March 9, 2011
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Economics and Forgiveness
Two and a Half Topics Tonight... Economics, Forgiveness, and the Connection between them...
1. Here is a nifty graph showing the income and expenses of the current United States federal budget, at a glance. It comes from this link, of a financial consulting group's analysis of the USA as if it were a corporation: http://www.businessinsider.com/mary-meeker-usa-inc-february-24-2011-2
That huge entitlement load, and huge $1.3 trillion deficit (the difference between spending and income) does not even take into account the fact that tens of millions of Baby Boomers are about to retire and start tapping into Medicare.
Consider how difficult it is to withdraw "entitlements" once they're given. Look at Greece's protests about its 'austerity measures', and Wisconsin's public sector union protesting governor Walker's budget cuts and collective bargaining limits. It takes a VERY bold politician to cut entitlements for the sake of being fiscally responsible, knowing that millions of people will be outraged at the loss of their handout money.
Pennsylvania governor Corbett recently announced $850 million in budget cuts, trying to balance the PA state budget. Rather than being hailed as a bold politician trying to put PA back on a financially sound footing, he is being widely castigated. Penn State president Spanier said "Abraham Lincoln is weeping today", trying to lay the blame for Abe's tears upon the cuts, rather than upon the previous tragic escalation of yearly deficits and ballooning debt which inevitably always causes weeping when the debts come due.
2. Here's a quote from Mary Poplin about unforgiveness and how it is harmful to your own health: Holding a grudge against someone is "like drinking poison and hoping that the other person dies." How unfortunately true!
And how fortunately true the opposite! God gives us the grace to freely forgive those who hurt us (who believe in Jesus), knowing how much we have been forgiven. It seems like I have encountered a lot of nonChristian friends lately who have been talking about how angry and full of hate they are toward someone who has hurt them. Not only do they see no need to forgive and "love their enemies", but they DON'T WANT to forgive them.
For us, though, who have been forgiven completely by God through Jesus Christ for all the sin and evil and corruption in our lives, how can we not forgive those who insult us and hurt us? We have caused God SO much pain; we have messed up our and others' lives SO much, yet He forgave us fully and completely - forever. He himself paid the penalty for our sins. In light of this, how fitting and natural it is for us to forgive those people who hurt us.
3. What's the connection between the struggling economy (national debt, unemployment, gas prices, layoffs, job pressures) and the love and forgiveness that we followers of Jesus Christ are free to dispense in all directions because of the love with which He has loved us?
Simply this - in times of darkness the light shines more brightly.
Everyone is starting to 'feel the pressure' more and more these days, because of the bad deficit-growing entitlement-expanding financial decisions made by certain political leaders. The pressure 'trickles down' into all jobs, into family interactions, into classrooms, into sidewalk interactions, etc. In times when the veneers of civility and niceness are stripped away and people scrabble to survive, those of us into whom God has poured His lavish, rich, indescribably awesome love and approval through Jesus Christ can be beacons of joy and love and hope to others who are still stumbling around outside in the darkness.
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
-- Jesus Christ, Matthew 5:14-16
Comments (6)
We need a year of Jubilee.
@interstellarmachine - Yeah, that would be great!
The deficit is caused virtually entirely by three things - 1) the wars in iraq and afghanistan and the fact that we spend over six times on our military what the second largest military does, 2) the decrease in federal revenue from the recession and tax cuts and emergency spending to stabilize the economy, and 3) the expanding cost of healthcare which is double what it is in virtually every other first world country, which drastically inflates the cost of medicare and medicaid. Ending the wars, letting the bush tax cuts expire for the top 2% of income earners, stimulating the economy temporarily to shorten the recession and reforming healthcare are all designed to remove the budget deficit entirely. But for obvious reasons it won't happen overnight.
As far as "entitlement" programs being bad, didn't jesus command his followers to help the poor and less fortunate? So how can you spend trillions on bombs and missiles while suggesting we take away poor peoples' pensions and unemployment checks and healthcare?
Doesn't seem very christian to me. Very republican, but not very christian.
@agnophilo -
Thanks for your thoughts Mark.
