“Let the ruling classes tremble at a communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workingmen of all countries, unite!”“Religion is the opiate of the masses.” (Marx)
In the last two parts, we looked at how Conquer and Dominate drives governments and how our United States government is reaching a Conquer and Dominate crescendo today. Why is this? It’s because all of our social institutions are infected with the virulent pathogen of Marxism, the deformed brainchild of Karl Marx (1818-1883, author of Das Kapital and The Communist Manifesto).
Marxism
Marxism is very much in vogue today among Leftist institutions, activist groups, and individuals. Many non-Leftists also embrace and promote Marxism in various forms but don’t know they do so. Sadly, even though Marxism fundamentally and vehemently opposes the One True God and contradicts His word, too many Christians have unknowingly jumped on the Marxist bandwagon.
Before I go further, here’s my caveat. I’m not a trained, educated, and avowed Marxist (thank God!), nor do I play one on TV. That said, I’ve done enough study on the basics of Marxism and its political offspring – socialism and communism – to know that it’s a highly toxic philosophy and political theory. Marxism steals, kills, and destroys everything it infects.
Why should we consider Marxism in light of the Subdue and Rule Mandate? Because Marxism promotes a highly-charged form of Conquer and Dominate that inevitably leads to massive pain and suffering every time it’s tried.
What is the most effective way of bringing down any human power structure, according to Jesus? “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand” (Matthew 12:25). Marxism’s core is defined by division, pitting one party against another, oppressor vs. oppressed, and that core is nuclearized by humanity’s fallen nature. Furthermore, Marxism rejects God and usurps His place as humanity’s sole protector, provider, and ruler.
In this part, I want to explore Marxism’s core thought and its effects on government and society without getting too far into the weeds.
What is Marxism? “Marxism is a social, political, and economic philosophy named after the 19th-century German philosopher and economist Karl Marx. His work examines the historical effects of capitalism on labor, productivity, and economic development, and argues that a worker revolution is needed to replace capitalism with a communist system. Marxism posits that the struggle between social classes—specifically between the bourgeoisie, or capitalists, and the proletariat, or workers—defines economic relations in a capitalist economy and will lead inevitably to a communist revolution” (Investopedia.com, italics author).
In other words, Marxism is the political theory that capitalism produces economic classes of haves and have-nots. Marx believed the cause of this division is because the haves (those who own the means of production) have exploited and harmed the have-nots (the employees who produce), so the haves could gain without effort what the have-nots have produced through their efforts. Marx asserts that the have-nots will eventually revolt, remove the haves, and take over the means of production. From then on, everyone will work shoulder to shoulder as equals.
Sound familiar?
I’ll admit Marx correctly saw the human condition as it relates to the Subdue and Rule Mandate and fallen human nature. Because each person began to work for their selfish interests after the Fall, those with economic and business savvy sometimes use their skills to produce great wealth, and we all know with great wealth comes great power and influence. It’s the world’s Golden Rule, “Those who have the gold make the rules.” However, Marx’s solution to the problem of selfishness and the drive for dominion rejected the essential part of the solution – God and His ability to change human nature through the New Covenant.
Marxism is just another in many attempts to restore Eden on human terms alone. Marx was virulently opposed to God, as evidenced by his disparaging remarks: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people,” “With disdain I will throw my gauntlet full in the fact of the world and see the collapse of this pygmy giant. Then will I wander god-like and victorious through the ruins of the world. And giving my words an active force, I will feel equal to the Creator,” and “I wish to avenge myself against the One who rules above.” (Marx). It doesn’t surprise me that Marx despised God. Yehovah is, after all, the Ultimate Have, and the Bible declares that we humans are the ultimate have-nots until Jesus saves us. After that, we share His blessings (Ephesians 1:3). Given Marx’s feelings about God, it’s no surprise that Marx’s political theory about elevating humanity ignores Him and necessitates rebellion to achieve Marxism’s goals.
