy. Because at the end of the day, he might be right.

Most people think that the government should offer a safety net for people, should offer Social Security or Medicare or whatever the other things he mentioned there. Yeah, that might be true. Most people agree with that.

But the question is, the question that's being asked, is that kind of thing godly? Is that kind of thing allowed in God's conception of what a government ought to be? That's the question. So it doesn't matter if most people agree with this.

The question is, and honestly, I don't even care if you call it socialism. See, that's the other thing. He's about to make this video irrelevant by saying, only if you do it exactly this way and it's a pure communism and things like that.

And that's irrelevant. Look, if you don't want to consider the arguments for people that say, you know, because there are arguments for people that people make that say, this is why the Social Security program is a socialist scheme.

We might not be a socialist country, but Social Security is a socialist scheme. This is why Medicare is a socialist scheme. This is why these welfare programs are socialist schemes. If you don't agree with them using the word socialism there, fine, but we're still going to talk about these things because this is what's at stake.

This is what we're talking about. This is what people mean when they mean socialism and socialistic ideas and things like that. So this whole video, he just made it irrelevant by saying, well, you know, everyone agrees in a little bit of socialism.

All while he's pretending to hate and deny socialism. I don't care what you call it. What I'm asking are, are these government schemes biblical? Are they allowable according to the scripture? Let's see what he has to say about that.

The disagreements come in with how big that should be.

No, that's not where the disagreements begin. And it's not just all anarcho-capitalists and on-rand followers and things like that. Notice how he just kind of dismisses on-rand as well. Like, those guys are crazy, you know what I mean?

Like, that's not an argument. Dr. Russell Moore, that's not an argument. We're talking about the Bible here. We're talking about ethics and justice according to the scripture, right?

How intrusive that should be or how generous that should be, depending on the way that you view it.

That might be the argument most people are having, but that's not the argument that we need to have. We need to talk about the legitimacy of these programs at square one. Does the Bible allow the government to do that kind of stuff?

Because at the end of the day, the government can do whatever it wants if it had its own resources, but it doesn't. It takes those resources from people. That's the problem. So we're asking, is that idea that the government can take resources from some and provide to others, is that biblical?

Is that allowable? That's the question. That's the only question.

When I'm talking about socialism, I'm talking about actual socialism where the state owns the means of production.

Great. Well, that's wonderful. You're against communism. Thank you very much. I guess, I mean, do we need to talk about this for 10 minutes? I guess there are legitimate communists out there. I understand that.

But you see why I say this video has become irrelevant? Because this is not the argument that most everybody—. Look, he just said most people are debating how much government intrusion can happen and how much government programs can happen.

Yeah, well, most people are already against communism, so what's the point of the video?

What I'm talking about usually these days is democratic socialism. So not totalitarian communism such as we would see in the Soviet Union or Cuba or China, but instead a kind of socialism that comes about, the advocates would say, through democratic processes.

And we get to this final step where the means of production are owned by the state. So why is that attractive? Well, again, people don't remember some of the socialist experiments that we've seen around the world, but also because there are some real problems in a capitalist economy.

Capitalism, Automation, and Why Socialism Seems Attractive

Stop right there. Why is it attractive? Why is socialism attractive? Why is a state that owns the means of production—because let's just take him at his word. Obviously, he's trying to put this wall of separation between totally owning the means of production and only kind of owning some of the means of production or only kind of taking some of your money and things like that.

There is no wall there philosophically because at the end of the day, if the government can take from some and give to others a little bit by force— because the thing is, we've got to remember this. This is all done by force because if you don't pay into Social Security, you will be arrested.

Everything that the government does, they do at gunpoint theoretically. So in other words, if you don't pay your taxes, they're going to come for you. And if you refuse to go with them, they are going to kill you.

I mean, that's the thing. So if it's allowable to do it a little bit, where is the moral principle? This guy is an ethicist, right? This guy leads the ethics and religious liberties, whatever it's called.

