What Drives Soros and the Left?

 A couple podcasts regarding this topic:

Podcast - Part 2:

Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. Hebrews 3:13

Last week we learned about George Soros, a Hungarian-born, Jewish-yet-atheist 90-year-old who amassed billions in investment trading and funds Leftist organizations—including Evangelical ones—who further his mission to transform into a socialist state.

So what motivates Soros and the Left? After all, it’s obvious that the Constitutional Republic of the United States has provided more individual liberties, opportunity, products and services, and charity than any nation in history. Then why the relentless effort to “fundamentally transform” it, as President Obama promised?

The Christian Worldview · George Soros Part 2: What Drives Soros and the Left?

Podcast Part #1

GUEST: FRANK WRIGHT, President, D. James Kennedy Ministries

The drive to “fundamentally transform America” takes lots of money and organization.

Whether funding those who…

• deconstruct the discovery, founding, and existence of America as white supremacist and systemically unjust,
• push unbiblical marriage and morality and abortion,
• consolidate government control over health care, education, and the environment,
• squelch freedom of religion, speech, and the right to bear arms,
• pressure corporations, non-profits and Christians organizations,
• foment the burning and looting on the streets,

…one man—billionaire George Soros—arguably exerts more power and influence in his mission to fundamentally transform America than anyone else.

This weekend on The Christian Worldview, we are going to profile the life, worldview, and deeds of George Soros. Frank Wright, president of D. James Kennedy Ministries, an organization that has just produced several materials exposing Soros, will join us to discuss what we need to know about him, including the Evangelical organizations he funds and influences.

The Christian Worldview · Who Is America’s Top (Human) Destroyer? Hint: George Soros

Biblical Judgment in a “Don’t Judge Me” World

from here: https://wellwateredwomen.com/biblical-judgment-in-a-dont-judge-me-world/

by Alisa Childers

"YOU SHOULDN'T JUDGE."

Once upon a couple of years ago, there was a wildly popular book written by a self-professed Christian author. It was released by a Christian publishing house and marketed on Christian platforms and websites. It was a fairy tale come true. Crushing it at the top of The New York Times Best Seller list and winning the hearts and minds of millions of women, it was featured in countless small group Bible studies and conferences nationwide. 

The only problem is that the core message of the book is the exact opposite of the biblical Gospel. So, I decided to write a little review of it and post it on my blog. I didn’t anticipate this “little review” going viral, nor did I predict the boatloads of hate mail that would sail into my inbox in the following weeks. 

Some of the emails cannot be repeated in polite company. But the bulk of the pushback can be distilled down to three fateful words: “You. Shouldn’t. Judge.” 

The message I received loud and clear was that it was wrong of me to criticize unbiblical ideas in a popular book. After all, Jesus would never be such a “McJudgypants.” With love redefined to mean the affirmation of a desire or an idea, it’s easy to see how “judging” has become the unforgivable sin in our culture. 

But Christians live by a different standard than the world. When someone says, “You shouldn’t judge,” they are actually contradicting real love, the Bible, and plain common sense. So, the next time someone pulls out this particular conversation-stopper, remember these three things: 

SAYING “DON’T JUDGE” IS NOT BIBLICAL.

It seems like everyone’s favorite Bible verse (at least when they’re trying to keep someone from telling them they’re wrong) is Matthew 7:1. The words, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” come from the lips of Jesus himself. 

Mic drop. End of conversation—right?

Well, that only works if you scribble out the next six verses, along with some other things Jesus said, and a good portion of the New Testament. In fact, just after saying, “Judge not,” Jesus lets his audience know that when they judge, they should be very careful to make sure their judgment isn’t hypocritical. “First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye,” Jesus instructs in verse five. In other words, don’t point out a sin in your sister’s life before you confront the bigger sin in your own. 

But the whole point is to help your sister take the speck out of her eye, which requires you to judge that it’s there. So, Jesus isn’t saying that it’s always wrong to judge. In fact, verse six tells us to “not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs.” How can one identify “dogs” and “pigs” unless they first judge correctly? 

JUDGE THE FRUIT

If there is still any confusion, just a few verses later, Jesus tells us to recognize wolves, or false teachers, by their fruit. Again, this requires us to judge whether or not these teachers are speaking truth or deception. Then, in John 7:24, Jesus couldn’t say it more plainly. He directs his listeners to “not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” 

Later, in Matthew 18:15–16, Jesus gives instructions about how to confront a fellow believer if they’ve sinned against you. (Don’t forget to take the log out of your own eye first!) The apostle Paul echoes this sentiment in Galatians 6:1, by telling Christians how to handle a brother who is caught in a sin. He writes, “You who are spiritual”—think log-less in the eye—“should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul tells the believers in Corinth that it’s actually their job to judge other believers. He writes, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside.” 

Telling someone they shouldn’t judge is not biblical. In fact, Scripture actually commands us to judge, but to do it carefully, rightly, humbly, and without hypocrisy. 

SAYING “DON’T JUDGE” IS NOT LOGICAL.

