1 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: My name is Charlie Kirk. 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 2: I run the largest pro American student organization in the country, 3 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 2: fighting for the future of our republic. 4 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: My call is to fight evil and to proclaim truth. 5 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 2: If the most important thing for you is just feeling good, 6 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 2: you're gonna end up miserable. But if the most important 7 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 2: thing is doing good, you'll end up purposeful. College is 8 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 2: a scam, everybody. You got to stop sending your kids 9 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 2: to college. You should get married as young as possible 10 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 2: and have as many kids as possible. Go start at 11 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,319 Speaker 2: turning point, you would say, college chapter. Go start aturning point, 12 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 2: you say high school chapter. Go find out how your 13 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 2: church can get involved. Sign up and become an activist. 14 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 2: I gave my life to the Lord in fifth grade, 15 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 2: most important decision I ever made in my life, and 16 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 2: I encourage you to do the same. 17 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: Here I am Lord. Use me. 18 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 2: Buckle up, everybody, Here we go. The Charlie Kirk Show 19 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 2: is proudly sponsored by Preserved Gold, leading gold and silver 20 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 2: experts and the only precious metals company I recommend to 21 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 2: my family, friends and viewers. 22 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: So it's a pleasure to be here tonight. 23 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 3: You know it's it's I just was here a couple 24 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 3: of weeks ago with Andrew and our field team here 25 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 3: in Arizona, and we were talking about, you know, the 26 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 3: group here at a Grand Canyon and as it was growing, 27 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 3: and we wanted to definitely do an events here because 28 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 3: I was in town for a debate tomorrow at ASU. 29 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 3: But we said, well, Grand Canyon University is a Christian university, 30 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 3: and you know, Turning Point USA as a as a 31 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:39,320 Speaker 3: growing you know, student movement fighting for free markets and capitalism. 32 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 3: And I hear all the time these horrible misconceptions that 33 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 3: in order to be a Christian you must be a 34 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 3: socialist and in order to this horrible thing. And so 35 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 3: I said, why don't I give a speech and kind 36 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 3: of articulate the Christian case for capitalism. 37 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: And I talked about it here and there. 38 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 3: I've talked about it some of our summits and some 39 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 3: of our conferences, and it's something I think we need 40 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 3: to talk more about because it's theologically and biblically sound 41 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:11,279 Speaker 3: and we shouldn't have to stray away from us conservative capitalists. 42 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 3: It's completely compatible with a Christian worldview. 43 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: So I look forward to. 44 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 3: Talking about it and talking about from my personal perspective, 45 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 3: obviously Turning Point USA. We are not a religious organization, 46 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 3: but we have a lot of Christians in our organization. 47 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 3: So everything I say here is Charlie Kirk talking not 48 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 3: necessarily Turning Point USA, but the parts about the free 49 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 3: market definitely are what we believe at Turning Point. So 50 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:37,519 Speaker 3: first and foremost, just a little bit by background, I 51 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,399 Speaker 3: started this organization when I was eighteen years old, five 52 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 3: and a half years ago. It's been quite a journey. 53 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 3: We're now on twelve hundred college and high school campuses 54 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,519 Speaker 3: across the country hosting amazing events. Hope to see you 55 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:49,959 Speaker 3: all at the Student Action Summit coming up in a 56 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 3: couple of weeks. I was born and raised in a 57 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 3: Christian household, but really in recent years became more and 58 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 3: more engaged with the faith and the walk. And so 59 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,959 Speaker 3: let's define first two terms just so everyone is clear 60 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 3: in case there's any misunderstanding. So first, what does it mean? 61 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 3: What do I mean a Christian case for capitalism? Christianity, 62 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 3: so Christian and most terms is the belief that first 63 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 3: and foremost, there is a God, and God had a 64 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:27,679 Speaker 3: lot of involvement throughout the Old Testament and then sent 65 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 3: his son Jesus Christ to save the world, and through 66 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 3: his perfect life and perfect sacrifice, he atoned the sins 67 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 3: of humanity, and through his acceptance as the savior of 68 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 3: the world, we will then have eternal life God in 69 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 3: three parts, through God the Father, God the Son, and 70 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 3: then God the Holy Spirit. 71 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: We know this through the book that God wrote. God 72 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: wrote a. 73 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 3: Book, of course, the perfect, non contradictory, irrefutable book that 74 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 3: we know as the Holy Bible, with over twenty seven 75 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 3: different authors wrote over four ths years, which comprise everything 76 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 3: from the ancient Jewish text to the Four Gospels, to 77 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 3: the Letters of Paul and finally, of course the Minor 78 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 3: and Major Profits. So we know this through the Bible, 79 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 3: which of course is incredibly important. In Christianity. There's a 80 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 3: lots of different types of Christianity. We know it of 81 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 3: course through Episcopal, Presbyterian, Protestant Catholicism. But the kind of 82 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 3: the belief that what is the center point of Christianity, 83 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 3: of course, there would be no Christianity about what Jesus Christ. 84 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 3: So I'm going to focus a lot of my talk there. 85 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 3: So that is what we're going to talk about with Christianity. 86 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 3: Then capitalism, What is capitalism mean A lot of misconceptions 87 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 3: around them. We at Turning Point USA to find capitalism 88 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 3: as the ability or the freedom to be able to 89 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 3: sell what you want to sell, buy what you want 90 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 3: to buy without restrictive or coercive government intervention in your life. 91 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 3: Essentially economic freedom, being able to take a risk as 92 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 3: you see fit as long as you're not harming someone else. 93 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 3: Capitalism can be broken into really the three p's as 94 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 3: we call it, prices, profit, and private property. Okay, so 95 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 3: the price system matters. Government should not get in the 96 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:05,719 Speaker 3: business of setting prices arbitrarily. Profit matters in order for 97 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 3: things to get better, Businesses have to turn a profit. 