- If you ever went to
college here in the West,
00:00:01.23\00:00:02.76
I'm sure you've heard at
least one of your professors say
00:00:02.76\00:00:05.50
that private property
should be completely abolished,
00:00:05.50\00:00:08.27
that getting rid of it
would be an important key
00:00:08.27\00:00:10.81
to solving human suffering.
00:00:10.81\00:00:12.81
But given the words of
the Eighth Commandment,
00:00:12.81\00:00:15.24
I wonder if that's the
way God thinks about it.
00:00:15.24\00:00:18.21
[slow-paced country music]
00:00:18.21\00:00:21.85
In recent years,
there's been a lot of buzz,
00:00:39.00\00:00:41.14
especially on social
media and conspiracy websites,
00:00:41.14\00:00:44.51
about an article published
by the World Economic Forum.
00:00:44.51\00:00:48.41
It was written by a Danish
politician named Ida Auken.
00:00:48.41\00:00:51.91
And while most people have
never actually read her article,
00:00:51.91\00:00:55.52
most of us have heard
about its most famous line,
00:00:55.52\00:00:58.49
the one where she pitches
her utopian vision of the future
00:00:58.49\00:01:02.02
and says, "You'll own
nothing and you'll be happy."
00:01:02.02\00:01:06.06
Actually, that's
not quite what she said.
00:01:06.06\00:01:08.53
The famous quote was
created from the title
00:01:08.53\00:01:11.00
of an essay she wrote back
in 2016 called "Welcome to 2030.
00:01:11.00\00:01:15.74
I own nothing, have no privacy,
00:01:15.74\00:01:18.14
and life has never been better,"
00:01:18.14\00:01:20.04
a title that is sure to
raise more than a few eyebrows.
00:01:20.04\00:01:23.85
But by the time it
arrived on the official website
00:01:23.85\00:01:26.05
of the World Economic Forum,
the title had been changed
00:01:26.05\00:01:28.35
to "Here's how life could change
00:01:28.35\00:01:30.52
in my city by the year 2030."
00:01:30.52\00:01:33.62
So let me read you a
little bit from that article
00:01:33.62\00:01:37.13
to look at what
the fuss is all about,
00:01:37.13\00:01:39.16
and then we'll ask ourselves
00:01:39.16\00:01:40.60
why this made so
many people so very angry.
00:01:40.60\00:01:44.10
So here we go.
00:01:44.10\00:01:45.37
She writes,
"Welcome to the year 2030.
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Welcome to my city, or
should I say, our city.
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I don't own
anything. I don't own a car.
00:01:51.57\00:01:54.11
I don't own a house.
00:01:54.11\00:01:55.38
I don't own any
appliances or any clothes.
00:01:55.38\00:01:58.25
It might seem odd to you,
00:01:58.25\00:01:59.71
but it makes perfect
sense for us in this city.
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Everything you
considered a product
00:02:02.32\00:02:04.15
has now become a service.
00:02:04.15\00:02:05.92
We have access to
transportation, accommodation,
00:02:05.92\00:02:09.39
food, and all the things
we need in our daily lives.
00:02:09.39\00:02:12.16
One by one, all
these things became free,
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so it ended up not making
sense for us to own much."
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Now, I have to think
that some people would think
00:02:19.43\00:02:22.67
that sounds kinda like paradise.
00:02:22.67\00:02:24.64
I mean, who wouldn't
want to stop worrying?
00:02:24.64\00:02:28.04
Just try to imagine a world
where your needs are always met
00:02:28.04\00:02:30.81
and you can spend
your one and only lifetime
00:02:30.81\00:02:32.91
doing really fulfilling things,
00:02:32.91\00:02:35.18
the stuff that
actually makes you happy.
00:02:35.18\00:02:37.42
Of course, utopia
doesn't exist and it never has
00:02:37.42\00:02:41.56
outside the gates of Eden.
00:02:41.56\00:02:43.09
And human history is
frequently punctuated
00:02:43.09\00:02:45.79
with the ruins of utopian
experiments gone horribly wrong,
00:02:45.79\00:02:49.83
which is why most
people reject this idea.
00:02:49.83\00:02:53.23
We've seen this
kind of talk before
00:02:53.23\00:02:55.00
and it always seems to
end in violence and heartache.
00:02:55.00\00:02:58.17
But just for the
sake of argument,
00:02:59.31\00:03:00.61
let's pretend that
this is actually possible.
00:03:00.61\00:03:03.24
She continues.
00:03:03.24\00:03:04.78
"First communication became
digitized and free to everyone.
00:03:04.78\00:03:08.32
Then when clean
energy became free,
00:03:08.32\00:03:10.72
things started to move quickly.
00:03:10.72\00:03:12.49
Transportation dropped
dramatically in price."
00:03:12.49\00:03:16.52
And then we come to this part
00:03:16.52\00:03:17.79
just a couple of
paragraphs later.
00:03:17.79\00:03:19.33
Listen to this.
00:03:19.33\00:03:20.70
"In our city, we
don't pay any rent
00:03:20.70\00:03:22.50
because someone else
is using our free space
00:03:22.50\00:03:25.10
whenever we do not need it.
00:03:25.10\00:03:26.57
My living room is
used for business meetings
00:03:26.57\00:03:29.17
when I'm not there."
00:03:29.17\00:03:30.94
Now, I've got to say,
00:03:30.94\00:03:32.81
that part doesn't
really sound like utopia,
00:03:32.81\00:03:35.41
at least not to me.
00:03:35.41\00:03:36.98
I mean, think about this.
00:03:36.98\00:03:38.21
What if there's a
scheduling conflict
00:03:38.21\00:03:39.51
or that meeting runs long?
00:03:39.51\00:03:41.32
Where are you supposed to
go? Stand outside your own home?
00:03:41.32\00:03:44.75
The author assumes that
people aren't naturally selfish,
00:03:44.75\00:03:48.16
that they're going to
share things perfectly,
00:03:48.16\00:03:50.86
and you and I
know better than that.
