I read the blog posted at EthicsDaily.com and find it very refreshing. Sometimes I get so mad I could spit nails but most of the time it makes me go hmmmmm. This was one of those times.
Nathan Napier has written a very thought provoking piece on Jefferson and Jesus. I often have this discussion of weather Jesus was a liberal or a Conservative. It is hard to take 21st Century titles and apply them to someone who lived in the 1st Century but we need to do that to try and make sense of things.
My political philosophy has changed over the years and continues to evolve. I started as a Regan Republican. The first election I ever voted in was for Ronald Regan. I was the Chairman of the Republican Party in Quincy for a few years and voted for George Bush the first time. However I have seen all the parties devolve into something resembling craziness of the last few years and I guess I would not consider myself a Classical Liberal.
I believe in less government and less government regulation. Let the chips fall where they may I say. No big bailouts. If GM is going under let it go. Same with Wall Street let is roll I say. The best thing about an economy is it will self correct of left alone. We want to do something to help it along but leave it alone and it will correct. Will it be hard, yes, but we should be saving money, putting it away for that rainy day.
I am a big fan of Dave Ramsey and his goal to get America out of debt. In his program you start with $1,000 in the bank and then start to pay down your debt. The $1,000 is the emergency fund that is used just for that. We should budget and track where our money goes. He say sometimes you need to eat rice and beans for a few years and “Live like no one else so you can live like no one else.” After your out of debt you need 3 to 5 months of expenses in the bank. That way if you loose your job you have a cushion of 3 to 5 months to find another one and not look for a hand out from the government.
I also believe that the church needs to play a much larger role in the social service sector. To quote Dave Ramsey again, “we need to give the government out of business.” When did we give over the care of our neighbor to the government. When did it become the role of the government to provide money to people who, for what ever reason, cannot work. When did it become the role of the government to fund homeless shelters and soup kitchens, that is and always has been the role of the church and society not the government.
Read the article and see of your mind is changed. I know I have more reading to do and thinking about how I think about what I think about.
I have to agree with you,we as a church community should do more to help our neighbors.When we do not then the goverment feels the need to step in.Most people need a hand up in times of trouble but the goverment wants them to have and stay in a hand out situation.
Its funny I know lots of people who have educations and are in debt because they have never learned how to handle money.
I feel when you go to high school and college you should have to take a course in bugeting and debt.
This would be of great use to these students since most young people end up falling into bankrupcy before they even have their first job.
linda