Worldviews Marxism

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WorldviewsMarxism

• Berea PCA Church
• Fall 2007
• kvworley_at_msn.com

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Communist Cuba paid tribute Monday to its poster
boy, Ernesto Che Guevara, 40 years after the
Marxist guerrilla fighter was captured and
executed in Bolivia. Posters of the long-haired
Guevara wearing a soldiers beret with a single
star turned him into an international folk hero
and symbol of rebellion among leftists. The
image has been reproduced on T-shirts, mugs,
baseball caps, Swatch watches, bikinis and other
products.
CUBA SALUTES CASTRO ALLY CHE, 40 YEARS AFTER
RADICALS DEATH USA Today, Tuesday, Oct 9, 2007
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Only 12 of evangelicals know what worldview is,
and only 4 said they needed to know anything
about it.
Remember!!
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Outline

• How Should We Then Live? (video)
• Francis Schaeffer shows influence of worldview
  on progression of Western Civilization The
  Revolutionary Age
• Presentation of alternative worldviews
• Marxism

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Diagnostic Questions - Marxism

• What is really real? Nature or matter
• What is the nature of the world around us?
  Dialectic materialism Evolutionary struggle
• What is a human being? Oppressed being
• What happens at death? Extinction
• Why is it possible to know anything? Testable
  science and history
• How do we know right from wrong? End justifies
  the means (utilitarianism)
• What is the meaning of history? Dialectic
  material struggle towards utopia

Remember!!
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Christian Worldview of Law

• Christian law is based on Gods unchanging
  character as an absolute foundation rather than
  on a foundation that evolves and changes over
  time based solely on societal concerns. It
  ensures specific, absolute human rights that
  other worldviews that deny Gods existence cannot
  guarantee. Christian human rights are based on
  specific duties prescribed in the Bible. God
  gives us specific rights, and we are responsible
  for obeying God and protecting our rights as well
  as the rights of others

- David Noebel Understanding the Times
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Christian Worldview of Law

• The Bible provides specific instructions for
  establishing earthly legal systems and He
  requires such systems to be orderly and
  equitable. God expects our legal systems to hold
  individuals responsible for their actions and to
  work to restore Gods order wherever possible.
  God does not expect legal systems to declare
  every sin illegal, but rather to maintain order
  and liberty by promoting justice.

- David Noebel Understanding the Times
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Only 12 of evangelicals know what worldview is,
and only 4 said they needed to know anything
about it.
Remember!!
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The Revolutionary Age

• Biblical absolutes gave base for law. Lex Rex
  (Law is King) concept of government grew out of
  Reformation.
• Reformers were not romantic about man. They
  favored checks and balances because they knew man
  was fallen.
• In countries that had not thought this thru,
  violent reformation was the only real
  alternative.
• Voltaire admired results of Reformation reform in
  England (bloodless revolution of 1688), but with
  Humanist/ Enlightenment base, French revolution
  turned bloody very quickly.
• Goddess of Reason exalted reason over Christian
  worldview.
• Materialistic base in Marxism has always led to
  totalitarian government (repression of freedom)
• Christian failures in worldview shown in twisted
  view of race (slavery), non-compassionate use of
  wealth (exploitation of workers, children).
  Church did not take a clear stand when it could.

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Expressions of Naturalism

• Secular Humanism We are the world, man is
  exalted (optimistic), faith in science progress
  (Modernism).
• Marxism mans problem is economic, continuing
  revolution to exalt the oppressed man leading to
  utopia (optimistic).
• Nihilism Life is meaningless (pessimistic),
  leading to suicide, destruction, power politics,
  whimsy.
• Existentialism Life is meaningless
  (pessimistic), but make your own meaning, mans
  existence precedes his essence, make choices.
• Post-Modernism Truth is fiction.
  Interpretation is the ultimate reality.

Marxism is same as Communism Alive in Africa and
South America 10,000 Marxist professors in
U.S Political Correctness
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Dialectic Materialism

• The way things are (thesis) always attracts
  something that is the opposite of the way things
  are (anti-thesis). They clash!! The result is a
  synthesis (combined/improved) version of the
  previous thesis and anti-thesis.