00:03:50.86\00:03:53.33
She also says that
products will become services,
00:03:53.33\00:03:56.10
so people will always
manufacture very high quality
00:03:56.10\00:03:59.93
things. Why?
00:03:59.93\00:04:01.34
Well, because planned
obsolescence in her utopia
00:04:01.34\00:04:04.41
doesn't make sense anymore,
00:04:04.41\00:04:06.01
not if you get rid
of the profit motive.
00:04:06.01\00:04:08.21
Just make stuff
that will last forever
00:04:08.21\00:04:10.85
and the whole
community will share it.
00:04:10.85\00:04:13.85
If you wanna cook something,
just put in your order
00:04:13.85\00:04:16.58
and the
specialized cooking equipment
00:04:16.58\00:04:18.52
comes right to
your door free of charge
00:04:18.52\00:04:20.62
and you can just use it.
00:04:20.62\00:04:22.99
But, of course,
what she doesn't explain
00:04:22.99\00:04:25.56
is what happens
when scarcity kicks in,
00:04:25.56\00:04:28.23
when all of us want
the same piece of equipment
00:04:28.23\00:04:31.17
at the same time.
00:04:31.17\00:04:32.77
For example, what if almost
everybody wants a deep fryer
00:04:32.77\00:04:36.10
to cook their
Thanksgiving turkey?
00:04:36.10\00:04:38.27
She's pretending
scarcity doesn't exist.
00:04:38.27\00:04:42.08
And let's be
honest, are human beings
00:04:42.08\00:04:44.31
really going to become
less selfish, less competitive?
00:04:44.31\00:04:48.42
I mean, it's not
as if we haven't tried
00:04:48.42\00:04:49.95
this kind of thing before.
00:04:49.95\00:04:51.49
We had more than 70 years
of centralized economic control
00:04:51.49\00:04:55.42
in the Soviet Union,
00:04:55.42\00:04:56.89
you know, from each
according to his ability
00:04:56.89\00:04:59.13
and to each
according to his need.
00:04:59.13\00:05:01.33
It's Karl Marx 101.
00:05:01.33\00:05:03.23
Back in those days,
00:05:04.07\00:05:05.53
the economy was carefully
planned every five years,
00:05:05.53\00:05:08.20
and people were
assigned their role in society
00:05:08.20\00:05:10.97
based on the whims of
high ranking party members,
00:05:10.97\00:05:14.11
who, of course, always
put the people's interests
00:05:14.11\00:05:16.64
ahead of their own, right?
00:05:16.64\00:05:18.51
Soviet communism was the world's
00:05:19.55\00:05:21.52
biggest social
engineering experiment,
00:05:21.52\00:05:23.89
and it failed to fix
our biggest human problem,
00:05:23.89\00:05:26.92
which from the Bible's
perspective is our fallen
00:05:26.92\00:05:31.23
nature. The Soviets
intended to demonstrate
00:05:31.23\00:05:33.13
that if we all just
shared the means of production,
00:05:33.13\00:05:35.76
if we owned
everything in common,
00:05:35.76\00:05:37.40
well, then we would
finally achieve real equity,
00:05:37.40\00:05:42.07
which is not the
same as equality.
00:05:42.07\00:05:45.51
Equality makes us
all equal before the law,
00:05:45.51\00:05:47.68
but equity tries to
force equal economic outcomes
00:05:47.68\00:05:51.35
for everybody, giving everybody
exactly the same stuff.
00:05:51.35\00:05:55.88
And we have never achieved
that, and I don't think we will.
00:05:55.88\00:05:59.45
I mean, Jesus
himself pointed out
00:05:59.45\00:06:01.76
that you always
have the poor with you
00:06:01.76\00:06:04.09
in Matthew chapter 26.
00:06:04.09\00:06:06.63
What happened
in the Soviet Union
00:06:06.63\00:06:08.73
was essentially the opposite
00:06:08.73\00:06:10.70
of what the government promised.
00:06:10.70\00:06:12.83
Party elites enjoyed
a very comfortable life,
00:06:12.83\00:06:15.70
but the rank and file citizens
00:06:15.70\00:06:17.21
somehow ended up even more
poor than they were before.
00:06:17.21\00:06:22.21
If you're my age or older,
00:06:22.98\00:06:24.11
you remember the
pictures of bread lines
00:06:24.11\00:06:25.75
and empty store shelves.
00:06:25.75\00:06:28.18
And, of course, Marxism also
produced a very serious problem
00:06:28.18\00:06:32.19
when it came to the value
of individual human beings.
00:06:32.19\00:06:35.76
To put it
bluntly, there was no room
00:06:35.76\00:06:38.29
for individuals in that system.
00:06:38.29\00:06:40.46
There was only the
collective or the state.
00:06:40.46\00:06:43.87
The individual was nothing
more than a means to an end,
00:06:43.87\00:06:46.70
a cog in the state machinery.
00:06:46.70\00:06:48.94
And if your personal
belief stood in the way
00:06:48.94\00:06:50.91
of the will of the
state, well, in that case,
00:06:50.91\00:06:53.34
you were off to the Gulags.
00:06:53.34\00:06:55.54
And the author of this
article was honest enough
00:06:55.54\00:06:58.35
to point this out as she
described her utopian daydream.
00:06:58.35\00:07:02.28
Here, just listen to this part.
00:07:02.28\00:07:04.15
She says, "Once in a while
I get annoyed about the fact
00:07:04.15\00:07:07.39
that I have no real privacy.
00:07:07.39\00:07:09.32
Nowhere I can go
and not be registered.
00:07:09.32\00:07:12.06
I know that,
somewhere, everything I do,
00:07:12.06\00:07:14.13
think and dream of is recorded.
00:07:14.13\00:07:16.70
I just hope that nobody
will use it against me."
00:07:16.70\00:07:20.50
If you're going to
engineer the lives of millions
00:07:20.50\00:07:23.00
or billions of people,
you're going to have to monitor
00:07:23.00\00:07:25.97
just about everybody
for antisocial behavior.
