The unspeakable word in all socialism is the word “force.” In the 13th century, St. Bonaventure asked an interesting question: “What is the most powerful created power in the universe?” His answer might surprise you. His answer? Human free will. Quantitatively speaking humans are so small that they will become invisible to certain high flying aircraft. And yet, according to St. Bonaventure, God Himself will not “force” a human free will. No angel or demon can force a human free will either. One can read all four of the holy Gospels from cover to cover and never find Jesus advocating force. Jesus has uttered the harshest sayings against the rich. But never will one find him advocating forcing the rich to part with their wealth. And Jesus has uttered the sweetest sayings about the poor. But not once does Jesus advocate any kind of force to correct injustice against the poor. Force, which is such a vital element of Marxist and other forms of socialism, can find no justification in the holy Gospels.

There is a motel in my city which provides rooms for those who come from all over the world to receive partial birth abortions. Housing for those seeking abortions and minivan transportation to the abortion death camps are provided by funds from organizations which receive federal funds. Those funds come from taxes that are withheld from our income. Laws protect those forced taxes. Federal law enforcement agencies are tasked with en-force-ing those laws. Civil and criminal penalties are a consequence of non-compliance with such force. Fully staffed correctional institutions exist to imprison those who violate tax law, even when the law protects funds that eventually go to pay a motel to house and transport women seeking to kill their own children to an abortion death camp.

Income redistribution requires force. It is not voluntary. But force has nothing to do with the Gospel of our Lord. God did not force Adam and Eve to refrain from the forbidden fruit. God did not force Cain to stop before he killed his brother Abel and with Abel half of humanity. God does not force anyone through the gates of Heaven. God will not trespass against human free will. If you hear someone proclaiming the message of Jesus while using the word force or even implying the word force, they are a false prophet. They are not teaching the Gospel of the Lord.

Henri de Saint Simon thought the state had the right to force people to be good according to his speculative abstract theory of goodness. Karl Marx followed in his footsteps and radicalized this thought. Forcing people to be good according to what the state “currently thinks” is “good” was advocated by FDR and Lyndon Johnson. President Obama also thinks it is good to force people to be good according to what he considers good and he considers abortion on demand good. Mr. Obama’s “theory” of the goodness that must be forced on us is an expansion of liberties for Planned Parenthood and continual restrictions on the Pro-Life movement. Mr. Obama “allows” me to carry a sign protesting abortion in front of an abortion clinic. But I am “forced” to stand a certain distance away. Today I may carry a sign with a graphic image of a slaughtered innocent. But tomorrow Mr. Obama may decide that such a sign is too graphic and he may push through legislation to ban such signs. Next year he may decide that I should be “forced” to stand 50 feet away from the abortion death camp. Or he may force me to no longer carry a rosary because atheists are offended by the sight of the rosary. There is no socialism without force. God does not use such force against human free will. Neither should the government.