Socialism/ Communism/ Marxism

For the last 2 months, I've been looking at different aspect of Socialism/ Communism/ Marxism which many assure us to be the same as Christianity--and that they are dead wrong. From even the basic points, Marxism is opposed to so many essential doctrines of Christianity that we can accurately call them opposites in outlook and goal. Yet many in churches look for similarities because they believe the "higher ground" attitude of Communism that says it's out for the average person's best. Looking for fairness, equality and protecting everybody's rights. Of course, one need look no farther than the graves of the 100 million murdered victims of Communist ideals to see such rhetoric is a lie.
Recently, we've seen cities that allow people set up house (or tent) on property upon which they have no legitimate claim. Acting like it's their property. Others can be seen just walking through stores and taking what they want without hurry or even hiding it. It makes me think about the Karl Marx statement that "The theory of Communism may be summed up in one sentence: Abolish all private property." It sounds so much nicer when they sound concerned about the well-being of a few. (The well-being of the people from whom the things or land are being stolen are somehow less interesting.) Again, some Christian sources seem to agree. Confusingly, Pope Francis stated that “We build social justice on the basis of the fact that the Christian tradition has never recognized the right of private property as absolute and untouchable, .... The right of ownership is a secondary natural right," Interestingly, many estimates put the Roman Catholic church’s holdings at close to 177 million acres, or 277,000 square miles.  Just now, I care less about the land holdings of that group than I care about what the Bible has to say for itself about property ownership.
Should Chrisitans not own property? By "property", I don't mean just land -- and neither do the Communists / Socialists.
Well, the Biblical idea of property comes up from THE start--at the beginning of Genesis where man was created in the image of God and commanded to subdue the earth and to have dominion over it. God's authority comes form the fact that He created it. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof: the world and they that dwell therein" (Ps. 24:1) God has chosen to give dominion over the earth to man, subject to His Law, and property is a central aspect of that dominion. The Jubilee laws of Leviticus 25 insured a family that it would always have land so that dominion could be exercised. Property could not be taxed. Even the father could not dispossess his family from the land because of carelessness, poor stewardship, or debt. Fathers were instructed to lay up an inheritance for their children so that the work of dominion under God could continue.
Property ownership is highlighted by at least 2 of the Ten Commandments: the 8th which says, "You shall not steal," and the 10th which strikes at the heart of the entire matter, "You shall not covet. We can't steal or covet something that another does not own. Deuteronomy 19:14 says, “You shall not move your neighbor’s boundary stone which the ancestors have set.” There are many more places this same command is stated. One writer points out that "Naboth was unwilling to sell his vineyard: “The Lord forbid that I should give you [Ahab] the inheritance of my fathers” (1 Kings 21:3). Why? Because property must be seen in the context of a man and his family’s calling under God" as stewards with dominion from God.
In the New Testament, after meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus promises fourfold restitution to those he has defrauded (Luke 19:8). If Jesus was really a communist, why would this have been a proper thing to do? In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul lists habitual thieves as those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. I mentioned other places in the New Testament that are actually VERY contrary to Communism. There are many more. Pastor Geoff