00:07:25.97\00:07:28.88
You have to get rid
of the kinds of people
00:07:28.88\00:07:30.65
who might jeopardize this dream
00:07:30.65\00:07:32.38
of perfect
worldwide cooperation.
00:07:32.38\00:07:35.82
If you're going to make it
work or look like it's working,
00:07:35.82\00:07:39.29
you're gonna have to
police every single corner
00:07:39.29\00:07:41.56
of every single life.
00:07:41.56\00:07:43.76
And to really
make sure it's working,
00:07:43.76\00:07:46.63
you're gonna have to incentivize
tattling on your neighbors,
00:07:46.63\00:07:50.03
just like we saw in
the former Soviet Union.
00:07:50.03\00:07:52.47
I mean, you really can't have
00:07:52.47\00:07:54.20
all those pesky religious people
prioritizing the scriptures
00:07:54.20\00:07:58.17
over the word of the state.
00:07:58.17\00:08:00.08
So again, off to the
Gulags with those people.
00:08:00.08\00:08:03.68
To this day, there are
Eastern Bloc Christian churches
00:08:03.68\00:08:07.05
that move very slowly
00:08:07.05\00:08:09.25
before they let
newcomers join the congregation,
00:08:09.25\00:08:11.79
because, well, back in the
day, they could never be sure
00:08:11.79\00:08:15.52
if those new people
were actually spies, KGB.
00:08:15.52\00:08:19.49
Which brings me to
the Eighth Commandment,
00:08:20.66\00:08:22.66
the one that
deals with stealing.
00:08:22.66\00:08:24.93
And, of course,
you might be wondering
00:08:24.93\00:08:26.30
why I'm connecting that
to a controversial article
00:08:26.30\00:08:29.60
from the World Economic Forum.
00:08:29.60\00:08:31.71
It's because a lot of people
00:08:31.71\00:08:33.11
took that article very seriously
00:08:33.11\00:08:35.31
and it was trending on social
media for a really long time.
00:08:35.31\00:08:39.41
And most people recognize
that Ms. Auken's daydreams
00:08:39.41\00:08:43.18
are actually dangerous
00:08:43.18\00:08:44.79
because they run
contrary to human nature.
00:08:44.79\00:08:48.36
The last time somebody
tried something like this
00:08:48.36\00:08:50.43
on a large scale, the price tag
00:08:50.43\00:08:52.59
was about 100
million people murdered
00:08:52.59\00:08:55.56
on the altar of
global communism.
00:08:55.56\00:08:58.10
And in light of
the Ten Commandments,
00:08:58.10\00:09:00.24
I wanna drill down
just a little bit deeper
00:09:00.24\00:09:02.30
and ask if the real
problem in this world
00:09:02.30\00:09:04.87
is the existence
of private property.
00:09:04.87\00:09:07.44
I'll be right back after this.
00:09:07.44\00:09:09.51
- [Announcer 1] Here
at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:09:12.85\00:09:14.25
we're committed to
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00:09:18.15\00:09:21.29
"Discovery Mountain"
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00:09:21.29\00:09:23.89
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Your family will enjoy
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00:09:26.19\00:09:28.96
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00:09:31.80\00:09:34.30
and fresh content every week.
00:09:34.30\00:09:36.47
There's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:09:36.47\00:09:39.71
- Back in the early
days of the Enlightenment,
00:09:42.41\00:09:44.95
there was an influential
thinker who had a big problem
00:09:44.95\00:09:48.25
with the whole
concept of private property.
00:09:48.25\00:09:50.79
Now, you might
not think of this guy
00:09:50.79\00:09:52.79
as being one of the most
influential thinkers of all time
00:09:52.79\00:09:55.86
because he doesn't
always make headlines,
00:09:55.86\00:09:57.89
but I assure you, this
guy's influence runs deeper
00:09:57.89\00:10:01.06
than some people think.
00:10:01.06\00:10:02.60
In fact, even Karl Marx,
the granddaddy of communism,
00:10:02.60\00:10:06.97
was heavily influenced
by this guy's writings.
00:10:06.97\00:10:10.01
And we can lay
a lot of the blame
00:10:10.01\00:10:11.51
for the murderous French
Revolution at his feet as well.
00:10:11.51\00:10:14.78
His name was
Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
00:10:14.78\00:10:17.41
And when it comes to
the matter of ethics,
00:10:17.41\00:10:20.25
well, let's just
say he didn't have any.
00:10:20.25\00:10:23.28
Not only did he refuse to
marry his longtime girlfriend,
00:10:23.28\00:10:26.82
but he also cheated on
her, and then he justified it.
00:10:26.82\00:10:29.89
And then when he
got her pregnant,
00:10:29.89\00:10:31.59
he dropped the
child off at an orphanage
00:10:31.59\00:10:33.46
because, well,
he was just too busy
00:10:33.46\00:10:35.63
and far too
important to raise a baby.
00:10:35.63\00:10:38.57
And if that wasn't bad enough,
00:10:38.57\00:10:40.20
he actually did that five times.
00:10:40.20\00:10:41.84
He dropped off five
babies at the orphanage
00:10:41.84\00:10:44.77
and made them
wards of the state.
00:10:44.77\00:10:47.04
And this was supposed to be
00:10:47.04\00:10:48.54
one of the most important
philosophers of all time.
00:10:48.54\00:10:52.55
To Rousseau's way of thinking,
00:10:52.55\00:10:54.22
children actually
belong to the state
00:10:54.22\00:10:56.02
more than they
belong to their parents.
00:10:56.02\00:10:58.05
So, of course, he
was a big fan of Plato
00:10:58.05\00:11:01.12
who said something similar
about the role of children
00:11:01.12\00:11:04.16
in his famous book "Republic."
00:11:04.16\00:11:06.09
Here's what he said in
Book 5 of "The Republic."
