The Bible and Economics
Some Christians believe that the Bible has answers to every question and I suppose that if to read into it enough that is true. However, if you read into it enough you can find contradictory answers to every question too. Since we are in an economic crisis, I thought I would consult the Bible about economics.
Well surprise, surprise, the Bible supports two contradictory extremes of the economic spectrum and no middle ground. On one side there is the prosperity gospel. This is the view that God rewards the righteous with prosperity on Earth. This means that the rich are wealthy because they are righteous and the poor are poor because they are not. The supporters of this view often cite Malachi 3:10, Matthew 25:14-30, John 10:10, Philippians 4:19, and 3 John 1:2.
Then there is the opposite extreme. Instead of God rewarding the rich, he rewards those who give away all their wealth… all of it! To best illustrate this view, check out this video from GodIsImaginary (skip to the 2:15 mark… or just watch the whole video because it is awesome!):
Filed under: Alternative Worldview, culture war, Politics, Religion, Self-Help, the bible