98 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 3: In order for Dominoes to be able to deliver pizza 99 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 3: here in a timely fashion, they have to be able 100 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 3: to make money on the pizza they're selling you. They 101 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 3: might have sold it for nine dollars, but they're all 102 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 3: in costs might have been three twenty five. Therefore, they're 103 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,840 Speaker 3: able to make a profit, deliver value back to their owners, 104 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 3: their employees, their shareholders that they can continue to grow 105 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 3: their their company and create more value for everyone engaged 106 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 3: in their company. And finally, private property the capacity for 107 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 3: individuals to be able to own stuff. You know, that's 108 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 3: probably the easiest way that I can articulate it, whether 109 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 3: it be houses or cars, or clothes, or even shares 110 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 3: of companies. The ability and capacity to really own things 111 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,600 Speaker 3: and be able to arbitrate your differences in an impartial 112 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 3: court is something that we capitalists hold near and dear. 113 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,919 Speaker 3: This is contrasted directly with people that believe in a 114 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 3: more collectivist socialist system, where the government has the capacity 115 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 3: or the ability to take away goods or services or 116 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 3: private property at a moment's notice. Look no further than 117 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 3: Venezuela when in the late nineteen nineties the government decided 118 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 3: just to take away all the private property. 119 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: Of oil and gas. They took over all the oil. 120 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:17,799 Speaker 3: Industry, Government subsidized it and nationalized it. Nationalized means government 121 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:21,840 Speaker 3: ownership of property. The private industry went away. Government then 122 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 3: ran it very poorly, and as you've seen in recent years, 123 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:29,479 Speaker 3: that is not working very well in Venezuela. So what 124 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:32,479 Speaker 3: is then the Christian case for capitalism, Now that we 125 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 3: have defined our terms well, first and foremost, talking from 126 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 3: a very pragmatic standpoint, when capitalism free markets, economic freedom, 127 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 3: whatever term you want to use, when you allow economic freedom. 128 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:45,239 Speaker 1: To be enacted. 129 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 3: You have seen the greatest poverty elimination in human history. 130 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 3: You have seen more poor people become rich, more standard 131 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 3: a living increases more human rights advances than any other 132 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 3: system of governance known to man. Capitalism advocate for individuals 133 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 3: to be able to pursue their own self interest as 134 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 3: they see fit, which I think then comes down to 135 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 3: two fundamental questions that I always argue with people on 136 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 3: the left or socialists, and this actually is a question 137 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 3: that if you are a Christian, we have answers to 138 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 3: two fundamental questions. 139 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: Number one, are people good? Yes or no? And are 140 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: people perfectible? Yes or no? 141 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 3: Those are the two questions that we must become. We 142 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 3: have to have answers to. Number one, are people good? 143 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 3: If you're a Christian and you've read this book a 144 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 3: little bit, you know that no, people are not good. 145 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: We are broken by nature. 146 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 3: We are infested with sin, and that God is holy 147 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 3: and perfect, and we are anything but that. Sin is 148 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 3: the distance from God. It is the separation from that 149 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 3: which is perfect, and we are in anything but that. Therefore, 150 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 3: we should not look to government or a state or 151 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 3: a central agency to try to perfect are imperfection. So 152 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 3: that's number one. Number two, are people perfectable? 153 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 1: People good? 154 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 3: And then our people perfectable? I say absolutely not. And 155 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 3: the Bible shows that as well. No matter how much 156 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 3: central planning, government programs, or experts get in a room together, 157 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 3: you cannot perfect human nature. People are inherently selfish, people 158 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 3: are inherently fallen. Look no different than why we have 159 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 3: to teach goodness to young children. You have how many 160 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 3: times you have to tell a three or four year 161 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 3: old say thank you? Say thank you? If people were good, 162 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 3: wouldn't generosity be an inherent human virtue or value? We 163 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 3: have to treat goodness. Look no different. Look no further 164 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 3: than the ten commandments that lay out morality at the 165 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 3: most basis point. 166 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: Do not covet, do. 167 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 3: Not steal, do not cheat, do not lie, do not 168 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 3: commit adult three. Human nature goes against every single one 169 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:44,320 Speaker 3: of those ten ten and says we know it. So 170 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 3: then we must ask ourselves the next natural question. If 171 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 3: we believe people are not inherently good, and we believe 172 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 3: people are not perfectible, then what economic system uses the 173 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 3: worst aspects of humanity for the greatest good for everyone 174 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 3: else and also for the individual. And the answer to 175 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 3: that is cap because if you are a bad person 176 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:04,680 Speaker 3: in capitalism and you want to get really rich or 177 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 3: you want to make a lot of money, you have 178 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 3: to create value for someone else. For example, the founder 179 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 3: of Dominoes might be a horrible person, but in order 180 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 3: for him to be super rich and for him in 181 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:19,199 Speaker 3: order for him to do something worthwhile for his own benefit, greedy, 182 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 3: self interested, so on and so forth, he has to 183 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 3: create something of value that someone else has to buy. 184 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: For example, Steve Jobs. 185 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 3: Might have been the worst person in the world, but 186 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 3: in order for him to have gotten very wealthy or 187 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 3: very successful, he had to create something that almost everyone 188 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 3: in the sort of my guarantee has interacted with once 189 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 3: or twice. Mark Zuckerberg is another great example. Mark Zuckerberg 190 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 3: might be the worst person in the world, but he 191 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 3: has personally made eighty one billion dollars by giving a 192 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:45,839 Speaker 3: product and service away for free. So, if I had 193 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 3: to boil it down to two words, when you think 194 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 3: of capitalism, I think of freedom. When I think of socialism, 195 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 3: I think of force. Capitalism is about the ability to 196 00:09:56,600 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 3: make the decisions as you see fit, free of government intrusion, 197 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 3: which it comes to a very important point in a 198 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:03,959 Speaker 3: capitalist free market system. 