February 21st, 2024
by Ray Jones
by Ray Jones
Why Christians should be concerned by the recent New York court ruling against Donald Trump and his business enterprises...
Really? Yes, really. Regardless of what you think about Donald Trump, the ruling by Judge Arthur Engoron was a clear departure from judicial precedent and a misapplication of a legal statute that has never been applied to any case of this kind in history. Simply stated, the ruling was the result of accusations that the Trump Corporation supposedly inflated its net worth to secure large bank loans. The accusations were brought by NY attorney general Letitia James who ran for office on the platform of, if elected, “I will get Trump.” Interestingly in this case, the lenders agreed with the accounting assessments and valuations they were presented with when they considered making their loans. Further, no banks lost money, no clients brought charges against the Trump Corporation, no businesses were harmed, and all parties involved were satisfied and profited financially. The judge’s decision rendered a fine of over $350 million and restricted Trump from overseeing his business enterprises for a period of 3 years. The ruling is so egregious to free enterprise and the potential implications for future capitalism in NY that even liberals are decrying it as unjust and unacceptable. Again, remember, no charges had been brought except by the AG, no banks had claimed to be defrauded, in fact the banks testified in support of the Trump Corporation and both the accountants for the Trump Corporation and for the banks accepted the valuations as legitimate.
You are wondering perhaps why this should concern the Church and Christians? Stay with me. The judgment rendered by Judge Engoron is essentially an act of socialistic retribution against an “enemy of the state.” To understand the implications of this ruling you must understand democratic socialism. That is the softer more sanitized name for cultural Marxism. What is it? It’s statism. And Statism is when the government takes ownership of private enterprise and/or dictates and redistributes private wealth according to its own perception of what is necessary for the good of the “state” as a whole. That is exactly what Karl Marx advocated in communistic/democratic socialism, and that is essentially what Judge Engoron’s decision did. Again remember, no harm had been done, and there were no criminal accusations of fraudulent activity from any individuals, banks, or corporations ever brought forth, only those propagated by a self-avowed agenda driven District Attorney.
It is important to understand that Karl Marx’s socialism was based on several beliefs, as Erwin Lutzer explains. (1) That God does not exist, and that matter (materialism) is all there is. There is no soul, and the body does not survive death. (2) Economic power propels history forward. (3) Private property is the source of all evil and therefore must be eliminated by the “state." By extension, the owner of wealth is inherently corrupt and therefore punishing, restricting, taking, and redistributing their wealth is considered acceptable.
All that said, here is why Churches and Christians should be concerned. Marx hated Christianity and referred to it as the “Opium of the people.” He saw Christianity and the Church as the oppressors of society and he believed that for economic equality to be achieved, loyalty to God and the Church had to be replaced by loyalty to the government. In other words, Christianity and the Church must be suppressed or eliminated because Marx believed in the supremacy of the state over everything. What happened in judge Engoron’s courtroom last week, regardless of who the object was, was an act of pure “statism” and a reflection of a creeping kind of cultural Marxism. It’s one more step, whether intentional or not, toward state supremacy that will eventually manifest a similar kind of Marxist hostility and opposition to Christianity and the Church—the oppressor, who will have to be shut up or shut down. And as Lutzer writes, “When state rights take the place of God-given rights, we can easily move from abortion to infanticide to euthanasia” and anything else the state deems equitable. So, does what happened in NY matter to believers? —yes, eventually.
And remember, God is always trying to take us someplace new. I love being your Pastor!
For God’s Glory Alone,
Pastor Ray
Really? Yes, really. Regardless of what you think about Donald Trump, the ruling by Judge Arthur Engoron was a clear departure from judicial precedent and a misapplication of a legal statute that has never been applied to any case of this kind in history. Simply stated, the ruling was the result of accusations that the Trump Corporation supposedly inflated its net worth to secure large bank loans. The accusations were brought by NY attorney general Letitia James who ran for office on the platform of, if elected, “I will get Trump.” Interestingly in this case, the lenders agreed with the accounting assessments and valuations they were presented with when they considered making their loans. Further, no banks lost money, no clients brought charges against the Trump Corporation, no businesses were harmed, and all parties involved were satisfied and profited financially. The judge’s decision rendered a fine of over $350 million and restricted Trump from overseeing his business enterprises for a period of 3 years. The ruling is so egregious to free enterprise and the potential implications for future capitalism in NY that even liberals are decrying it as unjust and unacceptable. Again, remember, no charges had been brought except by the AG, no banks had claimed to be defrauded, in fact the banks testified in support of the Trump Corporation and both the accountants for the Trump Corporation and for the banks accepted the valuations as legitimate.
You are wondering perhaps why this should concern the Church and Christians? Stay with me. The judgment rendered by Judge Engoron is essentially an act of socialistic retribution against an “enemy of the state.” To understand the implications of this ruling you must understand democratic socialism. That is the softer more sanitized name for cultural Marxism. What is it? It’s statism. And Statism is when the government takes ownership of private enterprise and/or dictates and redistributes private wealth according to its own perception of what is necessary for the good of the “state” as a whole. That is exactly what Karl Marx advocated in communistic/democratic socialism, and that is essentially what Judge Engoron’s decision did. Again remember, no harm had been done, and there were no criminal accusations of fraudulent activity from any individuals, banks, or corporations ever brought forth, only those propagated by a self-avowed agenda driven District Attorney.
It is important to understand that Karl Marx’s socialism was based on several beliefs, as Erwin Lutzer explains. (1) That God does not exist, and that matter (materialism) is all there is. There is no soul, and the body does not survive death. (2) Economic power propels history forward. (3) Private property is the source of all evil and therefore must be eliminated by the “state." By extension, the owner of wealth is inherently corrupt and therefore punishing, restricting, taking, and redistributing their wealth is considered acceptable.
All that said, here is why Churches and Christians should be concerned. Marx hated Christianity and referred to it as the “Opium of the people.” He saw Christianity and the Church as the oppressors of society and he believed that for economic equality to be achieved, loyalty to God and the Church had to be replaced by loyalty to the government. In other words, Christianity and the Church must be suppressed or eliminated because Marx believed in the supremacy of the state over everything. What happened in judge Engoron’s courtroom last week, regardless of who the object was, was an act of pure “statism” and a reflection of a creeping kind of cultural Marxism. It’s one more step, whether intentional or not, toward state supremacy that will eventually manifest a similar kind of Marxist hostility and opposition to Christianity and the Church—the oppressor, who will have to be shut up or shut down. And as Lutzer writes, “When state rights take the place of God-given rights, we can easily move from abortion to infanticide to euthanasia” and anything else the state deems equitable. So, does what happened in NY matter to believers? —yes, eventually.
And remember, God is always trying to take us someplace new. I love being your Pastor!
For God’s Glory Alone,
Pastor Ray
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1 Comment
Well said my friend! I so wish that more pastors were as Brave, intelligent and articulate is you! There are dark issues facing us as Christians today that are unlike anything we have ever experienced. The consequences of failing to engage and fight are dire. God is certainly in control and orchestrating His plan, but that does not mean the Church should withdraw and disengage from political discourse. Just the opposite! We are called to speak out against evil and all that which is clearly against biblical principles. Keep up the good fight Ray!