The Illusion of Utopia
By Greg Satterfield Owner at Pro Car Search on CCC
I grew up in a small town located in Posey county Indiana. In our county is a small town by the name of New Harmony. It has an interesting beginning and history to it and to this day it is still a small town with tourist interest. The town was originally founded by a German immigrant, George Rapp. The town grew for a decade, most of its citizens came from Pennsylvania. The first men to arrive bought 7,000 acres and eventually they built a thriving economic community which grew to more than 20,000 acres. The group decided to put the town up for sale so that they might be able to move back to Pennsylvania to be around a more German influenced population that shared their language and culture.
On January 3, 1825, a group known as the Harmonists sold their town to Robert Owen, a Welsh-born industrialist and social reformer, and his financial partner, William Maclure. When the sale was completed it was renamed to New Harmony. Owen and Maclure hoped to establish a new utopian community through free education and the abolition of social classes and personal wealth. William Maclure, a well-respected geologist, attracted many important scholars to New Harmony, including naturalist, geologist, educators, and early feminists. It soon became known as a center for advances in education and scientific research and the residents established the first free library, a civic drama club, and a public-school system open to men and women. However, Owen’s social experiment was an economic failure and it was dissolved by 1827. It only took two years to bring down a thriving community that had developed commerce and free trade. The socialist experiment is now just a small tourist town located in southwest Indiana with a population of just 750 people.
You don’t have to travel too far in Indiana to find a “utopia” community that failed. But there are countries worldwide who are still searching for their own utopia. Utopia’s meaning is this: “an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.” I love the second word of the definition, “imagined”. This is the concept that socialism tries to portray to draw people into their mousetrap. Political leaders often like to paint a picture of a perfect socialist system that spreads wealth, prosperity, and opportunities equally throughout society. Unfortunately, time and time again these systems fail and often leave more people impoverished and lacking than they were before. Venezuela is our modern-day example of just how quickly a flourishing prosperous nation can fall into economic chaos. Right now, it will cost you over $150.00 to buy a dozen eggs in Venezuela!
Here are some wise words to remember: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of the other people’s money.” Margaret Thatcher. Winston Churchill put it this way. “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” The only ones who don’t share in the misery are those who are in power. That’s why you see them fight so hard to gain power and then feed the people the leftovers. I don’t want to live in a country where I have to pay $150 for a dozen eggs, I don’t want to hand over all the money I have and watch other people run through it until there’s no more left. Winston Churchill stated it right, socialism’s evil root is the gospel of envy, envy both of power and money.
The Bible gives us lots of sound advice to follow when it comes to daily living. The Apostle Paul said this: “If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.” 2 Thessalonians 3:8. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23. The Bible speaks much about being content and trusting God for all we need. Jesus gives us these wise and true words. “Do not worry then, saying, “What will we eat or what will we drink?” for your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:31-33. Socialism starts with worry and the fear that we won’t have enough to eat, drink or wear. Ironically, people find out that when they trust socialism, they really do have to worry about what or if they will have something to eat, drink or wear. But God promises that if we trust Him and His principles that we will always have everything we need.
We are at a crossroads here in America today. Do we want to continue to be the county that says and means: “In God we trust.”? Or do we want to put our trust in other people’s hands who do not stand by Godly principles, who want to remove God from every aspect of our lives and do not have the same respect for life that God has? The choice is ours, no man or woman we vote into office will ever be perfect. However, we do need to vote for the ones who publicly support the Bible and those who hold our Christian faith as absolute and necessary for the continuation and survival of this nation. God gives us freewill to make the choice, I pray that you and I will choose wisely. God can and will continue to bless this country if we put Him first and trust Him to work out everything else for our good and to His glory. In God we trust is more than a saying, it is a way of life. As followers of Jesus Christ we need to be clear about Who we are trusting and those who represent us need to hold true to His ways as well. Our vote must clearly stand with those who will stand to follow Him and those who will put their hands on the Bible and unashamedly say, “So help me God.” May God continue to bless the United States of America.