BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian
Beliefs
- Buddhist
- Catholic
- Contemplative
- Evangelical
- General Christian
- Hindu
- Jewish
- Latter-day Saint
- More Voices
- Muslim
- New Visions
- Pagan
- Progressive Christian
Topics
- Religion News
- Food and Religion
- Sports and Religion
- Religious Art
- Religious Music and Entertainment
- Religious Events
- History and Religion
- Style and Religion
- Politics and Religion
- Women in Religion
- Recreation Outdoors and Religion
- Business Finance and Religion
- Careers Workplace and Religion
- Education and Religion
- Family Parenting and Religion
- Health Fitness and Religion
- Home and Religion
- Relationships and Religion
- Technology and Religion
- Travel and Religion
Columnists
- Buddhist Columnists
- Business Finance and Religion Columnists
- Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists
- Catholic Columnists
- Contemplative Columnists
- Education and Religion Columnists
- Evangelists Columnists
- Family Parenting and Religion Columnists
- General Christian Columnists
- Health Fitness and Religion Columnists
- Hindu Columnists
- History and Religion Columnists
- Home and Religion Columnists
- Jewish Columnists
- More Voices Columnists
- Latter Day Columnists
- Muslim Columnists
- New Visions Columnists
- Nonreligious Columnists
- Pagan Columnists
- Politics and Religion Columnists
- Progressive Columnists
- Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists
- Relationships and Religion Columnists
- Religion News Columnists
- Religious Art Columnists
- Religious Events Columnists
- Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists
- Sports and Religion Columnists
- Style and Religion Columnists
- Technology and Religion Columnists
- Travel and Religion Columnists
- Women in Religion Columnists
Resource Library
- 2026 Calendar
- Library of World Religions
- The 100 Most Holy Places on Earth
- Patheos Answers
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Faith Leaders Database
- Anglican Episcopalian
- Bahai
- Baptist
- Buddhism
- Christianity
- Confucianism
- Eastern Orthodoxy
- Hinduism
- Holiness and Pentecostal
- ISKCON
- Islam
- Judaism
- Lutheran
- Methodist
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- New Age
- Paganism
- Presbytarian and Reformed
- Protestantism
- Religion Behind the Scenes
- Roman Catholic
- Scientology
- Shia Islam
- Sikhism
- Sufism
- Sunni Islam
- Taoism
- Zen
- See all religions
Research Tools
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
- Trending:
- Forgiveness
- |
- Marriage
- |
- Consciousness
- |
- Death Penalty
- |
- Election
- |
- Halloween
Robert Ricciardelli
- Home
- New Visions
- The Agents of Change by Dr. Patti Amsden
The Agents of Change by Dr. Patti Amsden
Last updated on: September 30, 2010 at 10:47 pm by editorconvergingzone
The Agents of Change by Dr. Patti Amsden 2010-09-30T22:47:00-08:00 editorconvergingzone
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
Beliefs – the stuff of which civilizations are formed. Beliefs – the catalysts from which movements are spawned. Beliefs – the causes for which men live and die. Differing beliefs about the nature of reality, ethics, and values lead to differing behaviors. The dominant belief of a collective people or of the leaders of a country will drive that culture. All of life grows from, is maintained by, and bears the fruit of mankind’s beliefs.
For example, a Marxist worldview gained a standing in the arena of ideas via the writings of Karl Marx in the late 1800’s. Marx postulated that the group in power propagated oppression upon those not in power. The elite authoritarians were charged with societal and fiscal evils. Liberation of the underprivileged working class, the proletariat, became the goal of the Marxist mindset; and those ideological axioms gave rise to systems of government, commerce, and various social structures.
Marxist belief generated communistic cultures including Leninism and Trotskyism in Russia or Maoism in China. Although the economic application of Marxism, with its materialistic worldview, failed to produce strong financial systems as it had promised, the ideology stills augurs its viability. The belief did not crumble with the Berlin Wall. It lives today codified as ‘multiculturalism’, ‘political correctness,’ and even ‘cultural Marxism.’
The basic belief of class warfare between the have and have-nots, the aristocratic and the hoi polloi, the rule-givers and those proles governed by the privileged continues with a present-day cultural emphasis. Minority groups such as women, African-Americans, Hispanics, and homosexuals fall under the category of those oppressed while groups identified as male, white, Euro-centric, heterosexual, capitalist, and even Christian become labeled as the oppressors.
Social Marxism has the same goals as Economic Marxism: a cultural revolution to dethrone the ruling class who propagate traditional ideas, liberate the common class with promises of equality and utopia, and inaugurate change under the title of social liberation. Marxism is a belief that manifests in actions. Beliefs do not remain isolated in academia nor are they only specimens to be examined under the microscope of rhetorical or philosophical meanderings. If social Marxism is alive in the United States, then a cultural revolution is the goal of those who embrace that maxim.
Anyone who announces that they are committed to being an agent of change is proclaiming that they will dismantle one set of axioms and replace those presuppositions with opposing and contradicting beliefs. The promise of change is prevalent on the American political and societal landscape. The discerning citizen must ask which belief will be outdated and which ideology will provide the infrastructure for the new world.
Not all beliefs are equal. There is an elitism of ideas because some are superior to others. The question begs to be answered: if fiscal Marxism did not work in Germany or Russia, will social Marxism work in the States? What our nation believes will determine the nation we will become.
Previous Post

September 30, 2010
Stand Within What You Believe by Robert Ricciardelli
Next Post

September 30, 2010 Can You Swim? by Jan-Derick Nel
Browse Our Archives
Select a Category Arts & Entertainment Business Coach Robert Coaching Community Education Faith Family/Relationships Government Health History/Biography Leadership Marriage Mindset Musings Science Technology
Select a Month June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009
Follow Us!
TAKE THE
Religious Wisdom Quiz
I came from stone when struck, satisfying a grumbling multitude in the wilderness. What am I
Select your answer to see how you score.
Water Manna Quail The Spirit
Related posts from Robert Ricciardelli
Toxic Faith by Robert Ricciardelli
The Platform by Alan Smith - Personalized for...
God is Never Distant by Robert Ricciardelli
Do Not Categorically Blame Muslims for Boston by...
TRENDING AT PATHEOS New Visions
Did Prayer Cure His Cancer? Or Was It...
At 4 AM one morning, Joshua W. Brown’s wife awoke to a...
8 Ways a Near-Death Experience Rewires the Soul
Does Consciousness Survive Physical Death? After 50 Years of Research, Dr. Raymond...
Holy Longing: What Our Restlessness Is Telling Us
“One can find so many pains when the rain is falling.” -John...
What this is NOT about. This blog is definitely not about...
Who said the Israelites were God’s chosen? That’s right, they did. Who...
The Spirit World Is the Real World: God...
A Monk’s Wisdom on Body and Spirit I sit with Brother Martin...
view all New Visions blogs
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
- About Us
- 2026 Calendar
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Library of World Religions
- Faith In Media Tracker
- Advertise With Us
- Write for Us
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Do Not Sell My Data
- Contact Us
- Radiant Digital
- Manage Newsletter Subscriptions
- Unsubscribe From Notifications
- Sitemap
Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.
Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In