00:11:06.09\00:11:10.03
"The wives of our
guardians are to be common,
00:11:10.03\00:11:12.90
and their
children are to be common,
00:11:12.90\00:11:14.94
and no parent is
to know his own child,
00:11:14.94\00:11:17.04
nor any child his parent."
00:11:17.04\00:11:19.47
So in other words,
Plato taught the children
00:11:19.47\00:11:22.41
actually belong
to the community,
00:11:22.41\00:11:24.15
and the whole
reason you have children
00:11:24.15\00:11:26.08
is to provide
workers for the state.
00:11:26.08\00:11:29.42
Sound familiar?
00:11:29.42\00:11:30.95
Of course, Plato was theorizing
and he waffles a little bit
00:11:30.95\00:11:34.42
on how practical this idea
really was, but still, to Plato,
00:11:34.42\00:11:39.03
the state was the
primary entity in this world,
00:11:39.03\00:11:42.10
and you and I are
born to serve that state.
00:11:42.10\00:11:45.17
So later on in the 18th century,
00:11:46.23\00:11:49.57
we get Jean-Jacques
Rousseau who recognizes
00:11:49.57\00:11:52.31
that the world is broken
and painful, like we all do,
00:11:52.31\00:11:55.41
and he suggested
something similar to Plato.
00:11:55.41\00:11:58.78
In this popular book, "Emile,"
he uses Plato as a foundation
00:11:58.78\00:12:02.85
for a new model
of public education.
00:12:02.85\00:12:05.49
Here's what he wrote.
00:12:05.49\00:12:07.29
"Do you wanna get an
idea of public education?
00:12:07.29\00:12:10.26
Read Plato's 'Republic.'
00:12:10.26\00:12:12.16
It is the most beautiful
educational treatise ever
00:12:12.16\00:12:16.40
written." Again, he's saying
that the purpose of children
00:12:16.40\00:12:18.77
is to support the state
00:12:18.77\00:12:20.07
and they don't
actually belong to you.
00:12:20.07\00:12:22.17
In fact, he said, "Your
children belong to everybody."
00:12:22.17\00:12:25.24
So then Rousseau
gets really excited
00:12:25.24\00:12:28.24
about this ancient story that
came from the city of Sparta
00:12:28.24\00:12:31.68
where a messenger went to
the home of a mother and said,
00:12:31.68\00:12:34.12
"Hey,
unfortunately, your five sons
00:12:34.12\00:12:36.65
were just killed in
battle," and she rebuked them.
00:12:36.65\00:12:39.29
"That's not what I
want to know," she said.
00:12:39.29\00:12:41.66
So the messenger added,
"Well, we did win the victory."
00:12:41.66\00:12:45.73
The point is, she
was more concerned
00:12:45.73\00:12:47.30
about the success of the state
than the lives of her sons.
00:12:47.30\00:12:51.33
And this is how
Rousseau ends that story.
00:12:51.33\00:12:54.04
He says, "The
mother runs to the temple
00:12:54.04\00:12:57.01
and gives thanks to the gods.
00:12:57.01\00:12:58.64
This is the female citizen."
00:12:58.64\00:13:01.71
Rousseau's excited
because here's a woman
00:13:01.71\00:13:04.18
who is thankful that her
boys died serving the state.
00:13:04.18\00:13:07.72
Why?
00:13:07.72\00:13:08.95
Well, because
again, Rousseau believed
00:13:08.95\00:13:10.92
that your children
actually belong to the state.
00:13:10.92\00:13:13.42
And sadly, I still
hear a lot of people
00:13:13.42\00:13:15.79
try to bring that perspective
00:13:15.79\00:13:17.66
to the subject
of public education.
00:13:17.66\00:13:19.79
I mean, I hear it all the time.
00:13:19.79\00:13:21.20
"Your children
belong to everybody."
00:13:21.20\00:13:24.23
And that's really one of
the most horrific aspects
00:13:24.23\00:13:27.00
of Rousseau's philosophy,
00:13:27.00\00:13:28.50
the idea that people
should be subservient
00:13:28.50\00:13:30.51
to the will of the state
00:13:30.51\00:13:32.27
instead of the state being
subservient to its citizens.
00:13:32.27\00:13:35.81
He actually taught
that the will of the state
00:13:35.81\00:13:37.71
is its own entity.
00:13:37.71\00:13:39.51
Somehow the
collective will of the people
00:13:39.51\00:13:42.48
generates a single identifiable
will of the government
00:13:42.48\00:13:46.52
as if the
government is a person.
00:13:46.52\00:13:49.12
And Rousseau taught
that the will of the state
00:13:49.12\00:13:51.63
is more important than you.
00:13:51.63\00:13:53.80
Now, from that perspective,
00:13:54.93\00:13:56.53
he really attacked the idea
of personal private property.
00:13:56.53\00:13:59.57
Rousseau ended up being
a key source for Karl Marx
00:13:59.57\00:14:02.90
who taught that the state
00:14:02.90\00:14:04.44
should own all the
means of production
00:14:04.44\00:14:06.91
and everybody should hold the
means of production in common.
00:14:06.91\00:14:10.11
"Private property," he said,
00:14:10.11\00:14:11.48
"should be
completely abolished."
00:14:11.48\00:14:13.78
Now, you'd think that
after the 20th century
00:14:13.78\00:14:16.79
we'd be done with that kind
of thinking because in hindsight
00:14:16.79\00:14:19.95
we can see that that led
00:14:19.95\00:14:21.46
to an absolute
humanitarian disaster.
00:14:21.46\00:14:25.33
And yet for some strange reason,
00:14:25.33\00:14:27.03
those ideas are
still in circulation.
00:14:27.03\00:14:29.10
In fact, we continue to
teach them in our colleges.
00:14:29.10\00:14:32.13
The real problem
with humanity we're told
00:14:32.13\00:14:34.30
is private property.
00:14:34.30\00:14:35.94
And it was Jean-Jacques Rousseau
00:14:35.94\00:14:37.61
who gave us that
idea in the first place.
