Who becomes a Marxist? How do you become the kind of person who storms that St. Paul church?
— slaterradio (@slaterradio) January 19, 2026
Full episode on my podcast Politics By Faith: https://t.co/Bd3GzAQTJ0 pic.twitter.com/1odvXf0UuT
Constitutional Conservatism and Biblical Christianity in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina
Who becomes a Marxist? How do you become the kind of person who storms that St. Paul church?
— slaterradio (@slaterradio) January 19, 2026
Full episode on my podcast Politics By Faith: https://t.co/Bd3GzAQTJ0 pic.twitter.com/1odvXf0UuT
A big subject. But a pretty good treatment for a minute and a half.
Definite elements of innate personality and worldview come into to play I think. A disinclination to see that most people are good (either from upbringing or from an enlightened self-interest) and want to do a good job. To see that most companies are smart enough to see that they benefit in the long run from producing good products and honest dealing.
This negative view of humanity makes for an individual who wants a lot of mother government sticking her thumb into every crevice.
J. Sobran, the classic Christian worldview is that humanity is inherently sinful. But the Marxists believe they need governmental control of many aspects of life in order for them to navigate in that environment.
A Christian society produces a high trust society which is what we used to have in the southern United States. The Marxists won’t trust, as you suggest. They therefore choose to encumber the rest of us.
Adherence to the Golden Rule and 10 Commandments promotes trust. A shared culture does too.
A lot of people are trying to destroy those things; prima facie, they should be suspected of being malignant seekers after power.
Good points, J. Sobran. We have seen a wrecking ball in action.
So God made man inherently sinful? Doesn’t seem like something to admire in a god.
I don’t believe man is inherently sinful. Man is inherently self-interested, like every other organism on the planet. That isn’t sinful in any way. That is human. That is the source of fabulous creativity, resourcefulness, striving, and accomplishment. And those things are the sine qua non of the altruism with which Christians are in love.
Unfortunately, J. Sobran, man’s sinful nature is the biblical teaching. It is interesting that capitalism takes that sinful nature, uses it and generates blessings for many. That is one example of the theological concept of common grace– i.e. many other people benefiting even though they might not be believers.