Socialism is no more an evil word than Christianity. Socialism no more prescribed Joseph Stalin and his secret police and shuttered churches than Christianity prescribed the Spanish Inquisition. Christianity and socialism alike, in fact, prescribe a society dedicated to the proposition that all men, women, and children are created equal and shall not starve.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The author defends socialism by comparing its historical failures to those of Christianity, arguing both promise equality.
- In plain terms
- Socialism is not worse than Christianity; both promise equality.
- What can you take from it?
- Ideologies should be judged by their ideals, not just their failures.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we judge political systems?
- What do ideologies promise?
Another view
It simplifies complex historical outcomes of both systems.
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