199 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 1: You can live freely as a socialist if. 200 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 3: You want to look no further than the Christian Amish 201 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 3: in Pennsylvania. They live as socialists peacefully and they live 202 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,079 Speaker 3: however they see fit. I'm not getting in their way 203 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 3: on no one else's because in a free market, capitalist system, 204 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 3: you have the freedom to be able to pursue the 205 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 3: life that you see fit. Now in a socialist system, 206 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 3: can you live freely as a capitalist? 207 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: Absolutely not. 208 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 3: They're going to hold a gun to your head saying 209 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 3: you have to give eighty percent of your income to 210 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 3: government because it's going to benefit the most amount of people. 211 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:36,839 Speaker 1: So socialism is about force. 212 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 4: We're honored to be partnering with Alan Jackson Ministries and 213 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,679 Speaker 4: today I want to point you to their podcast. It's 214 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 4: called Culture in Christianity, The Alan Jackson Podcast. What makes 215 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 4: it unique is Pastor Allen's biblical perspective. He takes the 216 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 4: truth from the Bible and applies it to issues we're 217 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 4: facing today, gender confusion, abortion, immigration, Doge Trump, and the 218 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 4: White House issues in the church. He doesn't just discuss 219 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 4: the problems in every episode, he gives practical things we 220 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:07,440 Speaker 4: can do to make a difference. His guests have incredible 221 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:11,079 Speaker 4: expertise and powerful testimonies. They've been great friends and now 222 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 4: you can hear from Charlie in his own words. 223 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 2: Each episode will make you recognize the power of your 224 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 2: faith and how God can use your life to impact 225 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 2: our world today. The Culture in Christianity podcast is informative 226 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:24,559 Speaker 2: and encouraging. You could find it on YouTube, Spotify, or 227 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 2: wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to subscribe so 228 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:30,439 Speaker 2: you don't miss any episodes. Alan Jackson Ministries is working 229 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 2: hard to bring biblical truth back into our culture. You 230 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:36,239 Speaker 2: can find out more about Pastor Allen and the ministry 231 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 2: at Alan Jackson dot com, forward slash Charlie. So, the Bible, 232 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 2: especially through Jesus's teaching, I would say, teaches us to 233 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 2: be five things, and this is the Christian case for capitalism, altruistic, generous, productive, cheerful, 234 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 2: and loving, which we agree that we as Christians are. 235 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 3: Called to those five things. That is, by no means 236 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 3: an exhaustive list. We can name all the fruits of 237 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:00,439 Speaker 3: the spirit, we can name all the so we could 238 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 3: be here all day, all right. So I picked those 239 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 3: five for a particular reason because I believe all five 240 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 3: of those have strong evidence that capitals and reinforces altruistic, generous, productive, cheerful, loving, altruistic. Well, 241 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 3: as we see in the Bible, Jesus says, many times 242 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 3: give unto others more than unto yourself. 243 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:19,319 Speaker 1: Jesus also talks. 244 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 3: About many times throughout the Gospels not to be, not 245 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 3: to be proclamation. Essentially, when you give, if you are 246 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:27,839 Speaker 3: going to be generous, you are going to be altruistic, 247 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 3: do so in private, and do so. 248 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: In secret generous. 249 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 3: Luke six point thirty four talks about the generous spirit. 250 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 3: Of course, we have Second Corinthians three seventeen, which is 251 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,199 Speaker 3: my favorite verse in the entire Bible, which says what 252 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 3: God loves a cheerful giver says all throughout the New Testament, 253 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,640 Speaker 3: the capacity and the ability to be generous. And in fact, 254 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 3: we are instructed to be generous. We're instructed to give 255 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 3: away are fruits of our labor. Now, in order to 256 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 3: give away fruits your labor, you have to have fruits 257 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:55,439 Speaker 3: your labor. You have to make something to give something away. 258 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 3: We know through basic economics and basic human history, if 259 00:12:58,559 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 3: you're going to try to give a bunch of stuff 260 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 3: a way, you have to have that stuff which to 261 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 3: give in a socialist system, as Magnufatcher famously said, the 262 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 3: promise socialism is you eventually run out of other people's money. 263 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 3: You deter the entire incentive structure. So you can want 264 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 3: to be the most generous person in the world, but 265 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 3: eventually you're going to run out of assets to give away. Again, 266 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 3: look at Venezuela. I don't think they have very good intentions, 267 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 3: but they might be as generous as they want to be. 268 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: Eventually you're going to run. 269 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 3: Out of stuff that which to give, which again goes 270 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 3: to the third thing which Christ calls us to do, 271 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,479 Speaker 3: which is to be productive. Jesus Christ talked for Christians 272 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 3: to be highly productive people. Now this might be teaching 273 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 3: you don't always get all the time in a traditional 274 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 3: Bible class, but look no different than the parable of 275 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 3: the talents, one of the most I think economically trans 276 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 3: not transferable economically what's the word I'm looking for? Relevant 277 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 3: parable that Jesus taught us, So the parable the talents 278 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 3: for those that do not know. Essentially, there were a 279 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 3: couple servants under an owner, and the owner gave each 280 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 3: one of the servants a talent which could be equivalent 281 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 3: of a currency. He gave one one talent, another one 282 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 3: to two, and another one three. And essentially the person 283 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 3: that had one hit it did nothing with that talent, 284 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 3: hit it under a rock, and essentially the owner said, 285 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 3: come back to me in a certain period of time 286 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 3: and tell me what you've done with your money. The 287 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 3: second person invested it a little bit, made a little 288 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 3: bit of multiplication productivity upon that which was given, and 289 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 3: the final person made it a huge abundancy. Essentially, was 290 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 3: very productive and multiplied the gift at which he was given. Essentially, 291 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 3: they come back to the owner and that all of 292 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 3: them were seeking praise, and the guy that hid the 293 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 3: talent thought he was going to get, you know, a 294 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 3: lot of kudos from the owner because he was he 295 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,720 Speaker 3: guarded it. And the owner essentially said, how dare you 296 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 3: any more than that? It was really condemnation. You know, 297 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 3: you did not multiply. You did nothing with that which 298 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 3: was given. And the person that multiplied a lot. It's 299 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 3: that famous saying that a lot of us say, even 300 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 3: in the secular world. You hear it that, which is, 301 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 3: those who are given a lot are expected to do 302 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 3: a lot. Essentially, those who are given are expected to 303 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 3: produce to those who've been given very much as expected. 