
Last week, an article was released by #TheChristianPost titled “98% Of Americans Who Prefer Socialism Over Capitalism Reject ‘Biblical Worldview’”. In this article, it states:
“A full 98% of Americans who hold socialist beliefs reject a ‘biblical worldview’ while a strong majority of those who subscribe to biblical beliefs support conservative policies, according to data released by a research group headed by noted evangelical pollster George Barna.”
This survey was conducted by the #CulturalResearchCenter at #ArizonaChristianUniversity who released their findings on August 19th of this year. They surveyed 2,000 adults back in January. An interesting point to note is that it has an approximate error of plus or minus 2%, which means it could be “only” 96% or a whopping 100%! (A side note here: I DON’T think that the accurate percentage is on the +2% side.)
On the flip side, 83% of people who hold a “Biblical Worldview” prefer #Capitalism over #Socialism with 91% of them supporting #SociallyConservative policies and 89% opposing #Abortion based on “Clear Biblical Teaching” although I’d love to know where the other 11% is and why they haven’t read their #Bible. The article goes on to break down more of the study (I’ll post the site under ‘Biblical References’ below) and points out the CLEAR difference in, not only the two sides vying for leading this #Nation, but the CLEAR difference between the people who tend to lean one way or the other. #GeorgeBarna is quoted in this article stating:
“The 2020 election is not about personalities, parties, or even politics. It is an election to determine the dominant worldview in America,”
In May of 2019, #Galup held a poll which stated that 43% of #Americans believed that #Socialism would be a “Good Thing” for the #UnitedStates. That is not very shocking until you compare it to only 25% of Americans believing this in 1942. We, as a nation, are headed the wrong way.
We can sit here and give our theories to why this is happening. Yes, the #Millennial and #GenZ demographics tend to lean #Socialist, but I don’t believe it’s their fault entirely. We have a #Media who acts in its own interest and not the interest of America. They feel their mission is not to INFORM the citizens but CONFORM them to their own worldview. The public-school system is also partly to blame as well. I don’t believe the teachers in the public-school system are at fault here but there are tiny #IndoctrinatingTactics that are being deployed. A good example of this is something as little as school supplies at the beginning of the school year. I remember being so excited to go to the store and buying my own #Crayons, #Pens, #Paper and everything else. My family and I didn’t have much money at all but the things they bought for me, although nothing special, was mine and I was proud of it. That moment in a child’s life has gone by the wayside. Today, when children get all their school supplies, they bring it to the school and dump it into the “Community Box”. There is no more excitement, no more ownership and no more possessions that you can be proud of.
I understand that there are some children whose parents just can’t afford to buy school supplies and need everyone else to “Pitch-In” as to not make the child living in poverty feel left out. There are solutions to this without taking the feeling of ownership away from the children, but this is one of the first efforts to socialize the future adults. This is dressed up as “It’s important to give to those who don’t have” when its really a “For the greater good” type of action. Do I believe you should give those who don’t have (and need)? Of course! God calls us to do such things (a) but there’s a difference between #Giving and being “forced to give”. This is just an example of the little things that can snowball into full fledged Socialism and may be a reason for the huge spike in pro-socialist numbers and the decline of American values.
The further down the road we go, the more clearly, we see the divide between two cultures. There is a type of resentment that comes from one side or the other that is currently spilling out onto the street. It feels like a battle between the “Haves” and the “Have nots” but thinking this way is only looking at its surface and not the deeper issue. I believe this issue has everything to do with where a person stands with his/her #Creator; whether he/she’s in or out of #God’s light.
Throughout history, great evils have been displayed due to the person (or group of people) looking everywhere except into the eyes of #Jesus and what He has done for us on #TheCross. Many times, these #Evils are committed in the very NAME of #Christ although true #FollowersOfJesusChrist know a wolf in sheep’s clothing when we see them. This is not a surprise to us believers, we were told this was going to happen and it has(b). This is what sin in our lives do in this world. It takes something that should be enjoyed in the presence of God and turns it on its head as we try to make ourselves God. There is only ONE God, and we are not Him. There’s one of two ways we can go about this; we can either #Submit to our Creator and ask Him to remember us through His #Son Jesus Christ or we can #Rebel and try and make our lives about us and the constant pursuit of pleasure as temporary as it may be.
When Jesus was being #Crucified on the #Cross, He wasn’t hanging up there alone. There were two #Thieves hanging on each side of Him. You’ll see in the account of #Luke the mentalities between the two. As people were walking past the #Crucifixion, they were hurling insults at them, mostly spewing their #Hate towards Jesus. The pedestrians would yell things like “If you are king of the Jews, save yourself!” and “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s #Messiah, the chosen one!”
One of the thieves, while dying, chose to pile-on by saying:
“Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”(c)
But the other thief had a completely different response. He didn’t mock or insult Jesus. This thief was just that, a thief. He wasn’t what we would call a good man in worldly or Heavenly standards. BUT, his response changed his destination in eternity right then and there! He said to the other insulting thief:
“Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” (c)
And then, he looked at Jesus and said:
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
At this moment, Jesus didn’t pull out His “Naughty or Nice” list. He didn’t ponder what His Father can gain from granting this thief entrance into the #Kingdom. He didn’t even weigh the thief’s “good deeds” and “bad deeds”. Not at all. Jesus turned to the thief who asked to be remembered and said:
“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”(d)
The thief knew he was a bad man. He knew that he was getting exactly what he deserved while the other thief, so bitter and resentful in this life he continued to hurl bitterness and hate even to the point of his death. The bottom line is that we are ALL one of these two thieves. We are all bad and deserve death on a cross (which was the worst, most inhumane way to be put to death) and punishment for all that we have done. The question is which thief are you? Are you the thief that rejects “Biblical worldviews” and think that man (or yourself) can do it better than the One who created you or are you the thief that realizes how black of a heart he has and realizes that he cant defeat death and asks #TheLord to remember him while dying on the cross? One thief scoffs while the other pleads. One thief taunts while the other realized. One thief was put to eternal death while the other walked in #Paradise.
#RaviZacharias said it best when talks about the four absolutes. He said that Evil, #Justice, #Love and #Forgiveness all converged at one place in one place in #History.
“They converged on a hill called #Calvary. Where all the evil intents of the human heart Hurled on the very son of God. Where God in His justice took upon Himself that justice but He manifested His love for you and me in a way that is indescribable and He offers you and me forgiveness.”
Evil, Justice, Love and Forgiveness. What love is this? How can we miss this? Pray to your Father in Heaven to “Remember Me”.
He died for you, so you can live, not just FOR Him, but WITH Him.
Amen.
Biblical References:
a) “The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives.”
-Psalms 37:21
b) "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves.”
-Matthew 7:15
c) One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
-Luke 23:39-42
d) “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
-Luke 23:43
Other References:
https://www.christianpost.com/news/98-of-americans-who-prefer-socialism-over-capitalism-reject-biblical-worldview-survey.html?fbclid=IwAR2s9IfcsvMcH3hSSSFbvclZZBvTMI1ef3i4CUijVVEIGU8eGXl-mzDzEzk
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