Christians: when you hear someone is a socialist do you relate that to atheist?

I was raised Catholic and there was a time where I was brainwashed to think Atheists were soulless individuals who were destined to spend eternity in purgatory. In my twenties I walked away from the Catholic church and have considered myself an Agnostic and as a Catholic I was too young to fully understand the concept of socialism beyond the schoolbook definition in how socialistic regimes were oppressive and for the most part bad compared to our way of life. I think my own experience back then with not having a full understanding of what it truly means to be a socialist or communist, many people similarly will employ their perception of these belief structures incorrectly. I see and hear this almost daily and learned it is a futile pursuit to try and correct those that misapply these concepts of Socialism or Communism all because these beliefs they hold are often backed by their firm religious beliefs and it is a no win situation trying to mess with anyone’s firm religious beliefs.

I do think that here in the US there is a tendency to use the terms communist and socialist interchangeably and, since we are taught that one of the key tenets to communism is rabid atheism then by association socialists get tarred with the same brush.

Note, this is not the view of a Christian (as requested in the original question) but those of a Frisbeterian.

If a Communist is also an atheist wouldn’t a Socialist be considered more of an agnostic?

A Communist is a Socialist, since Communism is a form of Socialism, and there are many types (over 20) of Socialism. I doubt that ALL Socialists could be considered Atheist.

@kritiper You doubt Christians (as a group) think socialists are all atheists? Or, you personally doubt it?

@JLeslie No. There are some, but not all could be. For example, I have written “letters to the editor” in my local newspaper on the subject of Atheism vs. Theism (and vise-versa), had many responses, but have only been called a Communist once. So, yes, I “doubt Christians (as a group) think socialists are all atheists.”

What are kibbutz? Isn’t that a Jewish collective that runs on a communist system where it all collective? So, that is religion/communism, right? I don’t think economic systems dictate any particular religious leaning. They stop being economic systems and more social re-education, like Marx.

I often remind people who identify as Christian about Sermon on the Mount when they argue about my ‘socialist’ views.

@cazzie Are you meaning to point out kibbutz to Christians who might associate atheism with communism? Or, are you talking to me as the OP?

@JLeslie I’m saying that the two systems are quite separate and people saying your a communist because you are an atheist is like saying you’re a ballerina because you are vegetarian…. the two are unrelated and you should just let them know, nicely, that their ignorance is showing. They are just throwing around what they think are pejorative without actually knowing what the words mean.

Plenty of examples that don’t fit their very flawed paradigm. Like the kibbutz.

@cazzie To an American Evangelical Christian who grew up during the Cold War I think they tend to put the two things together. We did add under God to the pledge to show how we are different than those atheist commies. Russia got rid of religion. It’s a way for people to worship their political leader rather than God. There is a belief that most people want to believe in something. Worship something. We could argue even our political leaders have some of that from their followers. So many people think their favorite politician can do no wrong.

I think people confuse the idea that communist leaders have outlawed religion and God with atheists being communists. It doesn’t work in the vice versa. A=B, but B doesn’t equal A.

As far as the Kibbutz, I have no idea how religious those people are, or if they usually are atheists or theists. I assume they have some of each. We are talking about Jews afterall.

The Russian Bolsheviks tried to destroy the church because of its involvement in the ruling class. It was a part and parcel of the aristocracy. It wasn’t communism that was anti-religion, it was Marxism being anti-church. Historically, the church put its power and used Monarchies to gain power and money from feudal systems. It was political.

@cazzie To the Evangelicals here they see the two together. Some of them do anyway. They couple atheism and communism together.

Some answers above show that it might not be a majority of Christians who think that way. I’m glad about that. I never thought it would most of them really, just a large enough number that it might have some significance.

Part of my curiosity is because of Bernie Sanders and Obama as I said above. If calling someone a socialist is like calling them the devil, without God, and is more than just a comment on politics and government.

They are just throwing around what they think are pejoratives without actually knowing what the words mean.

@cazzie For then it means bad. UnAmerican. Godless.