304 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 3: And you see in the parable the talents that Jesus 305 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 3: Christ tells us that you have to do something in 306 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 3: your life that sitting around and just you know, doing nothing. 307 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 3: And of course that parable has a lot of different 308 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 3: applications as an application to the advancement of the kingdom 309 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 3: trying to convert as many people as you can to Christianity, 310 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 3: but also has economic implications. Being productive, being entrepreneurial, and 311 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:40,320 Speaker 3: being relevant to in an economic system has a lot 312 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 3: of different applications as well. 313 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: Also, finally, cheerful and loving. 314 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 3: God loves a cheerful giver, as we see in Second Corinthians, 315 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 3: as Paul wrote Second Corinthians three seventeen, and also loving. 316 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 3: Jesus Christ talked about the need to be loving. But 317 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 3: why do I mention those five things in particular? And 318 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 3: I'll get to one other example, Because in a capitalist system, 319 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 3: the most economically free countries in the world are the 320 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 3: most generous, They look out to their fellow neighbor the most, 321 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 3: They are the most productive, and they look and they 322 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 3: have the highest engagement of church going rates, so on 323 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 3: and so forth. So for example, America last year voluntarily 324 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 3: gave away four hundred billion dollars to charity. Think about 325 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 3: how much money that is, four hundred billion dollars away 326 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 3: voluntarily to charity. If you go to Europe, they don't 327 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 3: even understand the concept of private charity. Government just takes 328 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 3: care of everything. There's government programs for this, government services 329 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 3: for that. Private charity is a very very difficult concept 330 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 3: for Europeans to wrap their heads around. There's a reason 331 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 3: why there is declining church attendance in France and in 332 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 3: Germany and Spain or Portugal. There's a reason why the 333 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 3: church is not doing very well throughout most of Europe. 334 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 3: And the reason is that as a society grows government, 335 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 3: it becomes more secular. So, from a purely pragmatic standpoint, 336 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 3: as you see government get bigger, you see the church, 337 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 3: you see Christianity, if you will become less and less important. 338 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,719 Speaker 3: Now this comes to a very important point which I 339 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 3: hear a lot, and we're going to kind of debunk 340 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 3: this is was Jesus a socialist? Anyone heard this before? 341 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,399 Speaker 3: Anyone heard this once or twice. We're gonna have a 342 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 3: fun conversation with this. But before I do, I want 343 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:17,439 Speaker 3: to talk about a couple proverbs which I think are 344 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:21,360 Speaker 3: very relevant. So not only did Jesus talk about being 345 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:25,440 Speaker 3: very productive, but there is another parable which actually does 346 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 3: not get talked about very much, which talks about the 347 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 3: price system. You might say, what are you talking about 348 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 3: the price system? Well, there's a parable, the parable the 349 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:36,880 Speaker 3: vineyard workers. Anyone know this parable once you maybe heard 350 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 3: about it. Essentially, it could be applied to a lot 351 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 3: of different things, mind you. The more widely accepted application 352 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:46,399 Speaker 3: is the acceptance into the Kingdom of Heaven. But another 353 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 3: application of the parable the vineyard essentially is there was 354 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 3: a guy that owned a vineyard and he hired a 355 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:56,399 Speaker 3: bunch of workers for one denari, whatever the proper currency was, 356 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 3: and they work, they work, they worked. He realized there 357 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:00,360 Speaker 3: was a lot of work left to be done, and 358 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 3: so what do we know that when you need a 359 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:03,640 Speaker 3: lot of work to get done in a condensed period 360 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 3: of time, you're willing to pay more to get it 361 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 3: done quickly. So we hired more workers for half a 362 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 3: day's work for the same currency that he hired someone earlier. 363 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 1: In the day. And then the guy that's been working 364 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 1: all day. So this is not fair. 365 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 3: I mean I've been working all day and now I'm 366 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:17,160 Speaker 3: earning the same as the guy that's. 367 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 1: Coming in at the end. 368 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 3: And then the owner finally says, who are you to question, 369 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 3: I'm giving you exactly what I'm telling I'm going to 370 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,560 Speaker 3: give you. In economics, we call that, as you know, 371 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 3: not necessarily price gouging. We call that, as you know, 372 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:30,719 Speaker 3: paying for what you need when you need it. So 373 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 3: if I need to get a building done quickly, and 374 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 3: I hire a bunch of carpenters, and I need to 375 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:37,240 Speaker 3: hire more carpenters and they have been working out it 376 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 3: the whole time, I'm willing to pay more to get 377 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,119 Speaker 3: it done very quickly. So anyway you could use that, 378 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 3: You could use that parable to reinforce the price system. 379 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 3: So finally, Proverbs twelve eleven, I love this proverb. Those 380 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 3: who work there, those who work their land, will have 381 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 3: abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense. 382 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 1: I love that. And then finally Proverbs twelve twenty. 383 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 3: Four diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends enforced labor. 384 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 3: I can't help but think about how Europe takes the 385 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 3: whole month of August when I read that, Right, these 386 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:08,399 Speaker 3: socialist countries, they don't like to work. Work is somehow 387 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 3: a diminished thing. It's something that they try to get 388 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:14,560 Speaker 3: away from. Yet we see throughout the entire Bible that 389 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 3: work is actually an important component being productive, giving back 390 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 3: in your personal capacity. Now, finally, was Jesus a socialist? 391 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:25,399 Speaker 3: This is something that I think is widely misrepresented, and 392 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 3: I hear this a lot. In fact, I heard Bernie Sanders, 393 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,679 Speaker 3: of all people like the atheist talk about how, you know, 394 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:34,440 Speaker 3: all Christians and you know, should be should be should 395 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 3: be democratic socialists because Jesus would have been a socialist. 396 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 3: And then I saw another meme by occupied Democrats, and 397 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 3: they are a bunch of dishonest people. Unbelievable, so dishonest. 