Hey everyone….here is some light reading……….
I have my own opinions on this spending bill….or I guess for some it is called a stimulus package. Regardless this is the beginning of a whole new world for us. Every single $1 we spend, we will owe back with interest.
By simply looking at the line items and seeing how the money is being allocated, I believe we are definitely moving toward a socialized democracy….or an entitlement society vs. a society of orientation to results and to earning.
Here is one glaring example:
Community Service Block Grant Program $1,000,000,000 ..yes that is Billion….not that it is bad to have block grants, I think they are a great idea and usually help the less fortunate…BTW grants aren’t paid back. This is one line item in a spending block for Aid to People Affected by Economic Downturn, which is a block of $36,910,807,000
Now look at this:
| Business Total |
$870,000,000…that’s right Million. |
| Rural Business – Cooperative Service: rural business program account | $150,000,000 |
| Small Business Administration salaries and expenses, micro loan program and improvements to technology systems | $69,000,000 |
| Surety bond guarantees revolving fund | $15,000,000 |
| Small business loans | $636,000,000 |
Less is being spent on what creates jobs…small business. Remember the number $870 Million for small business…then look through the spending bill….er….stimulus package.
I guess it is good that they are spending something on business it’s better than nothing. Maybe in some weird way the congress believes that since small business loans will be paid back (or a certain % will be paid back) that they get more “bang for our buck” on small business investment. Giving community service block grants has maybe less efficacy and therefore they must pour more money into it. This seems backwards to me?
I’m not sure how this relates to the church?? I think that there will be an overall slight increase to those at the bottom of the economic rung. From their POV it might be much better. I think that the government will become it’s own religion. When we are in this paternalistic state, it will be difficult to sway from what the government deems best for us. Maybe this is the next step for a new relationship with God as a culture……Look at China…..it is unreal what people are doing there with the Body of Christ.
For me it is easier to over simply, identify, compartmentalize, and then dismiss other points of view, so I’m looking at this through a different set of glasses for the sake of discussion.
I think this is a point in history when everything changed…..maybe that point in history already happened…but this is where I have seen it on paper.
http://www.propublica.org/special/the-stimulus-plan-a-detailed-list-of-spending
Thanks to Tony Elliot for sending this to me.
-Danny Ortega
Dude,
I have been wrestling with this very same questions “how does this relate to the church”? I have really tried to remove the economic theory out of our current situation and analyze the behaviors and thoughts of people in this changing time. I personally feel like we (America) are steps behind Europe, who are steps behind Russia, China, Cuba and the like in our shift in mindset from liberty to safety, entitlement, and governmental control. I recognize the each of these have had a varying range in the degree to which they accepted the paternalistic state of mind. I agree that the shift back to individual liberty will be a difficult one since it will require the individual to bear the responsibility of failure and the risk of success. But in regards to the Church I think we may benefit from analyzing what role the church played in those societies as they made the similar shifts in varying degrees.
I am not a Christian Historian but I think, correct me if I’m wrong Scott, that these societies experienced a severe breakdown in institutional and individual faith. But the Church that did endure in this societies was small and very strong. As these societies shifted back away from socialistic mindset the Church filled the gap of hope for the people who trusted a government that failed them. I’m not sure how this applies to us as the Church today but maybe we will be responsible for setting the foundation for a generation down the road that will represent the Hope of Christ to a people who’s gov’t failed them. Just for clarity, I do not hope that our gov’t fails, but from an economic standpoint I see us digging a deeper hole that will have a deep fall in the long-run.
I also see this as a great opportunity to share the vision with Americans of the Global church. The world is being impacted differently as we experience this economic downturn. I truly believe that the gap between 1st world and 3rd, 4th, 5th world will begin to close as the western world is forced to release control of industry in which they do not have a competitive advantage. As we innovate and focus on the industries that will help us rise out of our economic problems, opportunities for other countries will also become available. There are a lot of factors when speaking of global economics, so I don’t want to over simplify, but I think it allows us to have the conversation. For example I had the opportunity the other day to discuss my faith with one of my co-workers who does not know Christ because of this very subject. She was frustrated about the outsourcing of US jobs to foreign countries. We began to discuss the benefits that these other countries experience as a result of these jobs. Which lead to us talking about why I cared about Zambia so much. I then had the opportunity to talk about my relationship with Christ. It was one of those weird God things for me were I think I am talking about A and then poof he has me talking about B and I’m like “where did this trombone come from”.
God, is a trip, this whole Crash series the Joshua Generation has really been speaking to me about this very issue and seems to fit perfectly. Hope or Fear, Hope or Fear, and I struggle to see hope always. but it has me thinking!
Anyway thanks for posting this and getting me thinking. These are just thoughts but happy to see someone else asking the same questions
Hasta Pronto
Esto
great dialogue guys. Sorry that I am jumping in late.
Thanks Tony for throwing this out there via DannyO. Thanks DannyO for stepping outside your normal perspective to consider this one. And DannyE for bringing your economics and global perspective to this.
In terms of history, especially Christian History, I am the junior historian, while beltless-bulging-biceps-Burch is the senior. I trace the decline of societies and the shift of Christian practice more to opulence and luxury, along with a growing institutionalized church and professionalized (not a word) clergy. If we look at Greece and Rome, and even the nation of Israel – when they began to exist only for themselves, when they began to seek to build their “steeples” to reach the heavens (anyone remember the tower of Babel in Genesis), when they ceased to be a blessing and hoarded the blessing for themselves, this is when the wheels started to fall off and the decline was so steep that they couldn’t pull the 747 up out of the nosedive.
I think that what is happening economically is going to do several things for the church.
1) it is already influencing the size and nature of church’s budgets. I think that we will see an increase in bi-vocational pastors and a decrease in the number of churches that are able to support large paid staffs.
2) I think the church is going to have to stop simply preaching about tithing, and begin to also walk alongside people as they begin new healthy financial habits such as budgeting and eliminating personal debt.
3) I think that the church in America can begin to play a similar role that the church in the Southern Hemisphere is playing. Where the church there is serving the people. helping them with food, shelter, being a community and family in a time of crisis, connecting them with jobs and livelihood. As the global south continued to shift from rural to urban, the church is filling the gap that the state cannot respond quickly or adequately enough to.
As we are learning in the Joshua Generation (which is challenging me by leaps and bounds as well), the two choices for Israel are our two choices: Fear or Hope? What is our response going to be – fear or hope? And two. Are we going to hoard God’s blessing for ourselves or are we going to be become a blessing and a conduit for God’s blessing to those we encounter and meet?
I am not sure what I think of how the bailout/spending plan/drama money package all filters down and works out, but I do feel this is a pivotal moment in our history. And I look back on Bush’s role post-911 as epic and history making. He will be remembered for what he did after the attacks and with terrorism (for better or worse). Our generation will be remembered for what we did with this moment. I, for one, am excited and filled with hope. God is moving and I am excited to be a part of this new generation. I am believing God for amazing things.
Let me know what you guys think.
-Scott