ARROGANCE OF THE EXCEPTION

America is changing. Recent primaries have revealed a growing support of socialism. The easiest response to this surging favoring, acceptance, and promotion of socialism is to attribute it to its youthful groupies’ just not knowing what it is they are desiring and espousing. We are likely to ask incredulously, “Don’t they know what socialism is?” followed quickly by, “Don’t they know that socialism has never worked?” In truth, I think many of them have at least a rudimentary, howbeit, utopian understanding of what socialism is. The leftist university professors and liberal theologians have made sure of that. I also believe that any thinking and honest ones among them must know that socialism has never, in the end, worked. Currently, Venezuela has been screaming to the world, “Socialism doesn’t work!” Yes, I believe they truly know what it is and that it hasn’t succeeded; I just think they are deceived by something they don’t have and something they do have: First, they do not have an accurate understanding of the nature of humanity. Second, they have what I call the arrogance of the exception: Human Nature: The socialist’s greatest faith isn’t in the idea of socialism. His greatest faith is in the inherent goodness of humanity. Socialism can only work if humanity is inherently good—and it is verifiably not. There is goodness in humanity, but humanity’s default setting is selfishness and every other bad characteristic that makes socialism impossible. Arrogance of the exception: Unless socialism enthusiasts convolute history, and many do, they must know that true socialism, wherever tried, ultimately does not work. How then can the enthusiasts still vehemently tout it much less believe it? The answer must be that they think socialism has not yet worked because the wrong people were in charge of its implementation. Now, if these neo, university indoctrinated, youthful socialists and their mentors were put in charge, it would work—or so they believe. They could do what no other socialists have done. This is what I call the arrogance of exception: Although the historical record has shown something has never worked, because I am smarter, more enlightened, more determined, etc., it will work for me. I wrote this about socialism because I was thinking of those who reject Christ to live a life in the world. These make the same mistake. Their faith is in humanity’s science, reason, philosophies, pleasures, ways, culture, and ability to satisfy the longing in their hearts. Recanting their faith in God, they place their faith in humanity. Cannot they see the wreckage, the emptiness, the hopelessness, the waste, the hurt, of that those who reject Christ to live a worldly life, a life in sin? Certainly, but they truly believe that it will go differently for them. Where others have failed, they will be the exception and succeed. They have the arrogance of the exception. Fornication has led to hurt, betrayal, disease and the like. But, it will be different for me. In all of history none have found true meaning and joy in sin. But, I will. I have seen this over and over as pastor. A young person has it all figured out. He rejects truth, Christ, and the Church. You give him examples of others who have done the same and recount how badly it turned out for them. He insists, “That won’t happen to me.” What I do know is that Christ will work in one’s life. What I can, not arrogantly but confidently, say is, there are no exceptions.

ARROGANCE OF THE EXCEPTION

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