The public reactions to Daniel Penny, the former Marine involved in the death of a homeless man on a New York City subway, and Luigi Mangione, the man who allegedly killed a UnitedHealthcare CEO, expose a dangerous ideological bias shaping our society. These cases demonstrate how cultural Marxism – the prevailing worldview that prioritizes identity and power dynamics over truth – has led to partiality, division, and the erosion of objective justice. By contrast, a biblical worldview, rooted in impartiality and the dignity of all people made in God’s image, offers a better path forward.
The cultural Marxist lens on Penny and Mangione
Cultural Marxism interprets every societal conflict through the lens of power and oppression, dividing people into oppressors and oppressed based on race, gender, or class. This framework, which has dominated leftist social thought increasingly explicitly, has shaped how the media and a large segment of the public have reacted to the cases of Daniel Penny and Luigi Mangione, exposing this worldview’s inherent flaws and wrong biases.
Daniel Penny’s case was instantly racialized.
After restraining Jordan Neely – a black man behaving erratically and posing a perceived threat – Penny was vilified as a symbol of systemic racism and white supremacy. Public outcry erupted, not because of a careful consideration of the facts, but because the incident aligned with a predetermined narrative: a white man as the oppressor, a black man as the victim. Lost in the uproar were key questions about the role of mental illness, the failure of public institutions, and the responsibility of those present to protect themselves and others.
Luigi Mangione, on the other hand, almost instantly became lauded in media as a kind of folk hero.
As a highly educated young man who allegedly carefully planned and executed a cold-blooded murder, Mangione’s actions were framed as the working class rising up to address their elite oppressors – a reflection of “systemic oppression.” While many sympathized with his frustrations over corporate greed and workplace exploitation, the mainstream story failed to focus on the actual wrongdoing, how vigilante justice is applauded in Marxism as heroism, and an overall societal indictment of “the elites.”
The failures of cultural Marxism
The contrasting treatment and similar emphasis on the Marxist narrative instead of facts, these two cases reveal the profound failures of cultural Marxism. By prioritizing race and class over truth and justice, this ideology encourages partiality, fosters division, and distorts the public’s understanding of morality. It reduces complex human experiences to simplistic narratives of power and oppression, rather than fostering a respect for truth, life, human rights, and the rule of law.
Cultural Marxism also sows discord by elevating some forms of injustice while dismissing others. It amplifies outrage over incidents that align with its framework, such as Penny’s case, while minimizing or ignoring actions like Mangione’s that don’t fit its narrative. This selective outrage undermines the principle of equal justice under the law and replaces it with a hierarchy of victimhood.
The biblical call to impartiality
In contrast to the partiality of cultural Marxism, a biblical worldview provides a foundation for true justice. The Bible explicitly rejects favoritism, calling for impartiality in judgment:
- “You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” (Leviticus 19:15)
- “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
A biblical worldview recognizes that all humans are created in the image of God, possessing inherent dignity and worth, regardless of race, class, or social status. It calls for justice that is blind to identity and focused on truth, holding individuals accountable for their actions while addressing systemic problems with compassion and fairness.
Under this framework, Daniel Penny and Luigi Mangione would be judged not by their race or socioeconomic status but by their actions and the circumstances surrounding them. Penny’s actions would be evaluated based on the immediate threat posed by Neely, without the distortions of racial bias. Similarly, Mangione’s crime would be seen as a grave injustice against another image-bearer of God, regardless of his frustrations with corporate exploitation.
Toward a more just society
If society continues to embrace cultural Marxism, it will only deepen divisions, fuel resentment, and erode trust in the justice system. By contrast, a return to biblical principles offers a path to unity, fairness, and an actually just society instead of “social justice.” A biblical worldview encourages us to reject identity-based partiality and instead pursue justice that reflects God’s impartial character.
This shift would require a reevaluation of our cultural priorities and our understanding of theology (who is God?) and anthropology (who are we in light of who God is?). Instead of prioritizing false, manufactured narratives of power and oppression driven to purposefully divide and reject truth, we must focus instead on truth, individual accountability, and the common good. Instead of fostering division through selective outrage, we must seek reconciliation through repentance and a turn back to God. And instead of reducing people to their racial or socioeconomic identities, we must affirm their worth as individuals created in God’s image.
The cases of Daniel Penny and Luigi Mangione are not just stories of individual tragedy – they are mirrors reflecting the deeper ideological battles shaping our society. As these battles rage on, we must choose between the divisive partiality of cultural Marxism and the unifying impartiality of a biblical worldview. Only one of these paths leads to true justice.
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