398 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:49,360 Speaker 3: They were clear, said Bernie Sanders. He's a carpenter, he's Jewish. 399 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 3: You know, he's starting a movement. He's similar to Jesus. 400 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 3: I said, no, if anything's blasphemy, that is, they give 401 00:19:55,640 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 3: me a break. I mean, that is just unbelievable. So wow, 402 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 3: I mean, comparing Bernie Sanders to the Savior of the world. 403 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: Wow. So, first and. 404 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 3: Foremost, mind you, I'm going to be very very precise 405 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:11,919 Speaker 3: and careful here. First and foremost, in my perspective, and 406 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 3: I would guess the most people in this room. Jesus 407 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 3: Christ was a savior of the world. He was not 408 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 3: really distracted with petty partisan politics. Okay, if Jesus Christ was. 409 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 3: And you can scour the four Gospels, and you can 410 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 3: scour the Letters of Paul, you can scour acts. Not 411 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 3: once did Jesus call for a particular political philosophy to 412 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,360 Speaker 3: be implemented. Now, mind you, I want you to put 413 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:34,159 Speaker 3: yourselves into the foots of Jesus of Nazareth. You have 414 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 3: twelve disciples, you are doing healings, you are converting water 415 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 3: to wine, you're feeding the five thousand. How easy would 416 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 3: it have been to have started political movement? 417 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: Now? 418 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:48,880 Speaker 3: Mind you, every other secular and a I would say 419 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,639 Speaker 3: questionably religious leader of the last four thousand years used 420 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 3: politics as a vehicle to ascertain power or religious relevance. 421 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 3: Mohammad took over territories and cut people's heads off. Okay, 422 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 3: Muhammed Gandhi, great guy, was through politics trying to come 423 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 3: about change. Martin Luther King, so on and so forth. Jesus 424 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 3: Christ stands alone in history as someone who had disdain 425 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:17,360 Speaker 3: for politics, in fact rebelled against it, and arguably had 426 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:19,960 Speaker 3: more historic impact than anyone else in the last four 427 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 3: thousand years. That's what, first and foremost makes him so 428 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 3: unique when it talks about politics. Now, we could talk 429 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 3: about some of his teachings here, but first and foremost, 430 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:32,919 Speaker 3: Jesus Christ was so focused on the individual. He was 431 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:36,239 Speaker 3: anything but talking about what would be best as a 432 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 3: collective for governmental policy. Now, you could argue there will 433 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 3: be a lot of different reasons for this, but Jesus 434 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 3: was about the savior of you, the save salvation of you, 435 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 3: and you and you, And he then taught us a 436 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 3: way to live. And then of course did not contradict 437 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 3: the law of the prophets, but rather fulfilled their prophecy. 438 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 1: And he did not. 439 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 3: Talk about what we should do, but he said what 440 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:08,160 Speaker 3: you should do and should He focused on the individual. Now, 441 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 3: socialism is anything but that. Socialism is force. Socialism is 442 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:17,160 Speaker 3: not the seeking a better life. Socialism is involuntarily involuntary 443 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 3: central planning and government ownership of property. You can't opt 444 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:24,919 Speaker 3: out of socialism. Socialist groups cannot tolerate groups that love freedom, 445 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 3: which is anything but what Jesus talked about. Jesus was 446 00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:30,960 Speaker 3: a lover of just that of freedom. 447 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 2: Now, he would be more I think inclined to be 448 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 2: sympathetic to a system that allowed individual persuasion of a 449 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:44,400 Speaker 2: certain viewpoint or perspective or set of principles or ideas 450 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 2: than that. 451 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 3: Which was authoritatively pushed down someone's throat. Now, the more 452 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 3: I would say logical arguments for why Jesus was a 453 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 3: socialist was people say, well, he cared for the poor, 454 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 3: he wanted to abolish human suffering, and he really wanted 455 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:06,359 Speaker 3: to help people, all of which I totally completely agree with. 456 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 3: But he talked about people helping people, not government programs 457 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 3: helping people. 458 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:11,680 Speaker 1: Right. 459 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:15,879 Speaker 3: He talked about the individual getting on the road to Samaritan, 460 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 3: you know, the Good Samaritan, that I'm going to help 461 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 3: that person, even though I'm not supposed to write in 462 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 3: the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus did not say, 463 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 3: write a letter to Caesar and demand stronger social planning. 464 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:33,920 Speaker 3: Jesus did not advocate for single payer health care. Instead, 465 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 3: he said, when you see someone in need, do everything 466 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 3: you can to help that person. Now we go back 467 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,879 Speaker 3: to what capitalism believes. Isn't that more sympathetic to a 468 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 3: viewpoint or an economic model that empowers as many people 469 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 3: as possible to make individual's decisions as they see fit, 470 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 3: not one that we have seen pragmatically that like in Europe, 471 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:57,880 Speaker 3: that diminishes generosity, that diminishes individual engagement in the community, 472 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 3: and instead looks to the state for answers. 473 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:06,439 Speaker 4: We're honored to be partnering with Alan Jackson Ministries and 474 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,120 Speaker 4: today I want to point you to their podcast. It's 475 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 4: called Culture in Christianity, The Alan Jackson Podcast. What makes 476 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 4: it unique is Pastor Allan's biblical perspective. He takes the 477 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 4: truth from the Bible and applies it to issues we're 478 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 4: facing today, gender confusion, abortion, immigration, Doge Trump, and the 479 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:26,160 Speaker 4: White House issues in the church. He doesn't just discuss 480 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 4: the problems in every episode, he gives practical things we 481 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:31,880 Speaker 4: can do to make a difference. His guests have incredible 482 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 4: expertise and powerful testimonies. They've been great friends and now 483 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:37,200 Speaker 4: you can hear from Charlie and his own words. 