Imagine you are home alone and your doorbell rings. You peek through the window and observe a very large man with a gun in his hand, wearing an orange jumpsuit. He’s sweating and looking around nervously. Be honest. Are you going to open the door for him? My guess is … probably not. But wait. Why are you being so judgmental? Maybe he’s not an escaped convict but simply enjoys wearing orange jumpsuits and carrying his weapon while out for a jog. Who are you to judge? 

Obviously, this is an extreme example. No one would open the door for that guy. But this goes to show that literally everyone judges. We all make judgments about people every single day. It would be beyond illogical, and sometimes unsafe, to not judge. 

Plus, to even tell someone they shouldn’t judge is to judge that they are judging, which is considered judgmental, which requires making a judgment about all the judging. You get the point. But that whole logical mess can be avoided by simply taking Jesus’ advice to “judge with right judgment.” 

SAYING “DON’T JUDGE” IS NOT LOVING.

When I was younger, I was trapped in a toxic cycle brought on by an eating disorder. One of my good friends, an eternal people-pleaser, worked up every last bit of courage she could muster to confront me. To put it lightly, it didn’t go well. I not-so-politely invited her to stop “judging” me and back all the way off. 

Nevertheless, she persisted. Her determination to make sure I was not only helped but held accountable literally changed my life. I ended up confessing my secret and getting counseling as my healing began. To this day my eyes mist with tears when I think about how much she loved me to do such a difficult thing. 

According to the Bible, love is patient and kind. It’s not arrogant or rude. 1 Corinthians 13:6 goes on to tell us that “love does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.” My friend couldn’t rejoice at my wrongdoing. Had she simply ignored the “speck in my eye,” and chosen to not judge, my life could have gone down a very different path. 

She judged me because she loved me. And it quite possibly saved my life. Judging with right judgment is not only biblical and logical, but it’s also the most loving thing you can do. 

COURAGEOUS JUDGMENT

Culture will always have its slogans, mantras, and catch-phrases. But haven’t Christians always been countercultural? Sometimes Jesus calls us to judge each other. As difficult as it may seem, obeying his commands will keep you from being tossed about by the whims of a fickle culture. After all, that culture won’t be there for you when your life (or the lives of the people you love) falls apart from following its advice. Jesus will.

from here: https://www.str.org/w/we-need-to-elevate-debate

We Need to Elevate Debate

I’ve seen a lot of debates in my life, but last week’s was one of the best. Both sides were clear about their positions. They offered a premise and defended it with reason and evidence. There was no illogic, no disrespect, and no name-calling. By the end of the debate, both cases were so compelling, it was hard for me to figure out who “won.”

Of course, I’m talking about my son’s recent tenth-grade debate. With his debate partner, he took on two other classmates with the resolve “The United States federal government should remove all Confederate statues from federal buildings.” It lasted an hour and a half, and there was a volley of reasons and counter-reasons from each side. It was clear precisely what was being argued, and it was evident precisely how it was argued.

Not so with the first presidential debate. With nearly unanimous consent, it was considered the worst presidential debate in history. The candidates were rude, talked over each other, and either name-called or put the other person down. What were their arguments? I could hardly tell if they had any. I was so distracted by their rudeness and posturing.

Out of curiosity, my wife and I watched a portion of the 1980 Reagan-Carter debate. It was night and day. There was no talking over each other. I could hear every spoken word. They were both respectful. What has happened?

The presidential candidates could learn a lot from my son’s tenth-grade class. I’m not bragging. They just knew when to speak, when to listen, and how to appropriately respond. They articulated their position and cited research to support their side. No one belittled another person.

Sadly, it feels like the presidential debate mirrored what I routinely see transpire on social media: showmanship, put-downs, and gotchas. Even if someone presents a well-reasoned argument in an online forum, it often comes with a side of snarkiness.

There’s no need (in fact, it’s wrong) to be rude or demonize our opponents the way we do. We can disagree—even vehemently—with a person but still speak respectfully to him. That’s called civility. C.S. Lewis wrote:

I remember Christian teachers telling me long ago that I must hate a bad man’s actions, but not hate the bad man.... I used to think this a silly, straw-splitting distinction: how could you hate what a man did and not hate the man? But years later it occurred to me that there was one man to whom I had been doing this all my life—namely myself. However much I might dislike my own cowardice or conceit or greed, I went on loving myself. There had never been the slightest difficulty about it. In fact the very reason why I hated the things was that I loved the man. Just because I loved myself, I was sorry to find that I was the sort of man who did those things.

Although it would be nice if presidential debates were improved, I’m more interested in elevating debate in everyday conversations. It would make society much more civil. I’m not suggesting that every engagement is a debate or should be a debate. I’m simply referring to the situation where two people hold different positions and discuss their views. That happens all the time.

Here are five (of course there are more) quick suggestions to elevate debate in a healthy way.

1. Let the other person make and finish a point.
2. Assume the most charitable interpretation of the other person’s view.
3. Offer reasons and evidence for your opinion.
4. Don’t demean people who hold a different position than you.
5. Concede an opposing point if it has merit (that doesn’t mean you “lost”).

We can do this.