But without God, Marxism’s drive to establish a Communist Utopia leads to a Nightmarish Eden of satanic control. This rejection of God is why Marxism always leads to death, figuratively and literally. It is unbendingly aimed toward destruction.
While researching Marxism, I admit I started drowning in philosophy and political theory. But I came to see that distilled Marxism pits oppressor versus oppressed. Marxism’s appeal is the dangled hope of power, provision, and protection for the oppressed person at the expense of their oppressor through retributive social justice.
Marxism plays off the post-Fall fear, “You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow,” meaning fearfully because humanity no longer had assured provision or protection after the Fall. Marxism promises that if the collective will only grant the Marxist leaders the authority and power to Conquer and Dominate the oppressors, the leaders will take what the oppressors have and distribute it to the oppressed, thus achieving equity, i.e., equal outcomes.
Sure, equally miserable.
Ironically, every Marxist government is a dictatorship of those who usually have neither owned the means of production (the haves) nor produced (the have-nots). Every Marxist government must become totalitarian in authority and power to seize control and establish ownership of the means of all production and private property. Oops! Now the worker has a new master – the elites at the top of the Marxist system. It’s a bait-and-switch con game.
Marxism’s political endpoint is communism, with collective ownership of production and property for the supposed common advantage of all members, which is a nice way of saying total Conquer and Dominate. But of course, there needs to be a governmental body to ensure everybody stays in the collective, doing their collective best to serve the collective and the government as slaves of the State.
When a government controls the means of production as Marxism demands, it controls all provision and thus controls a person. When a government outlaws all private ownership as Marxism demands, it controls a person because personal property comes from a person’s labor and is an extension of the person. Also, controlling a person’s labor is just another way of controlling production.
Our human natures operate on self-interest in this age between Eden (Genesis) and Eden restored (Revelation). That’s just a fact, Jack. Therefore, most people tend toward an independent streak, not a collective one. However, some people are more willing to submit themselves to others because their desire for provision and protection overrides their individualism, even to the point of submission to extreme servitude. Marxism is collective Conquer and Dominate control on steroids. It must use varying power levels to entice the benefit-oriented person into the collective or force the individual-oriented person into it.
As for the enticement factor, Marxism plays off envy and covetousness for power and material goods. Marxists play God, offering what God would give, but only in human terms and ways. However, their ultimate goal is not for people’s well-being. Their goal is global domination, a counterfeit Edenization of the earth with themselves on God’s throne.
Before we go on, let’s define two more terms, capitalism and socialism.
“Capitalism is defined as a mode of production in which business owners (the capitalists) own all of the means of production (the factory, the tools and machinery, the raw materials, the final product, and the profits earned from their sale). Workers (labor) are hired for wages and have no ownership stake and no share in the profits. Moreover, the wages paid to workers are lower than the economic value that their work creates for the capitalist. This is the source of capitalists’ profits and it is at the root of the inherent class struggle between labor and capital” (Investopedia.com).
“Socialism is based on the concept of public ownership and regulation of the means of production, but individuals may still own property. Rather than rising out of a class revolution, socialist reform has taken place within existing social and political structures, whether they are democratic, technocratic, oligarchic, or totalitarian” (Ibid.).
Socialism is Marxism’s intermediate step between capitalism and communism, and socialism and communism are pitted against capitalism. Marxism is the philosophy and political theory that drives the governmental forms of socialism and communism. That’s why socialism and communism resort to Conquer and Dominate coercion and force to “level the playing field” to achieve equal outcomes. But there’s more. Socialism and communism’s goal is global domination since humanity spans the globe, and all people must come under Marxist systems for the Marxist utopia to be realized (Savet).
According to Evan Sayet (The Woke Supremacy), three things are prerequisites for a Marxist socialist’s manufactured Eden; no personal possessions, no countries, and no religions. Why? “Without possessions, the individual does not have the resources to stand up to a tyrannical government. Without nations, there are no other governments strong enough to challenge the Globalist rulers’ every mandate while, without religion, there is no higher moral authority to countermand the rulers’ every dictate, no matter how egregious and immoral those dictates might be” (Sayet).
