Is Leftist Socio-Politics Compatible With Christianity?

The French Revolution: A Leftist Crime

My basic thesis is that Leftist socio-politics is a socio-political doctrine diametrically opposed to the Christian faith and the social teaching of the church, and is a danger to a healthy, organic society. It erodes faith, destroys the family, corrupts culture, and enslaves those under its rule. These facts are clearly witnessed to in history, from the Soviet Union to Cuba and beyond, wherever Leftist ideology has taken root, culture and people have suffered violence and extinction. It is often called "Liberalism" today, but what we're seeing emerge around the world isn't classic Liberalism. It is important not to confuse classical Liberalism with the Leftists of today, since one differs significantly from the other. Only the name has been retained, the more easily, I suspect, to deceive the public. Classical Liberalism is a system, or rather a political tendency, opposed to Monarchy (true conservatism, historically speaking), favoring the participation of the citizens in the government of the State, and procuring, particularly, a large autonomy of individuals and families, of private associations communities, and provinces, in the administration of their own interests. It was, in other words, a tendency toward political and social Libertarianism. Christians can agree, in principle, with a certain degree of civil liberty, though we may disagree with the classical Liberal on the form that may take. We can agree that everyone, within the reasonable limits of natural law, has the freedom to dispose of his person, of his acts; to embrace the life or the profession he pleases; to form associations for an honest purpose; to dispose of his material goods during his life by will, according to the inspiration of his conscience, and without interference on the part of the civil power. Christians also desire the sovereignty of their country, and freedom to govern according to its own laws. None of these things are at all advanced or respected by the modern Leftists, more appropriately known as Socialists. While a Christian can live in a classical Liberal Republic, such as the United States, he can equally live quite peacefully under a Christian monarch, and need not attach himself to a Republic. In fact, even classical Liberal Republics present certain theological and social problems for the discerning Christian.

It isn't easy to give a precise and full definition of Leftist ideology, for the simple reason that it is really a purely negative system, a cancerous ideology, and because of this it is seen in numerous guises. It exists in opposition to things, not truly in support of anything, and is in a constant state of turmoil as it invents new enemies to  be eradicated, until it achieves absolute power, when it then turns on its subjects. Nevertheless, I'll attempt to distinguish three classes of Leftists commonly found today, to which others can easily be assigned. 

A. Radical Leftists-This type is quite blatant in their desire to remove every spiritual and moral restraint that would hinder their Socialist/Communist agenda, which aims at destroying the very foundations of traditional Western social order. Of this type of Leftist Pope Leo XIII wrote, in his famous encyclical on Human Liberty: "The partisans of naturalism and of rationalism are in philosophy what the abettors of Liberalism are in the moral and civil order, since they introduce into morals and practical life the principles laid down by the partisans of naturalism. According to them, in practical life there is no divine power which they are bound to obey, but each one is a law unto himself. This gives rise to that morality called independent and which, under an appearance of liberty, turns the will from the observance of the divine precepts and leads man to unlimited license." We see this today with the promotion of the LGBTQ social agenda, the desire to give voting rights to convicted felons (even those serving time in prison currently), a denial of the biological fact of gender, etc. The Radical Leftist seeks to force his social views on Christians by force of law if possible, or by intimidation and social ostracizing if necessary or desired. The most violent expression of this ideology today is found in Antifa. Needless to say, there is absolute ideological animosity between traditional Christianity and Radical Leftist social dogma, which is really identical with Naturalism and Relativism. 

B. Separationist Leftists-This Leftist doesn't formally deny dependence of Man upon God; they're satisfied to affirm the absolute independence of civil society and the State from any spiritual or moral principles arising from religion. According to them, the divine laws can regulate the life and conduct of individuals, if they wish, but not that of the State. They support public laws that violate the commands of God, and legislate without any regard to them. This is what we know as the Separation of Church and State and the constant drone of the motto "keep religion and politics separate". You hear this one even from so-called "conservatives" today. This milder Leftist ideology may be defined as the doctrine which claims for civil society an absolute independence in regard to religion and religious morality. Or, again, the political dogma which admits but one sovereign authority, the State, and denies the necessary coexistence, distinction, and harmony of the two powers, temporal and spiritual. It may also be called Social Rationalism. It declares the people as a nation, and civil powers of all degrees, exempt from every obligation, and every duty toward any religious authority whatsoever. To them Christian revelation, Jesus Christ, and the church, are as if they didn't exist. They don't concern themselves with the moral laws of God, which is, in their view, a matter of personal conscience alone; the existence of Jesus Christ and of His church in no way affects the action of the State and its various powers. Thus, for example, when the legislature makes laws, the executive power, and the courts in applying them, have no reason to consider whether these laws are or are not conformable to the law of God, or to the expressed will of Jesus Christ. Such Leftists allege that though a man as an individual is free to live in private life as a Christian, he is forbidden to act as such in his public life and in the exercise of his functions. We can see how it is really only a small step from this level of Leftist ideology to that of the radical with regard to faith, the social order, and the State. Another consequence of these Leftist principles is that where the State undertakes the work of instruction or public education, its teaching, called neutral or non-sectarian, must be Atheistic, godless, without any religion; since all opinions must be respected equally, as if all were equally valid and true. Oddly enough, this is violated quite often currently with the forced participation in Islamic religious activities in many public schools around the country. As to ethics or moral teaching, many of these sorts avoid committing themselves, viewing religion through a Relativist filter. There can be no binding rule of morality without a supreme legislator and adequate sanction, so their Relativism absolves them of any duty before God. How could it be imposed upon the conscience, deprived as it is of the truths on which it must necessarily rest? 

C. Leftist "Christianity"-It is hardly to be expected that among Christians living in an atmosphere saturated with the thought disease of Leftist ideologies that there wouldn't be a few here and there contaminated by its teaching. It isn't unusual, therefore, to find those who, whether loosely or firmly attached to the church, and with a laudable desire to further what they consider her true interests, will try to effect an impossible compromise or reconciliation between Leftist ideology and the Christian faith; they will indulge in baseless dreams of a future when the spiritual and temporal power will be absolutely independent one of the other. They will deem it a prudent policy on the part of Christians to ignore Biblical truths opposed to current social or political errors; to refrain from asserting certain rights or moral principles which conflict with modern Social Justice initiatives. Hence, without denying the teaching of Sacred Scripture, they nevertheless, want the moral principles of the faith to be confined within the smallest possible limits, minimized, while Leftist social and political pogroms must be given the widest range; as a result, Christian dogmas must be allowed a wider and more liberal interpretation in accordance with the advance and development of Social Justice ideology and Atheistic concepts of science. Doctrines offensive and distasteful to non-Christians shouldn't be too loudly preached from the pulpit, and certainly not in the public arena, lest these people be offended at our "backward" and "archaic" morality. 

Each of these forms of Leftist ideology share one thing in common- a shared vision that advances Naturalism and Relativism, views orthodox Christianity as an enemy or social ill, affirms the power of the State to govern in an Atheistic and totalitarian manner, and erodes traditional Western European Christian culture by attacking those principles which sustained it as a healthy, organic society.