I am not going to use hyperbole to blame one side or the other for our current economic problems. In my opinion it was what could be called a perfect economic storm..There were so many economic conditions that had to be present all at one time for us to have that kind of melt down. I believe the scope and breadth of what happened was so vast it was beyond what a single politician could cause or prevent or even fix..
At the risk of sounding like I believe myself to be some kind of economic guru; I will share what I do know about economics, both historically and practically. I have read the works of the following economists: Adam Smith, Milton Friedman, Friedrich Von Hayek , John Stuart Mill, John Kenneth Galbraith, John Maynard Keynes, and Karl Marx, among others. Those who know a little about economics know; this list reflects a broad spectrum of economic thought.
As in any other subject, economics has differing opinions about how things work, what causes them to not to work and how to fix them..Sorting through what is accurate and what is useless is an enormous task. I use a method that will seem foreign, even preposterous to non Christians, or those who are unfamiliar with the Bible.
I search the scriptures for enlightenment; looking for precepts, commandments, or examples that pertain to whatever subject I am dealing with at the time. All people who study at a depth that includes reading differing opinions; have to have benchmarks, standards or an ethos to draw a conclusion. If not every book you read would be the answer until you read the next book..Your conclusion would change with each article you read whether it was the right one or not. There are no unbiased observers or intellectuals. All carry baggage to the argument. All of the subjects I have studied whether it be biology or theoretical physics; the Bible has had information that helps me to arrive at a intelligent and accurate conclusion. Man's ability to reason is not sufficient, because what is reasonable to one, is foolishness to another.
I will paraphrase a line that Benjamin Franklin penned in his critique of Thomas Paine's Age of Reason ; If you think man is foolish and barbaric with religion, wait to you see him without religion. We only have to look back at the French revolution or twentieth century and see the cruelty Atheistic Ideology visited upon the world..Franklin was right. The death toll was staggering. I say all of this to defend my method of trying to find solutions for the overwhelming difficulties we face today.
Since government has the power to tax and regulate an individuals economic activity. We have to look for principles and examples given in the Bible that address both individual and governmental responsibility. What I believe is the example of God's best for man when it came to government; is expressed in the history of Samuel. After the Israelites were given the 5 books of Moses. They were instructed to use them to police themselves in all their activity, both private and public.They could choose or dismiss local leadership. They were given the freedom to voluntarily assist each other in things of mutual interest, like defense of their land or large projects with public benefit.
When the Israelites in large numbers began to reject or forget the law of Moses. They began to rebel against God, and the prophets sent to warn, guide and assist them. They began to clamor for a king and more government..The further the people strayed from a common code of conduct the more chaotic and dangerous their society became..Men began to do what is right in their own eyes..Meaning they did what was in their own selfish interest with no regard for God or others. Despite Samuel's efforts to get them to voluntarily return to obeying the Biblical Law and govern themselves; they refused and demanded a king.. Thomas Jefferson may have not known it at the time, but he stumbled upon at least a partial Biblical truth when he said, " The government that governs least governs best". There is something the Biblical text adds to Jefferson's thought. If you will not obey God and govern yourself; some one else will be appointed to do it for you and there is no guarantee that person will do it gently or fairly..
In spite of Samuel telling them how a king and his government would demand and devour their wealth; take their sons for his army, and their daughters for servants.They began to demanded a king even more..Samuel was despondent. God told Samuel they have not rejected you, they have rejected me, and refuse to govern themselves.
This brings me to the next obvious Biblical example we can use to understand economics. The story of Solomon's son Rehoboam. He was the king immediately after his father Solomon. Jeroboam a famous soldier and leader in Israel approached Rehoboam with all the faithful leaders and people of Israel. He gave a speech which I will paraphrase in the interest of brevity....He told the king to take away all the heavy burden of taxation and regulation his father had laid upon them. Because it had become too grievous for the people to carry .If the king did they would serve him. I will give some context to shed some light on what brought Israel to that point.
After Solomon turned his back on God he began to build palaces for his wives,and temples for their gods. He started great projects, some useful, most not. He taxed, regulated and coerced the populace to fund and build his projects..He had almost bankrupted the nation..The people of Israel united and chose Jeroboam as their spokesman. He gave Rehoboam
Rehoboam immediately sought council from the old wise men of the court..They told him to listen to the people and serve them, not subdue them, and they would serve him forever..He then ask the opinions of the young guys who he hung around with and grew up with..They told him to tell the people..( Paraphrase) Knock it off..I will raise your taxes and coerce you many times worse than my father did..(Their own words) Tell the people, "My father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions..In my opinion the Bible is the greatest document ever written on how to maintain personal liberty, and deliver sound governance..
We are the richest, but most wasteful country in history. If we do not take care of our less fortunate citizens in a Biblical, compassionate way... The government will, and do it in their own way..I will add here there are problems so vast government does need to help; but always without creating unwarranted dependence.If we do not apply Biblical ethics in order to police ourselves in business, politics and culture the government will. Usually without regard to Biblical principle.
We have given government much of our wealth and liberty just as the Israelites did..Not because it is a better or cheaper way to do things; and not because our rulers are smarter or better in someway. It is because we reject the Person and the Book God gave us. They are what makes it possible for us to be free and govern ourselves..If this issue is not addressed we will continue to be less prosperous and free..This is not a diatribe against government. Some form of government is absolutely necessary, because not all men have faith, and those who do are flawed. There are legitimate things we need government for. Especially in a very dangerous, volatile world.. This is about what standards and precepts our leaders use to govern us..It is about what makes a nation free, prosperous and a nice place to be..
Because our problems are due to Biblical ignorance, self indulgence and rebellion, they CAN be remedied...There is hope; but not in someone else making us do right. The cost of monitoring, prosecuting and punishing criminal behavior is staggering. So is the cost of doing for us what we should be doing ourselves..Shifting our own responsibilities to our government is not free monetarily or conducive to personal freedom..Government taking away those responsibilities and choices is tyranny....But when we refuse to govern ourselves there are few options..
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