484 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 2: Each episode will make you recognize the power of your 485 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 2: faith and how God can use your life to impact 486 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 2: our world today. The Culture in Christianity podcast is informative 487 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 2: and encouraging. You could find it on YouTube, Spotify, or 488 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 2: wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to subscribe so 489 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 2: you don't miss any episodes. Alan Jackson Ministries is working 490 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 2: hard to bring biblical truth back into our culture. You 491 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,680 Speaker 2: can find out more about Pastor Allan and the ministry 492 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 2: at Alan Jackson dot com. Forward slash Charlie Forceful redistribution 493 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:10,879 Speaker 2: of wealth by government. Jesus never called for wealth and equality, 494 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:13,159 Speaker 2: and actually we actually have an example of this in 495 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 2: Luke twelve thirteen, when someone approaches Jesus and he says, 496 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:21,760 Speaker 2: he asks Jesus to sort out his inheritance, and he says, 497 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 2: my father just died and my brother is getting all 498 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 2: the inheritance. Isn't it fair to divide it up equally? Now, Jesus, 499 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 2: being God and being the son of God, could have 500 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:34,880 Speaker 2: easily said absolutely. He could have waved his hand and said, 501 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:37,200 Speaker 2: I command you, you must split it equally, and said 502 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 2: what he said, who am I to judge who gets 503 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:42,200 Speaker 2: what and how you get it? He wasn't worried about 504 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:44,880 Speaker 2: material wealth. He was, in fact worried about the love 505 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:45,240 Speaker 2: of wealth. 506 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:46,639 Speaker 3: We'll get to that in a second, which is very 507 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:50,040 Speaker 3: very important. But he was not worried about the distribution 508 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 3: of that wealth. In fact, he kind of rejected it. 509 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 3: He shrugged his shoulders. The famous quote that people uses, Well, 510 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 3: Jesus was very sympathetic to governing bodies. Know that the 511 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:05,119 Speaker 3: evidence they'll uses render unto Caesar's what is Caesar's correct? 512 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 3: He kind of shrugged his shoulders and said, pay your taxes, 513 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,720 Speaker 3: do what you're supposed to do. He did not say, 514 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:14,680 Speaker 3: start a political revolution based on my teaching and then 515 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 3: forcibly make people believe what they should believe. Instead, he 516 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,440 Speaker 3: called for we individuals, as Christ followers that are born 517 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:25,360 Speaker 3: anew through the Holy Spirit and through His perfect sacrifice, 518 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 3: to then use that teaching and instruction to individually. Essentially, 519 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:33,639 Speaker 3: I think Jesus and the teaching that we have in 520 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:37,640 Speaker 3: the Bible is directly contradictory to that teaching where well, 521 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 3: government must do it, because if you say that, essentially 522 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 3: you're saying it's not my problem, someone else must take 523 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 3: care of it. We're taught the exact opposite through Jesus's 524 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 3: teaching and Jesus' life. 525 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:49,720 Speaker 1: So was Jesus socialist? 526 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 2: Well, you also look at other examples, the parable the 527 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 2: towns talked about the workers in the vineyard. 528 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 3: We also talk about the Golden rule. What is the 529 00:26:58,040 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 3: golden rule? Anyone? 530 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:00,919 Speaker 1: What is the gold rule? We all know it? 531 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:02,920 Speaker 3: Do any of this right? Do unto others as you 532 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 3: would like to have done unto yourself. 533 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 1: Right. 534 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:08,200 Speaker 3: Well, I would make actually a very strong argument that 535 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 3: capitalism reinforces the need for a golden rule. And you 536 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 3: might say, how on earth is that possible? 537 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:15,200 Speaker 1: Well, what is trade? 538 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 3: Well, if I want to trade value for value, if 539 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,120 Speaker 3: I want to make myself and my life better, I'm 540 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 3: not going to sell a good or a product or 541 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 3: service that I'm not going to buy myself. And because 542 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 3: of competition, and because of people competing in a marketplace 543 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:31,600 Speaker 3: and actually trading goods and services and trading goods and services, 544 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:33,920 Speaker 3: you're going to have better goods and services and people 545 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 3: treating each other better. And that is why you see 546 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:40,399 Speaker 3: throughout the time of human history, goods and services get better. 547 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:43,639 Speaker 3: It's why you see, you know, in free market things 548 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 3: get faster, better and cheaper quite quickly. And only in 549 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 3: the golden rule. Treat others as you would like to 550 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:53,479 Speaker 3: be treated. How do you get rich in a socialist country? 551 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 3: You lie, you cheat, you steal, and you run for 552 00:27:56,280 --> 00:28:00,240 Speaker 3: public office. Right, that's doing unto others? How you don't 553 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,360 Speaker 3: want to do it under yourself. You amass as much 554 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 3: political power as you possibly can. Now, you might say, Charlie, 555 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:09,640 Speaker 3: but getting rich is something that Jesus directly talked about against. 556 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:10,479 Speaker 1: Correct. 557 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 2: He did have some very strong teaching about the love 558 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 2: of wealth. Now, if you reconcile that with Jesus saying 559 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:18,639 Speaker 2: that we must be productive and doing all that we 560 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 2: can with what we're called for, I do believe that 561 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:23,880 Speaker 2: in the capitalist system there are people that have amassed 562 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 2: incredible amounts of wealth that have then given ninety five 563 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:28,479 Speaker 2: ninety seven percent all of it away to charity. 564 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 1: They did not love that wealth. 565 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,120 Speaker 3: They might have enjoyed building a business and helping other 566 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 3: people and employing a lot of people. And you talk 567 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 3: to those individuals the worst parts of their career, probably 568 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 3: laying people off and firing them and going through lawsuits, 569 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 3: all of which are horrible obstacles and barriers to creating 570 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 3: a successful business. But those people did not love wealth. 571 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:51,520 Speaker 3: There's people with almost no money that love wealth. Think 572 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:53,280 Speaker 3: about that. And there's some people with a lot of 573 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 3: money that's the least important thing in their life. So, 574 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 3: but Jesus talked about the love of wealth it's harder 575 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 3: for a rich person to get into heaven than what 576 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 3: a camel through the eye of a needle. 577 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 1: Essentially, right, is that the threat? Yeah, okay, you look at. 578 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:11,640 Speaker 3: The original Greek and Armamaic. Rich essentially means that of 579 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 3: which who loves money, not that which who has money. 580 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:15,200 Speaker 1: If I remember. 581 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:17,400 Speaker 3: Correctly, it's Jesus Christ who spread the Gospel with tax 582 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 3: collectors and people that had a lot of money and 583 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 3: saying you can do more than just amassing wealth. In fact, 584 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 3: one of the Gospels was written by a tax collector, 585 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 3: Matthew Levi. If Jesus had that much disdain for that 586 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 3: which people had wealth, why on earth would he associate 587 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 3: with them or offer salvation? That which being said, in 588 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 3: a free market system, you have the absolute freedom to 589 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 3: have as much or as little wealth as you want. 590 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 3: If you believe you could do a lot of good 591 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 3: with employing twenty thousand people and giving away billions of dollars, 592 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 3: look no further than this university that is doing so 593 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 3: much good for the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. 