You're right about the large military spending dollar amount, but as a percent of GDP we're sixth or seventh if I remember correctly. Reducing the military and bringing home the troops would definitely save money. So would cutting the entitlement programs. As you can see, military spending is about 20%, whereas entitlement spending is about 58%.
Your comment about Jesus' instructions is interesting. Indeed Jesus directed his followers to give to the poor. But there is a significant difference between reaching into your own pocket to give to the poor, versus reaching into your neighbor's pocket to give to the poor. I am all for voluntary giving (and I give a large percent myself). But for the government to forcibly take away money and then bureaucratically distribute it is a different matter entirely.
For more on how we got into this entitlement mess over this century (and how the poor are much less helped by it than by the charity of previous centuries), read "the Tragedy of American Compassion" by Marvin Olasky.
<a href=http://books.google.com/books?id=K6FOU-s0l0QC&lpg=PP1&ots=5Y1l0bk1Wf&dq=%22the%20tragedy%20of%20american%20compassion%22&pg=PA6#v=onepage&q&f=false>http://books.google.com/books?id=K6FOU-s0l0QC&lpg=PP1&ots=5Y1l0bk1Wf&dq=%22the%20tragedy%20of%20american%20compassion%22&pg=PA6#v=onepage&q&f=false
Let me know if you have books presenting your side which you would recommend that I read.</p >
@agnophilo -
If you don't have time to read the whole book, here are two short synopses.
http://www.thepriceofliberty.org/compassion.htm
http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/book-review-the-tragedy-of-american-compassion-by-marvin-olasky/
@tim223 -
"Thanks for your thoughts Mark. You're right about the large military spending dollar amount, but as a percent of GDP we're sixth or seventh if I remember correctly."
If we are it's only because of some dictator in a relatively poor country buying guns and military equipment (probably from us) while their people starve. Either way it doesn't reflect on my point.
"Reducing the military and bringing home the troops would definitely save money. So would cutting the entitlement programs. As you can see, military spending is about 20%, whereas entitlement spending is about 58%."
You ignored all of the other things I pointed to. You just insist on taking away pensions, healthcare and unemployment checks, don't even take a second glance at getting the cost of these things under control or the effect of the recession on the situation.
"Your comment about Jesus' instructions is interesting. Indeed Jesus directed his followers to give to the poor. But there is a significant difference between reaching into your own pocket to give to the poor, versus reaching into your neighbor's pocket to give to the poor. I am all for voluntary giving (and I give a large percent myself). But for the government to forcibly take away money and then bureaucratically distribute it is a different matter entirely."
Characterizing taxes and government as theft is ridiculous, we live in a republic where we elect representatives that set the tax rate. If you're unhappy with the tax rate then elect people who want to change it. But don't pretend you're being hit over the head and robbed because your community elected representatives that thought you ought to have a fire department. If you don't want to live in a society where economic issues are decided democratically then go live in the jungle somewhere. And a penny of sales tax can feed more poor people in a year than the largest charity in human history. To bitch about that because you don't like paying an extra penny is pathetic and yes, extremely un-christian. Jesus praised a poor woman for giving her last bit of money to the poor, you live like a king compared to anyone who lived in jesus' day and you complain about not having more. We are a nation of spoiled selfish brats who are willing to deny people organ transplants and refuse food to poor people and take away grandma's social security so we can drive a more impressive car. I honestly hope every selfish anti-"entitlement" person in this country gets hit by a truck just when social security disability insurance is dissolved and can't get foodstamps or living assistance because "them's commie programs" and gets to retirement age just when the pension money is all gone.
"For more on how we got into this entitlement mess over this century (and how the poor are much less helped by it than by the charity of previous centuries), read "the Tragedy of American Compassion" by Marvin Olasky."
I read the synopsis and it seems very sophistic and relies heavily on anecdotal evidence rather than facts and data. The safety net feeds everyone but with less personal attention, boo hoo. Ask a starving person what he wants more, a meal or a caseworker who remembers his name, my guess is he'll say a meal.
And the characterization of people who get these benefits as somehow lazy is also false, since you have to prove you're either disabled or applying and going on interviews to qualify for any government assistance program. They used to actually help you with job training, give you tips on how to do your resume' etc too, but conservatives cut all the stuff intended to help get people back to work.
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