social justice index

Justin Elliott writes:

A new study from the Congressional Budget Office, for example, found that income of the top 1 percent of households increased by 275 percent in the 30-year period ending in 2007. American households at the bottom and in the middle, meanwhile, saw income growth of just 18 to 40 percent over the same period.

There's something about that that just feels wrong to me but I don't know what or why. I'm also not sure about the reliability of the data and if it is valid to present in this simplistic way.

But that aside, I know this, some Christians are latching onto this as an issue for believers. I absolutely do not see that. What I see is people stirring up class envy under the banner of Christ and I see people promoting their socialistic (or socialistic-leaning) agenda also under the banner of Christ.

I don't see it as such. I do not see what in the Bible would make me think these statistics are one that I should have any negative reaction to. In fact, as I play it out, I think my negative reaction is due to some preconceived ideas.

don't occupy wall street

I'm not a big fan of the 'occupy wall street' gang. I've heard only one rationale issue that may be motivating some of the protestors but the rest of what I heard was rubbish. Regardless of what the point is and what I think of the specific issue, I think these wise words by John Mark Reynolds are overarching. 

Here are the money lines (pardon the pun).

Instead of occupying Wall Street, all Americans need to restore our ethics and our ability to self-govern.

Americans must recognize that greed and immorality come from “we the people” and not from outsiders. We have lived beyond our means. We have forgotten that just because a thing is legal does not mean it is good. We do not resent graft, but are angry we did not get our own cut.

Christian values are the solution, love of neighbor and self-restraint, but those values need to be lived in my life. God help us occupy ourselves in pursuit of goodness, truth, and beauty in our own lines and only then dare help our neighbor.

Read the post here.