We truly are in a war for the soul of this nation.
This war is not unique to us. Other nations have been through this particular conflict over the last century and if Jesus doesn’t return soon, it will continue.
And we have Karl Marx to thank for it.
Who was Karl Marx? “Karl Marx (May 5, 1818–March 14, 1883), a Prussian political economist, journalist, and activist, and author of the seminal works, "The Communist Manifesto" and "Das Kapital," influenced generations of political leaders and socioeconomic thinkers. Also known as the Father of Communism, Marx's ideas gave rise to furious, bloody revolutions, ushered in the toppling of centuries-old governments, and serve as the foundation for political systems that still rule over more than 20 percent of the world's population—or one in five people on the planet.” (Source)
Did you catch that? “Marx's ideas gave rise to furious, bloody revolutions.”
According to How Many Did Communist Regimes Murder?* by R.J. Rummel (Source). Marxism has killed between 40,472,000 people (by conservative estimates) to upwards of 259,432,000 people since the rise of Marxism in the early 1900s (Source). The numbers are truly staggering!
Jesus taught us that we’ll know a tree by its fruit (Matthew 12:33) and by its fruit, Marxism is a rotten, despicable, evil tree. Sadly, 20% of the world’s population still eat the rotten fruit of the Marxism tree.
What is Marxism? In brief, Marxism is a political theory that capitalism (an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned, and development occurs through the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market) produces economic classes, basically haves and have nots.
Marx assumes that this is morally wrong because the have-nots must have been exploited and hurt by the haves so the haves could have what the have-nots deserve. Therefore, the have-nots must rise, take over the means of production (by force if needed), and then everyone works shoulder to shoulder sharing equally in the profits so all are economically equal.
Is it true that those who own the means of production sometimes oppress those who work for them? Sadly, yes. There is some truth in this! But not always as Marx asserts! Marx writes the only way to prevent the haves/have-nots scenario is for the means of production to be removed from the hands of the producers and given to the state, and then run by the collective body of workers under the government’s control. But isn’t that just making the state the new oppressor (owning the means of production) with the proletariat (the working stiff) still the oppressed? Yes.
And when the oppressed rise up against their new oppressor, the government crushes them. Hence, the outrageous democide that has been perpetrated (and still is) by Marxist governments.
However, such abuses and failures of Marxism are repudiated by those in love with Marxism. They are sure it will work if we just try harder (and this usually means force). Why force?
Because Marxism uses human nature (the sinful envy, coveting, and lust for power side of it) and opposes human nature (our God-given desire for freedom, individuality, and the power of self-determination side). Sin is the fuel, force is the “motivational hammer” to make everyone cooperate.
What makes the Marx tree completely rotten is that it’s driven by sin and the basest of human desires, the lust for material goods and power, especially power.
Marxism, like fruit trees, has more than one variety of fruit.
Marx’s ideas have been repackaged and rebranded in a multitude of ways, but the result is still the same – division, conflict, strife, destruction, and death in the drive for power.
Today in the U.S. we’re seeing a Marxism tree maturing and producing bitter fruit. It was planted in the 1900s with the socialists, but since the 60’s there’s been a plan and concerted effort to overthrow the United States and fundamentally transform it into a Marxist utopia via the culture. This is called Cultural Marxism.
Cultural Marxism expands the oppressor vs. oppressed conflict from the economic realm to the cultural realm.
Cultural Marxism manufactures two opposing forces, labeling them oppressors and oppressed. Marxism then pits one against the other in a power struggle. There is no working together. One must triumph over the other. Of course, at the head of the struggle and the Marxist outcome are those who are manipulating the “useful idiots” to gain and keep power.
Marxist "community organizers" stand above the fray and inflame the war. Marxists take the side of the "oppressed" and simply ask for the power of the unified oppressed to destroy the oppressors. AS I said before, once the oppressors are eliminated, the oppressed now have a new class of political oppressors, the Marxist leaders whose oppression is even more brutal.
Slick game, huh?
In Marx's original terms, the war was based on economics. In modern "woke" culture, it's an identity group versus an identity group as conveniently manufactured out by the Left. This is really clever because the Left never runs out of categories from which to create oppressed people to throw against their enemies.
The Marxist’s goal is to take down whatever majority stands in their way. They use division to weaken society to make it easier to conquer. Sadly, it works. Didn’t Jesus refer to this principle? “Knowing their thoughts, he told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and a house divided against itself falls” (Luke 11:17). So, the Marxists split majority and minority from each other, and then fracture society into identities, ultimately turning everyone against everyone. A weakened kingdom falls into their hands like a rotting apple.
Here are examples of “created oppressor” vs. “created oppressed” happening right now.
· White vs. any other race (see the “White Supremacy” accusation).
· Male vs. female (Radical Feminism against Male Oppression).
· Straight vs. homosexual (LGBTQ+ activism).
· One-man, one-woman monogamous marriage vs. any combination and no marriage (because marriage is a repressive and oppressive construct).
· Two genders vs. infinite, fluid genders (Non-binary biological science denial).
· Christian vs. any other religion or no religion.
· Successful and independent vs. entitled and dependent.
· Citizen vs. immigrant.
· Patriot vs. citizen of the world (that dirty "Nationalism" word).
· Any definition of privileged vs. some defined no privilege. Privilege, often linked to the adjective "white" is used to inflame the conflict even more.
The Marxists have fun by stacking identifiers to achieve a magnified effect like "White Male Christian Nationalist." Now just attach "Trump Supporter" for the nuclear effect.
Make no mistake. It's all about a few core people manipulating and inciting the "oppressed" group to gain as much power as possible.
Just listen to the Marxist leaders in Congress as they constantly inflame the "aggrieved groups” (read emotionally vulnerable) against their true target, those who stand in the way of power.
There you have it. Cultural Marxism run amok.
And did I mention Karl Marx was rabidly anti-God? So, guess what Marxist movements are today at their core. Yup. That’s right. Anti-God and against His moral boundaries.
Baseline, Marxism has a hatred for and rejection of anything that is of God's design and is pro-anything-the-twisted-rebellious-anti-God-human-mind-can-come-up-with. A great example is the Marxist Black Lives Matter organization. They are radically against God.
But all is not lost. Not by a long shot. We have a perfect solution to Marxism.
Jesus.
By the power of His sacrifice, applied by the Holy Spirit, we can be free from “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions” (1 John 2:16). We can be set free from the drive for the material things of this world and dominating others. Through Jesus, we can finally exercise our God-given power in making the world around us a better place for all.
And the one Law, the one guideline, that is the nuclear herbicide to the Marxist tree is LOVE. Love is the antithesis of Marxism, especially the kind of love God has for us and wants us to show others. The self-denying, other-focused, love that is willing to surrender all to benefit others, not self.
Jesus commands us to love one another. Love acknowledges all differences and willingly works with all.
Marxists say there is only conflict. Jesus puts an end to conflict for He is the Prince of Peace.
Jesus is the solution to the upheaval and turmoil in our nation right now.
Jesus’ Tree (the Cross) is now and will be, the death of Marx’s tree.
And the fruit of Jesus’ tree is oh, so sweet!
For further information, here’s an excellent overview of Marxism in a 5-minute video from PragerU (Watch).
Pastor Jay Christianson
The Truth Barista, Frothy Thoughts