594 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 3: But a lot of this was contributed by millionaires in 595 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 3: billionaires that were very successful in the free enterprise system 596 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:05,680 Speaker 3: that voluntarily gave back and now have helped thousands of 597 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 3: people better understand Jesus Christ. That's only possible in a 598 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 3: free market system, isn't it, Because in order to get 599 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 3: what in order to give away, you must create. The 600 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 3: other arguments I hear of why Jesus is a socialist, I. 601 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 1: Think fall flat on their face. 602 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 2: The you know you see in one Timothy six y 603 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 2: ten the love of money is the root of all 604 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:29,200 Speaker 2: the evil. The keyword is love of money when. 605 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 3: Paul wrote that letter, it's very important to realize that 606 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:36,360 Speaker 3: it's not actually having money. Money is nothing more than 607 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 3: what it is, a representation of value. It is what 608 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 3: you do with that money. Money has no morality. As socialists, 609 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 3: I would disagree with socialists. Money doesn't have a conscience. 610 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 3: Money doesn't have morality. Money doesn't have a decision. It's 611 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:52,960 Speaker 3: what you do with it. It's a utility. So for example, 612 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 3: someone that might be an atheist that is worth eight 613 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:59,440 Speaker 3: billion dollars, that has hated Jesus Christ his whole life 614 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 3: and hated God God in a moment's notice can turn 615 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 3: that eight billion dollars that he might have done horrible 616 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 3: things to get. 617 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: Into good instantaneously. 618 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 3: That money is completely transactional, it knows no morality, it 619 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 3: holds it's an asset value. 620 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 2: It's an asset holder that you can immediately and instantaneous. 621 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:17,760 Speaker 3: So what am I saying is that there will always 622 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 3: be good and evil in the world. And we know 623 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 3: this right, we know this as Christians, and God talks 624 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 3: about it and throughout the Old Testament and New Testament 625 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 3: of how we reconcile on how we deal with these 626 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:32,280 Speaker 3: great horrors. Which economic system is that with which can 627 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:34,680 Speaker 3: you do the most amount of good with the worst 628 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 3: parts of human nature? 629 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:39,040 Speaker 2: And that is no, look no further than free market capitalism. 630 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 2: So a little bit more about myself than I'd love 631 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:43,320 Speaker 2: to open it up for some questions. As I'm a 632 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 2: strong committed evangelical Christian. I believe God wrote a perfect 633 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 2: book through the perfect delivery of his son Jesus Christ. 634 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 2: You look at the fulfillment of the prophecies, the authenticity 635 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 2: of the Gospels, the perfection of the scriptures. You can 636 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,160 Speaker 2: go through a system of questions, do you believe there's 637 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 2: a God? 638 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 1: Yes or no? That's the first question. 639 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:07,800 Speaker 3: Then when has God revealed himself throughout human history? Pretty 640 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:11,720 Speaker 3: good evidence of that here. And then finally, who, if not, 641 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:16,880 Speaker 3: when has have those prophecies been fulfilled? And what evidence 642 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 3: do we have for that? If you were to look 643 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:22,400 Speaker 3: at a chart of what scriptures in human history have 644 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 3: been the most have been the most copied, and have 645 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 3: been the most authenticated, you look at Homer's Odyssey for example, 646 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:34,440 Speaker 3: anyone you know Homer's Odyssey? Do we spend time in 647 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 3: classrooms debating whether or not Homer's Odyssey was really his 648 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:39,080 Speaker 3: words and not his words? 649 00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 1: Of course not. 650 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 3: There is over six hundred thousand times more scriptures and 651 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 3: copies of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. You could stack 652 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:49,959 Speaker 3: it all the way up the top of the ceiling, 653 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 3: the scriptures versus the Odyssey of Homer. Point being is 654 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 3: that there's a ton of evidence to show that as 655 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 3: early as a d. 656 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:00,120 Speaker 1: Sixty, which is. 657 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:02,880 Speaker 3: When the first Gospel was written, of course, the Gospel, 658 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:05,240 Speaker 3: the Gospel of Mark, and then Matthew in the eighties, 659 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 3: and then Luke in the nineties, and then. 660 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:08,080 Speaker 1: John came a little bit after that. 661 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,720 Speaker 3: These were these accounts of eyewitness testimony, of the accounts 662 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 3: of Jesus. So people say, Charlie, why are you a Christian, 663 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:16,920 Speaker 3: Why do you actually believe this? This is a bunch 664 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 3: of fairy tales, right, this really doesn't in it. 665 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 1: And I say all the time. 666 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:23,640 Speaker 3: Actually, I'm an objective Christian, which means I've gone through 667 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 3: highly analytical thinking and historical searching. By no means a 668 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 3: theological expert. There's a lot of smarter people than that. 669 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:31,680 Speaker 3: But people ask me all the time, why do you 670 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 3: believe what you believe? So I'm gonna entertain me for 671 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 3: five minutes. I'll tell you what. So I believe there's 672 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 3: a God? And when did God reveal himself throughout human history? 673 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:39,960 Speaker 3: And what evidence do we have for that? And that, 674 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:42,680 Speaker 3: of course is in the Bible. We see the law 675 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 3: of the prophets. 676 00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 1: We see God. 677 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:48,840 Speaker 3: Revealing himself through Genesis, Sextistalybiticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, judges for second things, 678 00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:50,240 Speaker 3: all the way through the Old Testament, through the major 679 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 3: minor prophets. But then finally you see a fulfillment of 680 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:56,480 Speaker 3: that prophecy throughout Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And you 681 00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:02,080 Speaker 3: see eyewitness account throughout the Letter of Paul, and you 682 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 3: see the eyewitness account throughout Acts. 683 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:05,560 Speaker 1: So you have to ask. 684 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:07,320 Speaker 3: Yourself a series of questions those of you that might 685 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:08,719 Speaker 3: not be a Christian, of those of you that might 686 00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:13,400 Speaker 3: be on the fence, first and foremost, who in a 687 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:15,880 Speaker 3: two thousand years ago, who in that world would have 688 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:19,920 Speaker 3: voluntarily died unless they actually would have believed this stuff. 