00:14:37.61\00:14:40.01
"Ban private property," he said,
00:14:40.01\00:14:41.84
"and you'll solve the problems
of injustice and inequality."
00:14:41.84\00:14:45.85
Here's what he wrote.
00:14:45.85\00:14:47.65
"The first person who,
having enclosed a plot of land,
00:14:47.65\00:14:50.85
took it into his
head to say this is mine
00:14:50.85\00:14:53.39
and found people
simple enough to believe him,
00:14:53.39\00:14:55.86
was the true
founder of civil society.
00:14:55.86\00:14:58.76
What crimes, wars, murders,
what miseries and horrors
00:14:58.76\00:15:02.80
would the human
race have been spared,
00:15:02.80\00:15:04.53
had someone pulled up the stakes
00:15:04.53\00:15:06.03
or filled in the ditch and
cried out to his fellow men,
00:15:06.03\00:15:08.90
'Do not listen to this imposter.
00:15:08.90\00:15:11.84
You are lost if you forget
that the fruits of the earth
00:15:11.84\00:15:14.21
belong to all and
the earth to no one.'"
00:15:14.21\00:15:17.91
Now, of course, on the surface,
that almost sounds biblical.
00:15:17.91\00:15:21.72
I mean, doesn't God
actually own everything anyway?
00:15:21.72\00:15:24.99
Well, the answer to that is yes.
00:15:24.99\00:15:26.72
"If I were hungry," God
says, "I would not tell you,
00:15:26.72\00:15:29.72
for the world and
its fullness are mine."
00:15:29.72\00:15:32.96
So on one level,
Rousseau's not entirely wrong,
00:15:32.96\00:15:36.10
but honestly, the last
time that all human beings
00:15:36.10\00:15:38.97
had equal access to
absolutely everything
00:15:38.97\00:15:42.04
was in the Garden of
Eden, you know, before sin.
00:15:42.04\00:15:45.61
After the fall, God
told Adam that you and I
00:15:46.74\00:15:49.41
now have to earn our
living by the sweat of our brow.
00:15:49.41\00:15:53.21
We were supposed to be
the stewards of creation,
00:15:53.21\00:15:56.02
but instead we gave the
keys to God's number one enemy
00:15:56.02\00:15:59.25
and now we have to
live by the serpent's rules.
00:15:59.25\00:16:02.32
Now, the Bible
doesn't promote the idea
00:16:02.32\00:16:04.69
that it's now everybody
only looking out for themselves.
00:16:04.69\00:16:08.20
God does still
expect us to watch out
00:16:08.20\00:16:10.43
for the welfare
of our neighbors.
00:16:10.43\00:16:12.57
In fact, if you
read Matthew chapter 25,
00:16:12.57\00:16:15.20
you'll notice that
Jesus is very hard on people
00:16:15.20\00:16:18.61
who don't help the needy.
00:16:18.61\00:16:20.01
He calls them goats and
they just don't go to heaven.
00:16:20.01\00:16:23.48
And back in the Old
Testament, God told his people
00:16:23.48\00:16:25.88
to leave some of the
harvest on the edge of the field
00:16:25.88\00:16:28.42
so the poor could
come and glean it.
00:16:28.42\00:16:31.09
You might remember
that from the story of Ruth
00:16:31.09\00:16:33.29
who gleaned the field of Boaz.
00:16:33.29\00:16:35.36
So yes, God expects us
to look out for each other.
00:16:35.36\00:16:39.23
But at the same time,
00:16:39.23\00:16:40.70
does the Bible
identify the real problem
00:16:40.70\00:16:43.16
as private property?
00:16:43.16\00:16:45.37
Absolutely not.
00:16:45.37\00:16:47.17
In fact, the Bible recognizes
the value of boundaries.
00:16:47.17\00:16:51.04
Boundaries became an all
important necessity in a world
00:16:51.04\00:16:53.81
that's populated by sinners.
00:16:53.81\00:16:55.88
The Eighth
Commandment forbids you
00:16:55.88\00:16:57.58
to take
somebody else's property.
00:16:57.58\00:16:59.88
And what is private property?
00:16:59.88\00:17:01.85
Well, the moment you
take something from nature
00:17:01.85\00:17:04.25
and add your own labor to it,
00:17:04.25\00:17:05.79
it kind of
becomes a part of you.
00:17:05.79\00:17:07.42
You take a form of ownership.
00:17:07.42\00:17:09.69
So, for example, if
you go out into the field
00:17:09.69\00:17:12.36
and collect five
buckets of wild blackberries,
00:17:12.36\00:17:15.30
do I have the right to
take half of those buckets
00:17:15.30\00:17:17.93
without your permission?
00:17:17.93\00:17:19.33
I mean, God actually
grew those berries, right?
00:17:19.33\00:17:22.00
And he actually owns everything,
00:17:22.00\00:17:23.30
so don't those
berries belong to all of us?
00:17:23.30\00:17:26.31
Well, yes and no.
00:17:26.31\00:17:27.94
Because you and I both
know that something happens
00:17:27.94\00:17:30.11
when you add your
work to those wild berries.
00:17:30.11\00:17:33.48
I no longer have
the right to take them
00:17:33.48\00:17:35.22
because that wouldn't
just be stealing your berries,
00:17:35.22\00:17:38.12
that would also be
stealing your labor.
00:17:38.12\00:17:40.79
And that's what's at the
heart of the Eighth Commandment,
00:17:40.79\00:17:42.82
which says point
blank, "You shall not steal."
00:17:42.82\00:17:46.36
If the world was
perfect and sinless,
00:17:46.36\00:17:48.43
I wouldn't even dream
of taking your berries.
00:17:48.43\00:17:50.43
I'd just go and get my own.
00:17:50.43\00:17:52.30
But in a fallen world,
00:17:52.30\00:17:53.67
in a place where
human beings are selfish,
00:17:53.67\00:17:56.24
well, we're gonna need
some hard and fast guidelines
00:17:56.24\00:17:58.81
if we don't wanna
fall into anarchy.