If they're allowed to do it for Social Security and Medicare and welfare and things like that, why can't they just do it a little bit more? You see, we've got to be consistent here. This is about principles.

This is not about pragmatics. That's what he's trying to make it about—pragmatics. It's not about that. It's about principles. What is the principle in it? Can the government take from you in order to give to another?

No, not according to the Bible. So then total socialism is disallowed, but also kind of a little bit halfway socialism is not allowed either. It doesn't matter if they do it by a violent revolution or if they do it by vote.

It's still violence either way. It's still being promoted at the point of a gun. So the question is, why is socialism attractive to people? Well, because people have larceny in their heart. They want to take from some and give to others.

People have a lust for power. People like stealing. People like violence. That's why socialism is attractive. Let's call it what it is. We're talking biblical here. Why do people vote for the government to steal from some to give to others?

Because they like larceny. They're thieves. That's why.

You can see that with income inequality. Many people are very concerned about the fact that you have some people who are very, very rich. Other people who are very, very poor.

He's listing the problems of capitalism. There's rich and poor people. That's a problem in capitalism. By what standard, Dr. Russell Moore? You're an ethicist, so where in the Bible does it say that an income inequality is a problem?

I could wait forever. You'll never find it. And I can show you Bible verses where it says that income inequalities are completely legitimate.

How is that fair and just? Also because capitalism, and I'm a convinced capitalist, but it brings with it…. I mean pornography is a capitalist enterprise. There are a lot of things that capitalism can bring that are not morally good.

And then you look around the world, and you see these global changes with automation and so forth. You see a lot of people losing their jobs and losing their communities. And so socialism can seem attractive.

Private Property, Theft, and the Bible’s Economic Order

Okay, so capitalism has problems because of income inequality. That's not fair and just. Pornography, that's evil. I think we can all agree that pornography is evil. And automation. It's hard for me to really take this seriously because, you know, automation….

Look, it's a short-term temporary problem, right? So if we can figure out how to automate my job, for example, okay? We could figure out how to automate my job. That puts me out of a job, right? And so that's bad for me, theoretically.

But is it bad in general that we've automated my job? No, it's not. No, it's not. Because now we can do a lot more with a lot less. And so profits are increased and available capital for other enterprises are increased.

And the thing is, we can't predict…. Hold on one second here. This is funny. Hold on. Let me just read this. This is Gabe. Gabe Wrench from CrossPolitik just texted me. He says, Hey, you can guest preach all you want in Vermont, but you still need to pack up your family and move them out here.

I forget what I was saying. Oh, right. So automation, right. So automation is done to improve productivity, right? Productivity. And why would somebody want to improve productivity? Well, it frees up capital and resources for other enterprises, other things.

And so all I might see, because I'm the one that's being replaced by automation, I might see, oh my goodness, I've lost a job. But what I don't see is all of the opportunities that are created by automating my job.

Do you see what I'm saying? So all you got to do is think a few steps ahead and realize that these are not problems, right? It's possible to get rid of pornography in a capitalist society. Okay, it's possible.

Just like, I mean, let's just continue. To some people.

Here's what I would say about that. Now the Bible does not mandate a particular economic system.

Is that right? Is that right? So then why are we talking about this? If the Bible doesn't mandate a particular economic system, why are we talking about this? Because if the Bible doesn't mandate it, so then why not do socialism?

I don't know. I mean, the fact is that's not true. The Bible absolutely does mandate a particular economic system because it allows the government to do certain things. And it allows the government to use force and violence to enforce certain laws and not others.

And so everything else is free exchange. The Bible's economic system is cooperation, negotiation, free exchange. No price setting. No wage setting. None of that stuff. It's all free negotiation, free contracts, and the government can enforce a contract.