689 00:34:20,200 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 3: Every single follower of Jesus Christ died at the stake 690 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 3: to their very death, saying that Jesus Christ was everything 691 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,040 Speaker 3: that he said he was. He did the miracles that 692 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:30,880 Speaker 3: he said. Some were crucified on the cross, some were 693 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:33,719 Speaker 3: crucified upside down, some were in the most horrific deaths 694 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:36,520 Speaker 3: you could possibly imagine. And there's account after account after 695 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:40,040 Speaker 3: account Paul tells us, and it's reinforced throughout the Gospel 696 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:42,200 Speaker 3: of John that there were over five hundred eyewitnesses that 697 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:44,439 Speaker 3: saw Jesus Christ after his death. There's a great book 698 00:34:44,520 --> 00:34:46,160 Speaker 3: called The Case for Christ. If you haven't read it, 699 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:49,000 Speaker 3: please do. There's a good movie as well. The whole 700 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:51,240 Speaker 3: center of this whole book, if you want to debunk 701 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:53,520 Speaker 3: this whole thing is if you can debunk the resurrection 702 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:55,960 Speaker 3: of Jesus Christ, that's the whole thing. Did Jesus rise 703 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 3: from the dead, Yes or no? And that's the whole question. 704 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:00,640 Speaker 3: So if you were trying to create a great fiction 705 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:04,400 Speaker 3: about Jesus Christ, would you have your first eyewitnesses be women? 706 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 1: Oh? What are you kidding me? 707 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:08,759 Speaker 3: You'd be crazy to do that, right and old and 708 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:11,120 Speaker 3: two thousand years ago, you would have women be your 709 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:15,720 Speaker 3: best expert witness testimony. No, you would have some well 710 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:18,319 Speaker 3: to do rich guy that would come up and you know, 711 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:19,920 Speaker 3: be very very credible. 712 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:21,040 Speaker 1: No, but they had women. 713 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:23,319 Speaker 3: Now why would No one would make that stuff up. 714 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:28,120 Speaker 3: That's why, because it's impossible to conjure that. Secondly, you 715 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:30,960 Speaker 3: look at people that even saw Jesus after he was 716 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:33,000 Speaker 3: risen from the dead and touched him and saw him, 717 00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 3: some of them still couldn't believe what their eyes were 718 00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 3: showing them until they were actually able to feel the 719 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:41,960 Speaker 3: scars on his hands. And then, of course is our 720 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:44,920 Speaker 3: friend doubting Thomas, who did not believe it until he 721 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,560 Speaker 3: actually felt it and saw it. And finally, from a 722 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:53,279 Speaker 3: very logical perspective, we have four independently written books Matthew, Mark, Luke, 723 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 3: and John all within eighty years fifty years if you 724 00:35:56,239 --> 00:35:58,279 Speaker 3: count the beginning of the writing of the Gospels of 725 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:02,400 Speaker 3: the Life of Jesus Christ. That from different perspectives reinforce 726 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 3: the same story without any contradictions plus or minus very 727 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:10,000 Speaker 3: minor theological inconsistencies. If any of you want to challenge 728 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:11,959 Speaker 3: me on that, there's notes I have just in case. 729 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:13,160 Speaker 1: But the point being. 730 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:16,080 Speaker 3: The point being is that if I was an FBI 731 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:20,440 Speaker 3: investigator and I had four different eyewitnesses all saying similar 732 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:24,880 Speaker 3: but not different things, that's a pretty clear and convincing. 733 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:26,040 Speaker 1: Case to hold up. 734 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:31,720 Speaker 3: To hold up the original thesis which Jesus Christ died 735 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:32,760 Speaker 3: and then rose again. 736 00:36:33,239 --> 00:36:34,720 Speaker 1: The final thing is Paul. 737 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:38,560 Speaker 3: I think Paul is one of the greatest arguments for Christianity. 738 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:43,040 Speaker 3: Paul was a well to do Jewish Roman. He went 739 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:47,360 Speaker 3: around persecuting Christians, He went around persecuting the followers of 740 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:51,120 Speaker 3: Jesus Christ. What advantage of this guy have to drop 741 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:54,200 Speaker 3: everything on the road to Amaeus and say, actually, this 742 00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:55,880 Speaker 3: guy was right all along. I'm going to drop all 743 00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 3: my wealth, all my political connections. I'm going to make 744 00:36:58,719 --> 00:37:01,600 Speaker 3: a bunch of enemies go to prison eight or nine times, 745 00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:06,600 Speaker 3: get crucified upside down, write about it. My whole family 746 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:09,360 Speaker 3: gets disbarred, everyone I know, some of them get killed. 747 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 3: What advantage on earth would that guy have to it 748 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:15,080 Speaker 3: unless he really believed this stuff, and why would he 749 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:15,920 Speaker 3: actually believe it? 750 00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:17,560 Speaker 1: Well, I believe because it's true. 751 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:20,280 Speaker 3: It's true, and he then of course wrote the original 752 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 3: Letters which formed the Early Church. If you look at 753 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:27,360 Speaker 3: why Christianity continues to be under attack, Jesus Christ talks 754 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:30,520 Speaker 3: about persecution. It's talked about many times in the scriptures. 755 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:32,840 Speaker 3: But if you look at the Bible, no other book 756 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:35,600 Speaker 3: has had so much impact in such a short period 757 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:38,920 Speaker 3: of time, despite the enemies trying to destroy it, despite 758 00:37:38,920 --> 00:37:42,360 Speaker 3: people trying to inauthenticate it, and the more excavation and 759 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:45,720 Speaker 3: the more archaeological evidence that we find, the more evidence 760 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:47,200 Speaker 3: we find for the Bible. 761 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:50,040 Speaker 1: There's only been two percent two percent. 762 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:52,640 Speaker 3: Of all archaeological sites in the Middle East have been 763 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:55,160 Speaker 3: fully escavated. We have ninety eight percent left to go 764 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 3: as we search for more, as we search for more, 765 00:37:57,640 --> 00:37:58,440 Speaker 3: just more and more. 766 00:37:58,280 --> 00:37:59,920 Speaker 1: Of this evidence is going to continue to be up. 767 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:02,719 Speaker 3: Up until the nineteen thirties, people said, oh, a lot 768 00:38:02,719 --> 00:38:04,560 Speaker 3: of there's a lot of inconsistencies. And then, of course 769 00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:07,160 Speaker 3: in the nineteen forties we found the Dead Sea Scrolls, 770 00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:11,720 Speaker 3: which then showed even more reinforce of the Biblical authenticity 771 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:15,080 Speaker 3: of what we as Christians hold to be true. So, 772 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,200 Speaker 3: as someone who I consider to be a fact based, 773 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:22,319 Speaker 3: logical thinker, it's not blind faith to follow Christianity. It's 774 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:25,720 Speaker 3: not We're not just walking blindly into this. We appreciate history, 775 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:30,680 Speaker 3: we appreciate human behavior, we have logical reasons for why 776 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,640 Speaker 3: individuals make certain decisions. And you look at it all 777 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:37,000 Speaker 3: composed together, you say, God wrote a book, God sent 778 00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:39,480 Speaker 3: a son to save us all from our sins, and 779 00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:41,560 Speaker 3: that is why I'm a Christian and those of us 780 00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:42,600 Speaker 3: that are Christians are as well. 781 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:49,600 Speaker 1: For more on many of these stories and news you 782 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:51,680 Speaker 1: can trust, go to Charliekirk dot com