00:17:58.81\00:18:01.24
And speaking of guidelines,
00:18:01.24\00:18:02.81
the clock in the
studio here tells me
00:18:02.81\00:18:04.61
that I'm on the verge
of violating one of those.
00:18:04.61\00:18:06.68
And so as soon as we
take a really quick break,
00:18:06.68\00:18:09.45
I'll be right back.
00:18:09.45\00:18:10.82
- [Announcer 2] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:18:14.19\00:18:16.59
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:18:16.59\00:18:20.00
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:18:20.00\00:18:22.40
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:18:22.40\00:18:25.47
Here at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:18:25.47\00:18:27.04
we've created the
Discover Bible guides
00:18:27.04\00:18:29.20
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:18:29.20\00:18:30.81
They're designed to
be simple, easy-to-use,
00:18:30.81\00:18:33.27
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions,
00:18:33.27\00:18:36.31
and they're absolutely free.
00:18:36.31\00:18:38.31
So jump online
now or give us a call
00:18:38.31\00:18:40.65
and start your
journey of discovery.
00:18:40.65\00:18:43.45
- I know for some people
00:18:43.45\00:18:44.92
the abolition of private
property sounds kind of nice,
00:18:44.92\00:18:48.49
but honestly, that's
only because it's an idea
00:18:48.49\00:18:50.76
that completely
overlooks the real problem
00:18:50.76\00:18:53.80
that you and I have.
00:18:53.80\00:18:55.76
According to the Bible,
we are broken, we're sinful.
00:18:55.76\00:19:00.07
Instead of living
for the glory of God,
00:19:00.07\00:19:01.60
we now live for self.
00:19:01.60\00:19:03.07
And it's that selfish
tendency, that sinful impulse
00:19:03.07\00:19:06.51
that causes all the trouble.
00:19:06.51\00:19:08.61
You can engineer
civilization all you want,
00:19:08.61\00:19:11.41
but at the end of the day,
00:19:11.41\00:19:12.81
if you don't
solve the sin problem,
00:19:12.81\00:19:14.98
that
engineering's never gonna work.
00:19:14.98\00:19:17.42
That's the reason the Soviet
experiment ultimately imploded.
00:19:17.42\00:19:20.56
It was a system run by sinners.
00:19:20.56\00:19:23.32
Take away
somebody's incentive to work
00:19:23.32\00:19:25.43
and force them into
a life they don't want,
00:19:25.43\00:19:27.86
and you get
workers who stop caring.
00:19:27.86\00:19:29.96
In fact, some of
them started consuming
00:19:29.96\00:19:32.13
copious amounts of vodka
00:19:32.13\00:19:33.74
instead of
actually doing their jobs.
00:19:33.74\00:19:35.77
And somehow, the people at
the top of the social hierarchy
00:19:35.77\00:19:39.81
still lived like kings
00:19:39.81\00:19:41.64
while the rest of the
people lived in abject poverty.
00:19:41.64\00:19:44.78
Going back to that article
from the World Economic Forum,
00:19:44.78\00:19:47.65
the basic problem
with owning nothing
00:19:47.65\00:19:50.25
is that it's never
gonna make you happy,
00:19:50.25\00:19:52.32
not when you're
wired to live for self.
00:19:52.32\00:19:55.22
The big mistake
that Rousseau made
00:19:55.22\00:19:57.26
was assuming that
people are essentially good,
00:19:57.26\00:20:00.16
that if we could
just fix the institutions
00:20:00.16\00:20:02.06
that people have to live under,
00:20:02.06\00:20:03.77
that would fix all the problems.
00:20:03.77\00:20:06.33
It's a philosophy that insists
00:20:06.33\00:20:07.94
that people aren't the problem,
the system is the problem.
00:20:07.94\00:20:12.44
Back in 1762, the
Academy of Dijon in France
00:20:12.44\00:20:16.54
sponsored an essay contest
00:20:16.54\00:20:18.28
that raised a
really important question.
00:20:18.28\00:20:21.05
"Has the restoration of
the sciences and the arts
00:20:21.05\00:20:24.45
contributed to
corrupt or to purify morals?"
00:20:24.45\00:20:28.86
In other words,
has the age of reason
00:20:28.86\00:20:31.39
made us better or worse?
00:20:31.39\00:20:34.10
When Rousseau
heard about this contest,
00:20:34.10\00:20:35.96
he went for a really
long walk in the country
00:20:35.96\00:20:38.83
just to think about it.
00:20:38.83\00:20:40.17
And he says that he
had this big epiphany
00:20:40.17\00:20:42.70
when he took a break
and sat down under a tree.
00:20:42.70\00:20:45.67
I'll read it to you
00:20:45.67\00:20:46.98
because this was an
important turning point
00:20:46.98\00:20:49.04
in Western civilization.
00:20:49.04\00:20:51.01
"Ah, if ever I could have
written a quarter of what I saw
00:20:51.01\00:20:54.28
and felt under that tree,
00:20:54.28\00:20:55.82
with what clarity I
should have brought out all
00:20:55.82\00:20:57.79
the contradictions
of our social system!
00:20:57.79\00:21:00.32
With what simplicity I
should have demonstrated
00:21:00.32\00:21:03.09
that man is by nature good,
00:21:03.09\00:21:05.39
and that only our
institutions have made him bad!"
00:21:05.39\00:21:09.16
You see, Rousseau taught
00:21:09.16\00:21:10.43
that if we really
wanna fix our worst problems,
00:21:10.43\00:21:12.80
all we have to do is
fix our institutions.
00:21:12.80\00:21:15.37
Let the state
take over everything
00:21:15.37\00:21:17.91
and use human
reason to fix the state.
00:21:17.91\00:21:20.48
Have everybody get
educated by the state
00:21:20.48\00:21:23.01
and be sure that
private property doesn't exist.