The Marxist’s fixation on abolishing possessions, countries, and faith is about stripping all control from the masses and placing absolute power in the hands of the elite few. The fewer, the better. It makes authoritarianism less cumbersome and so Edenly God-like! “Rather than God, we will give you what you need to survive. Rather than God, we will determine where you are to live. Rather than God, we will set the moral standards of our way only.” In short, Marxist socialism/communism is the global embodiment of a satanically-driven, humanistic rebellion against God to Conquer and Dominate God’s earthly domain for itself.
What is at the heart of Marxism? To regain what was lost after Eden (security via provision and protection) without God, His help, or our responsibility before Him. If you only submit to the State as your god, Marxism promises everything you want in a false Eden.
But isn’t it true that under capitalism, those who own the means of production sometimes exploit those who are producing? Sadly, yes. It reminds me of the oft-quoted “Under capitalism, man oppresses man, but under socialism, it’s the other way around” (variously attributed to Russ Roberts or John Kenneth Galbraith). But what’s the sense of exchanging a corporate oppressor for a government one? The only solution for both systems is a root change to human nature that only the Father can do through the Holy Spirit’s power because of Jesus’ work of salvation.
But since the world is foundationally lost, Marxism’s appeal continues to ripple around the globe. We see it lived out the U.S. political system because the Democratic Party of today is Marxist to its core. The Democrats’ theme is “Those are the oppressors, and you are the oppressed. Put us in power, and we’ll provide for and protect you. We’ll upend the system and put your oppressor under your feet. Just give us god-like governmental authority and power, and we’ll make it happen.” Pure Marxism and evil. What a far cry from what our Founders envisioned and created!
The reason we have Marxism guiding the governments where Leftist Democrats are in control is that the Marxists of the 1960s set to work taking over all institutions. Cultural Marxism confronts us daily because our cultural institutions are in the hands of those with Marxist convictions and worldview.
Cultural Marxism
Marxism focuses on the oppressor vs. the oppressed and seeks to right an actual or perceived wrong. Therefore, Marxism attacks the oppressor and exalts the oppressed. Promoters of Marxism promise to help the oppressed if the oppressed will give the Marxists the power to Conquer and Dominate the oppressor until the oppressor is brought down and the oppressed are raised up, resulting in a manmade utopia. Marxism’s goal is equity, i.e., equal outcomes. Achieving this goal demands taking from the haves and giving to the have-nots. For Marx, this applied narrowly to economics and material goods.
Under Cultural Marxism, this exchange seeks to influence every aspect of human culture in many ways, such as power, control, influence, and material goods. Another term for Cultural Marxism is Critical Theory, which we’ve heard about so much in the last few years.
Critical Theory expands the scope (of Marxism, author) but keeps the focus on power. “Each individual is seen either as oppressed or as an oppressor, depending on their race, class, gender, sexuality, and a number of other categories. Oppressed groups are subjugated not by physical force or even overt discrimination, but through the exercise of hegemonic power---the ability of dominant groups to impose their norms, values, and expectations on society as a whole, relegating other groups to subordinate positions ” (Shevni and Sawyer).
In other words, those presumed to hold power (true or not) are the oppressors, and those presumed powerless (true or not) are the oppressed.
However, let me be clear. Not everything about this is off base. God never intended one person to exercise dominion over another. Again, this aspect is the part that Marx got right. However, without God’s solution, the power struggle is never fully resolved, only shifted from one category to another and used by fallen people to Conquer and Dominate others.
The Marxist root of Cultural Marxism/Critical Theory is the oppressor vs. oppressed perspective. For Marx, it was economics. For today’s Cultural Marxist/Critical Theorist, its oppressor vs. oppressed relative to:
Sexuality. The straight person is the oppressor, and the LGBTQ-ETC person is the oppressed. Therefore, the straight community must be conquered and dominated, while the LGBTQ-ETC community is normalized and exalted.