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Synthesis Becomes New Thesis

• Then the new way things are (thesis) attracts a
  new opposite of the way things are
  (anti-thesis). They clash!! The result is a
  synthesis (combined/improved) version of the
  previous thesis and anti-thesis.

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Ongoing Struggle is Progress

• Get the idea? Violent struggle and revolution is
  seen in Evolution and everywhere in life.

Will it ever end?
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Struggle Ends in Marxist Utopia

• Yes!! As soon as Marxism completely rules the
  world, everything will be peachy keen

Change the World!!
But why wouldnt worldwide Marxism draw an
anti-thesis? How many more millions will have to
die to find out if the utopia is really
attainable? (83 million and counting)
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What is really real?

• Matter (materialism)
• Marxism is violently anti-religion
• Lenin Religion is opium for the people.
• Chou En-Lai We Communists are atheists.
• Engels We want to sweep away everything that
  claims to be supernatural, for the root of all
  untruth is the pretension of the human and the
  natural to be superhuman and supernatural. For
  that reason we have once and for all declared war
  on religion and religious ideas and care little
  whether we are called atheists or anything else.
• In 1950s claimed Jesus and Paul were mythical
  figures.
• If God exists, Marxism absolutely collapses.

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What is the meaning of history?

• History is product of class struggle
• Lenin The driving force of history is the
  revolutionary class struggle.
• Primitive communism, slavery, feudalism,
  capitalism
• Progressing toward socialism, then communism.
• Worldwide communism is inevitable in this
  worldview.
• Temporary dictatorship to help change to
  communism
• Utopian worldviews have always drawn the young
  and idealistic. (Marxism is fashionable at
  universities)
• The Communist Manifesto (1848)
• Empire (2000)

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What is a human being?

• Man is an evolved animal
• Neither good, nor bad, but perfectable thru
  behavior modification (Pavlov).
• The cause is more important than the individual
• Mans value is wrapped up in the state.
• Mans religious tendencies need to be educated
  away.
• Communist society trumps the traditional family.
• Parenting is a public affair, separates children
  from their parents influence. (It takes a
  village)
• Marriage is devalued as even marriage partners
  are to be held in common in the utopian state.
• Man primarily gets his meaning from his work.
• Marxists need to understand mans fallenness.

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Mans problem is economic

• Economics is key to Marxist worldview
• Capitalism breeds exploitation of workers
• (Feminism and multiculturalism are themes of
  oppression.)
• Owners (thesis) clash with workers (anti-thesis)
  to create socialism (synthesis)
• When economic disparity is eliminated, humanity
  will have achieved perfection (see the humanism?)
• But individual man is less important than the
  community
• Christianity teaches private property
• Commandment 8 - Thou shalt not steal
• Acts 245 - they began selling their property
  (voluntary)
• Acts 51-4 - Ananias voluntarily sold private
  property
• 1 Cor 910 - the plowman ought to plow in hope

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How do we know right wrong?

• Ethics are utilitarian (whatever works)
• The end justifies the means.
• Killing in support of cause to overthrow the
  ruling class is perfectly permissible.
• 83 million deaths from 1917 to 1964.
• Old religious moral codes are thesis to be
  rejected.
• Morality evolves.
• Devotion to
• The working class, collectivism, mutual aid,
  solidarity, hatred of the ruling class,
  internationalism, stoicism in the struggle.

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Marxism in the Church

• Liberation Theology
• Began among Catholics/Jesuits in 1970s
• Social gospel of The Red-Letter Christians
• Cant cherry pick particular verses (e.g. red
  letters)
• Jim Wallis As more Christians become
  influenced by liberation theology, finding
  themselves rejecting capitalism, they will also
  be draw to the Marxist analysis
• Tony Campolos 2006 book Letters to a Young
  Evangelical pushes the pro-Marxist Liberation
  Theology agenda in the name of of helping the
  poor.

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Diagnostic Questions - Marxism

• What is really real? Nature or matter
• What is the nature of the world around us?
  Dialectic materialism Evolutionary struggle
• What is a human being? Oppressed being
• What happens at death? Extinction
• Why is it possible to know anything? Testable
  science and history
• How do we know right from wrong? End justifies
  the means (utilitarianism)
• What is the meaning of history? Dialectic
  material struggle towards utopia

Remember!!