00:21:23.01\00:21:26.31
But I can assure you,
from the biblical perspective,
00:21:26.31\00:21:29.48
owning nothing in this world
00:21:29.48\00:21:30.92
and letting the state
become a replacement for God,
00:21:30.92\00:21:33.99
well, that's never
gonna make you happy.
00:21:33.99\00:21:36.32
Now, don't get me wrong.
00:21:36.32\00:21:37.63
I'm not saying that
a free market economy
00:21:37.63\00:21:39.53
is the ultimate answer
either because it isn't.
00:21:39.53\00:21:42.70
Personally, I think
it's the best solution
00:21:42.70\00:21:44.40
we've come up with so far,
00:21:44.40\00:21:45.97
but I also fully recognize
there are some problems.
00:21:45.97\00:21:49.20
And of course the Bible
also widely condemns vices
00:21:49.20\00:21:52.41
like greed and usury
and oppression and slavery.
00:21:52.41\00:21:56.08
The scriptures don't mince
words when they deal with people
00:21:56.08\00:21:58.48
who take unfair
advantage of others.
00:21:58.48\00:22:01.18
But again, right now
on this side of eternity,
00:22:01.18\00:22:04.19
this is the best we've got.
00:22:04.19\00:22:05.59
I mean, it has lifted
more people out of poverty
00:22:05.59\00:22:08.29
than anything
else we've ever tried.
00:22:08.29\00:22:10.23
And I think the
reason it works that way
00:22:10.23\00:22:12.39
is because it's just
honest about our human nature.
00:22:12.39\00:22:16.40
It's a system that openly admits
00:22:16.40\00:22:18.50
that you and I
are self-centered,
00:22:18.50\00:22:20.44
and it allows us to
pursue our selfish interests
00:22:20.44\00:22:23.27
in a way that
theoretically prevents you
00:22:23.27\00:22:25.51
from violating somebody else's
right to do the same thing.
00:22:25.51\00:22:28.88
It's not perfect,
not by a long shot,
00:22:29.98\00:22:32.35
and it really has led to
some pretty awful behavior.
00:22:32.35\00:22:35.98
But at the end of the day,
00:22:35.98\00:22:37.59
it's a way of controlling the
damage we cause in this world
00:22:37.59\00:22:40.19
before God
finally blows the whistle
00:22:40.19\00:22:42.22
on all forms of human
government and sets up his own.
00:22:42.22\00:22:45.96
And while we wait
for that to happen,
00:22:45.96\00:22:47.66
God says, "You shall not steal,"
00:22:47.66\00:22:52.07
not even if you think
you have a better idea,
00:22:52.07\00:22:54.57
not even if you think that
somehow if you were in control,
00:22:54.57\00:22:57.91
you could build utopia.
00:22:57.91\00:22:59.51
You shall not steal.
00:22:59.51\00:23:01.84
It's God's way of
recognizing individual worth.
00:23:01.84\00:23:04.71
You are not just
a meaningless cog
00:23:04.71\00:23:06.72
in the machine of the state.
00:23:06.72\00:23:08.22
What you choose to do with
your life actually matters.
00:23:08.22\00:23:11.49
And it's your right
to make those decisions.
00:23:11.49\00:23:14.09
God notices your efforts and
he tells the rest of the planet
00:23:14.09\00:23:17.53
that what you
produce of your own volition,
00:23:17.53\00:23:20.53
that belongs to you.
00:23:20.53\00:23:22.40
Now, at the end of the day,
everybody still belongs to God.
00:23:22.40\00:23:25.77
But it's important to recognize
00:23:25.77\00:23:27.50
that you and I have
not been given the job
00:23:27.50\00:23:30.21
of reappropriating
somebody else's efforts
00:23:30.21\00:23:32.64
or somebody else's possessions.
00:23:32.64\00:23:35.01
Read the Bible carefully.
00:23:35.01\00:23:36.58
There are very harsh
penalties for stealing
00:23:36.58\00:23:39.15
or even for moving land markers.
00:23:39.15\00:23:41.82
Honestly, it's
impossible to read the Bible
00:23:41.82\00:23:44.32
and say that
opposes private property,
00:23:44.32\00:23:46.45
because, well, if he did,
00:23:46.45\00:23:48.79
the Eighth Commandment
wouldn't mean anything.
00:23:48.79\00:23:51.46
Even if you think that
somebody else is crooked
00:23:52.63\00:23:55.56
or that somebody else might
be getting rich dishonestly,
00:23:55.56\00:23:58.17
God still says,
"You shall not steal."
00:23:58.17\00:24:01.40
Never forget what Jesus said
when his own people asked him
00:24:01.40\00:24:04.41
about the oppressive
taxes the Romans were charging.
00:24:04.41\00:24:07.48
"Is it lawful to
pay taxes, Lord?"
00:24:07.48\00:24:10.18
And Jesus took a coin
and answered them like this.
00:24:10.18\00:24:13.28
"'Whose likeness
and inscription is this?
00:24:13.28\00:24:15.78
They said, 'Caesar's.'
00:24:15.78\00:24:17.22
Then he said to them,
'Therefore, render to Caesar
00:24:17.22\00:24:19.19
the things that are
Caesar's, and to God,
00:24:19.19\00:24:21.42
the things that are God's.'"
00:24:21.42\00:24:23.83
Now, to be perfectly honest,
00:24:23.83\00:24:25.43
I personally kind of
wince when I read that
00:24:25.43\00:24:27.86
because I think a lot
of taxation, not all of it,
00:24:27.86\00:24:31.23
but a lot of it is
actually a form of stealing.
00:24:31.23\00:24:34.67
That's my personal opinion.
00:24:34.67\00:24:36.30
But I also know that God still
expects me to pay my taxes.
00:24:36.30\00:24:39.57
I mean, just go
and read Romans 13
00:24:39.57\00:24:41.88
and see what you find there.
00:24:41.88\00:24:43.65
I'll be right back after this.