Gender. Men are the oppressors, and women are the oppressed. Therefore, anything male or masculine is labeled toxic and must be conquered and dominated. Or, in gender-fluid terms, those people who reject or deny the existence of other genders beyond male and female are the oppressors and must also be conquered and dominated. At the same time, gender fluidity and transgenderism are normalized and exalted.
Race. Caucasians/white people are the oppressors because they are the historical and current majority in the US. All non-whites are the oppressed victims. Therefore, anything reflective of so-called whiteness must be conquered and dominated. The Cultural Marxists’ Conquer and Dominate strategy often involves pejoratives such as “White Supremacists/Nationalists” and race-shaming.
Class. Wealthy people are the oppressors because of the Marxist rationale above, i.e., haves vs. have-nots. Therefore, all the haves must be Conquered and Dominated and forced to give their material goods to the have-nots. That is unless you happen to be a wealthy Marxist. Then you get a pass. (See confiscatory taxation, the welfare state, and corporate welfare.)
Nationality. Citizens are the oppressors, and non-citizens, particularly illegal immigrants, are the oppressed. Therefore, citizens’ rights, resources, and opportunities must be taken from them and distributed to non-citizens.
Religious Faith. Christians are the oppressors, and any other religion, theism or agnosticism, is part of the oppressed group. Therefore, anything smacking of Christianity is to be Conquered and Dominated in favor of anything but the Christian faith. The emphasis is not so much on exalting non-Christian or atheistic beliefs as it is on attacking and tearing down Christianity.
These are just some of the categories that the Cultural Marxists use to foment division and provoke conflict to take control.
One of the most used tools the Cultural Marxists use today to disarm their opponents is the assertion that oppressors cannot discern how evil they are because their privilege blinds them. Only the oppressed have a clear vision of justice and what is right.
The assertion of privilege is grossly unfair because it creates an inescapable condemnation. According to today’s Leftists, the only way to escape this accusation is to surrender to the collective, swear allegiance to them, and pay all to the cause as a sign of repentance and reeducation. First, this is patently wrong, for our surrender, allegiance, and all we have and are belong to God alone, not to the collective. While we willingly and gratefully pledge allegiance to our nation, no other loyalty can replace our loyalty and allegiance to God. Secondly, God does not condemn. He convicts to provide a means of making things right (only on His terms) so that the person may find freedom, not deeper enslavement or oppression.
The “privilege” accusation is frequently used as a Conquer and Dominate tactic to automatically dismiss the targeted oppressor and their arguments as invalid for no other reason than “you just don’t get it. You’re just not ‘aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues, especially about race and social justice’” (Woke, Merriam-Webster Dictionary). It’s a Cultural Marxist’s ploy to tilt any debate from the start while simultaneously smearing their opponent as guilty until proven innocent. For all of the Cultural Marxists’ objections about non-level playing fields, they are adept at using them as a Conquer and Dominate strategy.
Sadly, the Cultural Marxists have infiltrated the seven main cultural areas of the Family, Education, Government, Media, Arts and Entertainment, Business, and Religion.
They have attacked the ideal family unit by redefining marriage and the basic father-mother family structure.
In education, the Cultural Marxists have Conquered and Dominated all levels of education to not only propagate Marxist ideology but use every level of education to indoctrinate all ages into open conflict based on sexuality, gender, race, class, nationality, and religious faith. Just look at the school board meetings where Critical Race Theory is exposed, along with many school board members and teachers insisting that children be taught perverse sexuality and practices.
As for the government, the Left side is all about division, reinforcing victimhood, race-baiting, class warfare, and other strategies meant to divide and conquer.
And do I really need to bring up the Media and Big Tech’s collusion with Leftist politicians to promote Marxist ideology and silence their opposition? Think Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Legacy Media’s de-platforming efforts, effectively silencing those who won’t bend the knee to their views. The Arts and Entertainment industries openly indoctrinate even the youngest children into Marxist thinking and the rotted fruit of the lifestyles they embrace.
