It is no easy matter to define the relative rights and mutual duties of the rich and of the poor, of capital and of labor. And the danger lies in this, that crafty agitators are intent on making use of these differences of opinion to pervert men’s judgments and to stir up the people to revolt. — Rerum Novarum, Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII on Capital and Labor

A Revolting People

We’re stirred continuously to revolt. We live in a state of perpetual war … with everything and over everything. As our families disintegrate government emerges as our savior. And it was all predicted, and explained in writing, over a century ago. We are living through the consequences of absorbing fully the philosophical ideas born in eighteenth century revolt, and sustained by our revolutionary spirit ever since.

Are you weary? I am.

We’ve devolved to this deplorable condition so that each and every one of us can enjoy the right to live proudly and individualistically against God and His principles. We pretend that this is a newfound progressive right. We imagine that the old world didn’t include freedom of conscience. We congratulate ourselves on creating a new world of unique freedom and liberty.

How odd is it that we prove to ourselves that we are free by fighting most ferociously to maintain our right to free porn videos on our smartphones? How can it be that videos about a child twerking for adults in a bar is fully monetized and advertised by YouTube while meaningful discussions about political and moral subjects are demonetized and deleted? Are we free? Really?

Or are we simply lost. Lost in our sins, trivialities and fallen human nature. Pope Leo XIII writes, “Crafty agitators are intent on … perverting men’s judgments and stirring up the people to revolt.” How do these crafty agitators accomplish their goal? The Pope says they do it by making use of differences of opinion over the “relative rights and mutual duties of the rich and of the poor, of capital and of labor.”

We’re still living through an age defined by the old adage, “It’s the economy stupid.” That’s why the very first thing the politicians did when the globalists pulled the trigger on their plannedemic was to send everyone a check. We’re no longer spiritual beings, U.S. humans. No, we’re only material. We are economic.

That’s why we’ve elevated a billionaire businessman reality show celebrity to king of the world. Thankfully he respects religion, especially Christianity. It’s unclear at this time whether Trump’s instincts, rooted as they are in the America of the mid twentieth century, will be enough to prolong our post World War II dominance of the world. It needs to end. We’ve done much good around the world. The rise, however, of greed and weaponized radical corporate individualism is undoing U.S. The root of our problem is the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins — pride. Proverbs 16:18 teaches that “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

The Pope observes in his encyclical:

In any case we clearly see, and on this there is general agreement, that some opportune remedy must be found quickly for the misery and wretchedness pressing so unjustly on the majority of the working class: for the ancient workingmen’s guilds were abolished in the last century, and no other protective organization took their place. Public institutions and the laws set aside the ancient religion. Hence, by degrees it has come to pass that working men have been surrendered, isolated and helpless, to the hard-heartedness of employers and the greed of unchecked competition. The mischief has been increased by rapacious usury, which, although more than once condemned by the Church, is nevertheless, under a different guise, but with like injustice, still practiced by covetous and grasping men. To this must be added that the hiring of labor and the conduct of trade are concentrated in the hands of comparatively few; so that a small number of very rich men have been able to lay upon the teeming masses of the laboring poor a yoke little better than that of slavery itself.

One hundred years on the problem has become much worse. We don’t see it in America because we pollute and abuse the neighborhoods and labor in other nations. Acting the part of corrupt and evil mafioso our politicians have bullied the world to maintain our middle class in the life to which we’ve become accustomed.

This will not be allowed to continue. Simple justice will bring a reckoning … a judgment. God has allowed this for reasons that only He knows. He will not allow it to continue forever. Our decline may accelerate in the aftermath of this plannedemic, initiated by — and managed for the benefit of — American and European oligarchs. They are trying hard to lay the blame on China, and communism is certainly evil. But everyone knows that the responsibility for this rests with Western oligarchs. They sit astride the world having used Western institutions, especially central banks and governments, to pervert the virtue and humanity of people everywhere.

The Pope observes, “Public institutions and the laws set aside the ancient religion.” It should be obvious to everyone now that Christianity was “set aside” a long time ago. Christianity cannot be blamed for what is happening. If there is any blame to be laid at the feet of the Church and Christianity it is for not being forceful enough in declaring and enforcing her dogma and doctrine. The responsibility for this disaster lies with government and the people, not with the ancient religion of the West — Christianity.

Christianity is, in fact, the true source of illumination for our path forward. Satan is making a play right now to be that source of illumination. His symbols and ideas are emerging as never before in our lifetime in popular culture. Pray that he fails.

God has a plan for our life. He has a plan for your life. Find it. Live it. Amen.