That's it. I mean, to deny that is just to deny that the Bible speaks about any of these issues. And so again, why are we talking about this? Why do we have social justice warriors telling us that it's so horrible to be a white nationalist if the Bible doesn't even talk about this kind of stuff?

That's what I'm wondering. It absolutely does talk about this stuff. You just don't like what it says.

It doesn't give us an economic blueprint. Yes, it does. Let's hear what he has to say in the but. The Bible does reveal some principles, one of those being that there is such a thing as private property.

So even in the Ten Commandments, you shall not steal. In order to steal, there has to be a connection between what you have and what you don't have, what belongs to you or belongs to your family and what belongs to someone else.

You can see that even in the injustice that is done with Ahab taking the land of Naboth in 1 Kings 21. This is Naboth's property.

Do you see my problem here? Do you see why this video is so irrelevant? And I'm sorry. I try to be as respectful as possible in these videos. But this man, his expertise is ethics. His expertise is ethics.

And he just got done saying the Bible does not promote a certain economic system. It does not give us a blueprint for that system. And in the next breath, he says, but it talks about private property.

In the law, you shall not steal. That obviously implies private property. There are certain things that are yours and certain things that are not yours. And the example he uses is unbelievable. He uses the example of the king taking a field from somebody in the scripture and how that was wrong.

So the government can steal. The government...

Let me just calm down. Woosa. Woosa. His inheritance is being taken away. And that's consistent with the rest of the Bible. Adam is created with a connection between his labor and his life. You will bring forth bread from the ground.

Jesus indicates that that's pointing to something even more primal. I see what my father is doing, and I share in that.

So if the Bible doesn't have a standard for economics, an economic system blueprint that it puts forward, then why was what the king did to Naboth wrong? He stole his land. The government stole his land.

Why was that wrong? If the Bible doesn't put forward justice in economics, what is justice and what is not? Why can't I steal? Why can't I vote for others to steal for me? Why can't I team up with a whole bunch of people, declare ourselves kings of the land, and steal from everybody?

You see, here's the thing. A lot of you guys out there say taxation is theft, and that's all you say. And I get that. I understand the sentiment, and in general, I agree. However, taxation is not necessarily theft.

There is some taxation, very small. There is some taxation that is allowable according to the Scripture. Most taxation is theft. Most taxation is theft because the government does not own your property.

And so when it takes your income, when it takes your income from you, when it takes your inheritance from you, when it takes your property from you via taxes, that's unjust. That is stealing. The government can steal.

He just got done saying that. And so therefore, all this idea about welfare, Medicaid, Social Security, all this stuff that the government takes from you by force, that's stealing. That's wrong. It's against the Bible's economic system, economic blueprint that it puts forward.

And so socialism is stealing. It's wrong because it's stealing. It's wrong because it breaks God's law. It's wrong because we can't team up with people and all decide we're going to vote for stealing.

It doesn't work that way. We can't vote for sin. We can't vote for our government to do sin. Otherwise, we're in sin. And so socialism is wrong, not because it doesn't work, not because of the violence, not because of the fact that these nations didn't pan out.

No, it's wrong because it's stealing. It breaks the law of God. That's why it's wrong. Anyway, so my kids just came inside, so I'm going to end this here. We'll probably pick up and watch the rest of this video as well because this is so interesting because I want to talk about what Russell Moore is up to with this.

What's the strategy with this video? Why is he putting this video out right now? And why is it so irrelevant to actual issues in the church and actual issues that are being kicked around right now? Because it is, and I wonder.

I don't know, obviously, his mind, but I have some theories, and I do want to talk about them. So anyway, let's continue this later. I hope this was helpful. God bless. Hey, Adam, that wasn't very windfall.

Hey, Smooth A .D. approves of this video very much so. I believe Dr. Russell Moore. I want to hear more of what he has to say. Maybe next time we'll talk about white nationalism, and you'll say he hates white nationalism.

I don't know. I don't know, baby. Anyway, I hope this was smooth. God bless.