Was Jesus a Socialist?

I see so many in public office now perverting the Gospel, it makes me sick. They quote from the Bible, a book its obvious they rarely read or study, and create their own quasi-religion that will lead them straight to Hell.
So what exactly is Socialism?  Here's Merriam Webster's definition:

Any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property. A system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state.

Basically, it's take from those who have and give to those who have not. It's a way to level out the goods in society and make things "fair".  The only way to do this is for the government to take over businesses and to expand charitable government programs such as unemployment and welfare, housing assistance..etc.. etc...
It all sounds so nice and kind, doesn't it? I mean nobody wants people to go hungry or live on the street, right? Why should one person have a huge mansion with a swimming pool and another live in a 1 room apartment in the worst part of the city?

My answer? Because most likely the guy in the mansion has worked long hours his entire life in order to be able to afford his high standard of living while the guy in the one room apartment has wasted his life in laziness and apathy.  Now, I know this isn't always the case. There are some rich people who have inherited their wealth, while others like movie stars and sports figures get paid huge salaries. Still, didn't the person's relatives work hard to earn the money? Didn't the actor get paid for his work?  Why should that be taken away from them and given to the poor?  Is that fair?

That's what is so great about our country. Each person is free to make their own way in life. Free to work hard and become rich or free to be lazy and be poor. It's your choice. But giving that poor person free money is the worst thing you could do for him. It will only make him lazier. I've seen this first hand in people I know.

Now, before you get angry, I'm not at all saying not to help those who can't help themselves.. like a widow with 5 kids or a mentally ill or physically handicapped person. Absolutely. But I still don't think this is the work of the government. This is the work of the church, of people who love God and are directed by His Spirit to help others.

But isn't helping the poor Biblical? Absolutely! Jesus often exhorted his followers to give to the poor. He even went so far as to say in Matt. 5 that  if someone sues you for your tunic, give him your coat also. Over and over again in the Bible, God demands that we help the widows and orphans.

But God never once said that the government should give to the poor. NOT ONCE. Do you know why I think that is

• Government is too full of bueraucracy to do anything efficiently
• Government is too big to regulate giving to those who REALLY need it instead of those who are milking the system.
•  A government that distributes wealth is a Huge government that will by necessity steal away the freedom of its people.
•  Individual people will no longer be charitable on their own because the government is doing it for them
•  Entrepreneurs will not longer work hard and come up with innovative ideas if the government will only take their profits away.
• Businesses will fail and jobs will be lost because all incentive to make profits will be gone
• Handouts produce a lazy, spoiled, nonproductive population

Search the Scriptures. You'll find much on laziness and being a sluggard. Jesus himself was a hard worker. Examine His life. He rarely even slept.  Paul and all the apostles were hard workers. But they also shared what they had with those who couldn't work, like widows and orphans. That's our job, not the governments!
Charity is an act of the individual and the church.

Here's what Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 3
For while we were yet with you, we gave you this rule and charge: If anyone will not work, neither let him eat. Indeed, we hear that some among you are disorderly that they are passing their lives in idleness, neglectful of duty, being busy with other people's affairs instead of their own and doing no work. Now we charge and exhort such persons in the Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and earn their own food and other necessities.