At a Glance
Critical race theory and cultural Marxism dominate education, big business, media, and our societal discourse, but why and how has it also infiltrated the Church? Join us as we grapple with the onslaught of critical theory and social justice ideologies that we see in many churches with Jon Benzinger who is a friend, pastor, and author of Stand: Christianity vs. Social Justice. Even though the BLM riots of 2020 are behind us, the Neo-Marxist worldview driving the new social justice movement has not slowed. This worldview is the toxic new religion of our time and brings with it a catastrophic history. If and when its rapid growth takes root in churches, it will bring about their demise. This episode underscores the Christian’s vital need to amalgamate truth and love in the face of these advancing lies.
What You'll Hear
- The silence from prominent leaders in the face of social justice (13:08)
- How the church has been discipled by its nation (20:46)
- Misapplication of common grace doctrine (35:14)
- Divergent perspectives on CRT and issues (46:18)
- The destructive impact of Marxist ideology (52:08)
- Marxism’s plan to fracture the church (59:52)
- So what’s next? (1:15:13)
Using the link above, you can read the transcript, listen along, and adjust the speed of the podcast while you listen.
"This is the virus in evangelicalism. We so want the culture to like us because we believe the lie that if the culture likes us they'll like Jesus, and so we've got to make them like us so that they'll like Jesus, which is just a straight up lie."
Jon Benzinger (29:32)
Quotes
- 6:03 “This [neo-marxism] is something that needs to be fought against, not integrated into Christianity as some kind of help or interpretive framework, but that it should be expunged from Christianity because it is an attack on the gospel and a completely different worldview.” Jon Benzinger
- 11:00 “If these things [social justice] are adopted, it’s a replacement for the gospel. It’s a completely different worldview. It attacks the gospel but says, like you will be more Christian if you do these. It lies and says you will be consistent as a Christian if you follow this ideology.” Jon Benzinger
- 29:32 “This is the virus in evangelicalism. We so want the culture to like us because we believe the lie that if the culture likes us they’ll like Jesus, and so we’ve got to make them like us so that they’ll like Jesus, which is just a straight up lie.” Jon Benzinger
- 34:28 “This is a 2000 year old movement that started in Jerusalem and is spread all over the world. And how about we just stick to what the Bible tells us to do instead of jumping on fads and celebrity preachers and all this nonsense, and just do what the Bible tells you to do, be faithful, leave the results in God’s hands. Be faithful and go ‘home’ and hear well done.” Jon Benzinger
- 42:11 “They’re anti-Christian ideas, they’re anti-gospel ideas. That’s why people embrace them [neo-Marxist ideas] and then they leave Christianity, or they embrace a heretical form of Christianity, like progressive Christianity, which is neither progressive nor Christianity. It’s regressive and it’s some other religion.” Jon Benzinger
- 57:42 “Marxism wants to destroy every aspect of our society. That is its goal, that’s its stated goal.” Jon Benzinger
Go Deeper
Stand: Christianity vs. Social Justice
By Jon Benzinger
Christian, we are against a lot of things, but will you stand for what matters, when it matters most? You are in the midst of the greatest attack on Christianity in your life. Make no mistake, the war is coming for you. The question is, will you be ready for it and will you fight or fold? This easy-to-understand book clarifies the change you’re sensing in our culture, at your church, your job, or your school, and gives you tools to stand faithfully against this aggressive and heretical attack on the gospel.
It is tragically far too rare these days for a pastor to so directly confront a widespread cultural lie. In this book, however, Jon Benzinger takes on a movement causing confusion and breaking relationships. He does so biblically and graciously, with courage and pastoral kindness. I’m grateful for this very important resource.
John Stonestreet
President, the Colson Center
Host, the BreakPoint podcast
A Toxic New Religion: Understanding the Postmodern, Neo-Marxist Faith that Seeks to Destroy the Judeo-Christian Culture of the West
By Scott D. Allen and Darrow L. Miller
Make no mistake: This new ideology is deadly serious.
It is nothing less than a kind of cultural acid, eating away at the central pillars of a free and open society. Yale University is supposed to represent dialogue and learning. What happens when we can no longer openly dialogue, debate, and discuss different viewpoints because we fear offending someone who may claim our speech was “violence,” leading to our public shaming or loss of employment?
What kind of culture will this new ideology produce? Download the FREE eBook.
Why Social Justice is Not Biblical Justice: An Urgent Appeal to Fellow Christians in a Time of Social Crisis
By Scott David Allen
“Highly recommended!” – Wayne Grudem, PhD, Distinguished Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies, Phoenix Seminary
“I urge you to read and share this book immediately and widely!” – Kelly Monroe Kullberg, author of Finding God Beyond Harvard: The Quest for Veritas
“We have long needed a book like this. Every serious Christian—especially every pastor—should read and heed the wisdom it contains.” – Tom Ascol, Senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church (Cape Coral, Florida), President of Founders Ministries
“We are a wounded nation now, and Christians need to bind up wounds and not make new ones. Instead of scorning those who push for social justice, we should recognize that leftist ideologues have twisted the concept of social justice, and some Christians have naively gone along with the distortion. Scott Allen offers an alternative that’s crucial to consider.” – Marvin Olasky, Editor in chief of WORLD magazine
Prepare yourself to defend the truth against the greatest worldview threat of our generation.
In recent years, a set of ideas rooted in postmodernism and neo-Marxist critical theory have merged into a comprehensive worldview. Labeled “social justice” by its advocates, it has radically redefined the popular understanding of justice. It purports to value equality and diversity and to champion the cause of the oppressed.
Yet far too many Christians have little knowledge of this ideology, and consequently, don’t see the danger. Many evangelical leaders confuse ideological social justice with biblical justice. Of course, justice is a deeply biblical idea, but this new ideology is far from biblical.
It is imperative that Christ-followers, tasked with blessing their nations, wake up to the danger, and carefully discern the difference between Biblical justice and its destructive counterfeit.
Why Social Justice is Not Biblical Justice aims to replace confusion with clarity by holding up the counterfeit worldview and the Biblical worldview side-by-side, showing how significantly they differ in their core presuppositions. It challenges Christians to not merely denounce the false worldview, but offer a better alternative—the incomparable Biblical worldview, which shapes cultures marked by genuine justice, mercy, forgiveness, social harmony, and human dignity. Learn more or download the free study guide.