00:24:43.65\00:24:46.58
- [Announcer 3] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:24:49.52\00:24:53.82
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:24:53.82\00:24:58.43
If you've ever read
Daniel, a revelation,
00:24:58.43\00:25:00.60
and come away scratching
your head, you are not alone.
00:25:00.60\00:25:03.60
Our free Focus
on Prophecy guides
00:25:03.60\00:25:05.97
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:25:05.97\00:25:08.77
and deepen your understanding
00:25:08.77\00:25:10.37
of God's plan for
you and our world.
00:25:10.37\00:25:12.84
Study online or
request them by mail
00:25:12.84\00:25:15.31
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:25:15.31\00:25:18.88
- Not once in human history
00:25:18.88\00:25:20.52
has a utopian
experiment ever worked.
00:25:20.52\00:25:23.02
And the idea that you and I
can somehow fix the human heart
00:25:23.02\00:25:25.89
by abolishing property,
look, that's been tried
00:25:25.89\00:25:30.23
and it is always failed.
00:25:30.23\00:25:31.76
And that's because the
real problem isn't the system.
00:25:31.76\00:25:34.10
The real problem is us.
00:25:34.10\00:25:35.73
And I guess that
would be my biggest critique
00:25:35.73\00:25:38.13
of both Rousseau and Karl Marx.
00:25:38.13\00:25:40.47
I mean, who do you think
built all those institutions
00:25:40.47\00:25:43.74
they were complaining about?
00:25:43.74\00:25:45.17
Sinful human beings.
00:25:45.17\00:25:47.01
Which is why those institutions
proved to be corrupt.
00:25:47.01\00:25:50.48
Now, that doesn't mean we
shouldn't try to do better,
00:25:50.48\00:25:52.75
but it does mean
that abolishing the system
00:25:52.75\00:25:55.02
isn't the answer
because whatever you build next
00:25:55.02\00:25:58.19
is also going to be
constructed by sinners.
00:25:58.19\00:26:01.42
No matter what people do,
God says, "You shall not steal."
00:26:01.42\00:26:06.16
And if you find things
are just a little unfair
00:26:06.16\00:26:08.60
in this life, if you wish
00:26:08.60\00:26:10.13
there could be just a little
more justice in this world,
00:26:10.13\00:26:12.50
well, hang on, because
God says, "That's coming."
00:26:12.50\00:26:16.07
Let me show you
what God is planning.
00:26:16.07\00:26:17.64
And this comes
from the description
00:26:17.64\00:26:19.41
of God's ideal
kingdom found in Isaiah 65.
00:26:19.41\00:26:23.14
"They shall build houses and
inhabit them," the Bible says.
00:26:24.58\00:26:27.55
"They shall plant
vineyards and eat their fruit.
00:26:27.55\00:26:30.09
They shall not
build and another inhabit,
00:26:30.09\00:26:32.02
they shall not
plant and another eat,
00:26:32.02\00:26:34.02
for like the days of a tree
shall the days of my people be,
00:26:34.02\00:26:37.26
and my chosen shall long
enjoy the work of their hands."
00:26:37.26\00:26:42.00
It's the
ultimate end to stealing.
00:26:42.00\00:26:43.87
And honestly, I'm ready for it.
00:26:43.87\00:26:45.37
I mean, I've had my house
robbed. I've had my car robbed.
00:26:45.37\00:26:48.64
And more than once I've
seen other people take credit
00:26:48.64\00:26:50.71
for something I did.
00:26:50.71\00:26:52.31
I've even been in a church
00:26:52.31\00:26:53.78
where thieves walked in
in the middle of the service
00:26:53.78\00:26:56.44
to steal the
collection at gunpoint.
00:26:56.44\00:26:59.65
And I'm guessing
you've been robbed too,
00:26:59.65\00:27:01.25
and God's not failed to notice.
00:27:01.25\00:27:03.12
In Proverbs 11, he talks
about dishonest merchants
00:27:03.12\00:27:06.45
and says, "A false
balance is an abomination."
00:27:06.45\00:27:10.13
And he promises he's
gonna put an end to it,
00:27:10.13\00:27:12.33
not with more
hopeless social tinkering
00:27:12.33\00:27:14.30
that ends up
stealing from everybody,
00:27:14.30\00:27:16.40
but by changing our hearts
00:27:16.40\00:27:17.60
and launching the
kingdom of Christ.
00:27:17.60\00:27:19.53
It's at that
point when you and I
00:27:19.53\00:27:20.90
will long enjoy
the work of our hands.
00:27:20.90\00:27:23.81
And let's be
honest, God actually knows
00:27:23.81\00:27:25.74
what it feels like to be robbed
00:27:25.74\00:27:27.41
because you and I stole
the entire planet from him,
00:27:27.41\00:27:30.91
and then we started
taking credit for things
00:27:30.91\00:27:32.61
that actually belong to God,
00:27:32.61\00:27:34.48
and somehow he's
still willing to forgive us.
00:27:34.48\00:27:37.79
So maybe it's
been a little while
00:27:37.79\00:27:39.99
since you've read this book.
00:27:39.99\00:27:41.96
Those
Enlightenment philosophers,
00:27:41.96\00:27:43.93
people have been reading
them for hundreds of years
00:27:43.93\00:27:46.03
and it's only
made everything worse.
00:27:46.03\00:27:48.10
So now I dare you to read a
book with an amazing moral code
00:27:48.10\00:27:51.87
that has stood the test of time.
00:27:51.87\00:27:53.87
That's irrefutable.
00:27:53.87\00:27:55.30
And long after all those
00:27:55.30\00:27:56.57
atrocious social
experiments have collapsed,
00:27:56.57\00:27:59.07
this book will
still be standing.
00:27:59.07\00:28:01.74
Thanks for joining me
today. I'm Shawn Boonstra.
00:28:01.74\00:28:04.85
This has been another
episode of "Authentic."
00:28:04.85\00:28:08.05
[slow-paced country music]
00:28:08.05\00:28:11.79