Now I’m 65 – Obedience to Christ or Social Security

Three years ago to the day I did the video “Obedience to Christ or Social Security”. That day I turned 62 and qualified for early retirement. Today I qualify for full retirement and remain, as stated thee years ago, fully committed to never taking any benefits from the Social Security System as it is theft.

This will be a brief review of why the system is a Ponzi scheme and will collapse in time. It with then be reiterated why it is theft. A consideration will then be given to those with expectations in or dependent on the system. Then concluding why the ultimate goal is toward the destruction of the family.

However, a bit of what I find to be a humorous precursor. There is a verse in Psalms that seems more relevant to this issue than first appears. Psalm 2 verse 4 starts with “He who sits in the heavens laughs”. Yesterday, the day before my birthday, a good friend shared a hike with me and took me to lunch. A sign across the street from where we got our food was more than applicable to today. I hope you see the humor in it.

Why the Social Security is a Ponzi scheme

There was an in depth review of the history of the Social Security System in the video 3 years ago, but in general it is a system of income transfer and not an investment program. Those paying into the system are simply funding those receiving from the system. It is a Ponzi scheme as can be seen that in the 1935 inception of the program there were about 16 paying into the system for every person receiving benefits. Today it is about half that number paying in for each person receiving. When the tax rates essentially doubled several decades ago it fueled a divide between the payers and the receivers. As demographics change, another increase in the taxation rate will have to come and the divide will grow wider.

Another friend points to the paper by John Attarian “The Roots of the Social Security Myth” that documents this well. The solution proposed of how to gracefully end the system I agree with and actually proposed it myself in the 1990s. In time the system will end. If it ends gracefully is the question.

Why is Social Security theft?

If one of your neighbors steals your car, does that give you the right to steal the car of a different neighbor for yourself? If you say yes, you are by definition a communist as you are assuming all property is in common and probably assume the state will be the regulating agent. This proclamation will be of no value to you.

You might find “theft” an appropriate description of what your first neighbor did to you and it would also be applicable to you if you do the same to another.

However, if your first neighbor hires an agent to act on his behalf to steal your car, are not both the agent and the neighbor thieves? Even when you use an agent to steal your other neighbor’s car, both you and your agent are thieves.

If your neighbor is using his agent, the US Government, to take from you a Social Security tax for his benefit, they are still thieves, but the agent has bigger guns than you do.

The Bible makes it clear in Romans 13:7 that we are to “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed…” However, note carefully we are called to pay, but there is no call or even license to receive a benefit from taxes. Is this fair? Of course not, but the point is obedience to Christ. We have no option but to pay in and not receive.

If you now use your agent, the US Government, to take from a different neighbor via a Social Security tax on them, you are now the thief. Do you remember Exodus 20:15 “You shall not steal”?

But you say you paid in and are only getting your fair share. That sounds like a good excuse, but remember the reality is that the money was not an investment, but taken from you as a tax, or theft. You are not getting an investment back. If you take it now, you are stealing from others as it was stolen from you. You are a thief.

But you say this is not fair! If you are a follower of Christ then follow Christ. You might remember Jesus on the cross. Was that fair? Did He not ask you to take up your cross and follow Him?

What about those with expectations in or dependent on Social Security?

Consider someone who operates a whorehouse and is depending on the income for their livelihood. After decades of doing this they come to realize that this is inconsistent with obedience to Christ, yet this is all they know. Would you offer compassion to someone trying to free himself or herself from what was so comfortable? Do you offer grace as they transition to a life that is a radical departure to what they knew. Would you offer compassion for the mistakes made alone the way?

If the person is someone you know, can you think of a way to help the transition. Would you do so even it if was costly to you?

If the person is a family member, is not your consideration of them all the more important? We will dwell on this more in a bit.

If it is you, you know how hard it will be to change your focus of trust in the state to trust in the Lord. You probably know the Lord is able and now what is set before you is the need to trust Him.

It is much easier to warn someone before they become dependent on the state, than to be there for them after they have become a dependent. Or is it?

The ultimate goal is the destruction of the family

I contend that the only institution the Lord instituted is the family. You will have difficulty finding a command by the Lord for man to set up any institution from government, corporate, or even religious. However, His first command to man in Genesis 1:28 is to “be fruitful and multiply” which yields a family. Marriage is formally declared in Geneses 2:24 with “they shall become one flesh” which is repeated thought-out the Bible. The relationship between God and His elect or His bride is mirrored in the relationship between a husband and his wife. If you are an enemy of God you would strike at His heart, or His family and the mirror of it in man’s family.

One of the many ways to see this happening is the history of communism as spelled out in 1848 with the Manifesto of the Communist Party, the Communist Confession of Faith, and other documents of the time. You can see a common theme of atomizing the individual to move his loyalty to the state and it will take generations to do. One of the many ways that was lived out in the United States was the introduction of the Social Security System. As the communist model requires the link between parent and child to be broken by removing the need to love and care for the child or the parent.

But what is the model set out by Christ including in the area of what we call retirement?

We see a model set out in 1st Timothy 5 that demonstrates this multi-generational relationship.

In verse 4 we see a widow is to be taken care of by her children, not the state. Note also that this is to make a return not just to the mom or grandmother, but to parents. This might be in showing love and care for a dad who is still alive, but clearly is showing love to the dad by taking care of his wife when he is dead.

But then dad is to set this in place as seen in verse 8 where he is called to provide or literally to perceive or think of beforehand. This is seen in that he is commanded in Deuteronomy 6 to teach his children, which includes who is the Lord and what the Lord commands of His followers. The husband and dad does NOT prepare for his wife an insurance policy or retirement package, but a family to take care of her that knows her and loves her.

The dad trains his children to know Exodus 20 verse 12 to “Honor your father and your mother”. He then points them to Ephesians 6 that this is for their benefit too and “that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you”

The bottom line is that the Lord’s retirement plan is the family, and love is shown to those without families by other families.

My suggestion is, if you want to be part of the Social Security program, you should put your hand over your heart and shout “hail victory”. English or German is OK.

However, especially if you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, I contend that you are called to live it by trusting the Lord and not the state. Show love to your family, parents and children. Where there are those without family, show love to them too. They are the least of these! (Matthew 25)