Recently, battles have broken out in the business world with corporations pushing radical LGBTQ-ETC and Trans agendas. The enormous multi-billion-dollar losses of major brands like Budweiser and Target reveal the public is not as far into Cultural Marxist ideology as the PR departments and advertising executives thought.
Sadly, Cultural Marxism has even evangelized segments within the Body of Christ. The social gospel movement has embraced and affirmed many Leftist causes, such as abortion, homosexuality, illegal immigration, and fighting racism using racism. Paul warned us of a day when “people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3).” While I believe that’s happened throughout Christian history, I think that’s especially true today. Because they are either not saved, grounded in God’s word, or not genuinely committed disciples of Christ, too many Christians have embraced Marxism to some degree without knowing it.
Christians and Marxism
Simply put, Christianity is incompatible with Marxism.
There’s no favoritism with God (Acts 10:34). Marxism is built on favoring one group of people over another.
God is the standard of right and wrong (Genesis 2:17). Marx rejected God and thus His standard in favor of an economic standard to determine what is right or wrong for society.
God’s determination of a person’s value is based on the fact that He created us (Psalm 139:14, 8:4-6). Marx’s determination of a person’s value is the outcome they produce.
God lovingly calls His people to work side by side and to support those in need (Genesis 1:28; Leviticus 19:10). Marxism forces people to work together, taking from those with more to give to those with less.
Christianity’s focus includes the spiritual and material world. Marx’s focus was solely on the material world.
These are just some fundamental reasons why Christianity is incompatible with Marxism.
As Christians in the United States today, we face a spiritual battle with Marxism. Marxism and Cultural Marxism are satanic because they are motivated by the drive to Conquer and Dominate and use Satan’s divide-and-conquer strategy. The overall goal of today’s Marxists is to keep people separated from God while pitting us against each other to weaken us and cause us to self-destruct via uncontrolled Conquering and Domination. Satan is very clever. He knows there’s power in unity, and Marxism in all its forms seeks to divide and conquer, thus proving its source.
How should we battle the Cultural Marxism of our day?
We absolutely need to know God and His word. We need to develop a truly biblical worldview. We must stand up and lovingly speak up for biblical principles when the opportunity arises.
But this means we must also learn the ideas and philosophies behind the various Marxist movements. There are many primary materials and works that summarize the essentials. Put the Bible next to them and see what agrees and what doesn’t. For example, when the group Black Lives Matter rose in response to the George Floyd incident in May 2020, I visited their website to find out what BLM espoused. I was shocked! The group that many Christians and congregations supported openly promoted the destruction of the family, aberrant sexual unions and practices, and Leftist politics, all of which openly opposed biblical principles.
Finally, we must refuse the temptation to Conquer and Dominate those we’re trying to convince by using harsh language, labels, and name-calling. Firmly attack ideas, not the person.
Most of all, we must embody God’s word and develop God’s character. By living as the Lord would have us live, we’ll show the real solution to the problems the Cultural Marxists are trying to solve. As Jesus pointed out, a tree is proven by its fruit (Matthew 7:17). The fruit of Marxism has consistently shown that Marxism is sour and rotted, bringing death wherever it’s been practiced. But the fruit of God’s kingdom is always “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
Sources:
Do Marxism And Christianity Have Anything In Common? forbes.com/sites/billflax/2011/05/12/do-marxism-and-christianity-have-anything-in-common/?sh=21d612696877
Marx on Christianity, Judaism, and Evolution/Race, faithandfreedom.com/marx-on-christianity-judaism-and-evolution-race
Marxism: What It Is and Comparison to Communism, Socialism, and Capitalism, investopedia.com/terms/m/marxism.asp
Socialism: History, Theory, & Analysis, investopedia.com/terms/s/socialism.asp
What Is Communism? Learn Its History, Pros, and Cons, investopedia.com/terms/c/communism.asp
Woke, merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woke
Sayet, Evan, The Woke Supremacy
Shevni, Neil, and Sawyer, Pat, The Incompatibility of Critical Theory and Christianity, May 15, 2019
Pastor Jay Christianson
The Truth Barista, Frothy Thoughts