Tag Archive for bankruptcy at Zeal For Truth

Tag Archive for 'bankruptcy'

Christianity and Covenants: Debt

Published by Colin December 1, 2009 in Religion and Theology. 4 Comments

This is the fourth article in a multi-part series examining contracts and Christianity. Here is the full list of written and upcoming works in this series:

Overview
God and Christians
Christians and Marriage
Christians and Employers
Christians and Finances/Debt
Christians and the Local Church
Christians and Governments
Christians and Animals and the Environment

Christians And Debt
In many ways, this article is a companion to the previous post on Christians and employers. Many of the exact same principles are in play. Let me just note again, that it is not my intent to sound like one who is coming from an elevated position of perfection down onto others who have made large mistakes.

For the record, I have about $15,000 in school debt, and by the time I am done with my education, I anticipate having somewhere between $40,000-$54,000. So I am part of the audience here - let there be no illusions about that.

Let me also say that I do not believe in tithing, but rather in proportional giving. I believe that Christians should give as they are able and willing - with no minimum or maximum limits on gifts. This view is explained well in Decision Making and The Will of God by Garry Friesen.

Debt Now and Then
We have to remember that there are some fundamental differences between debt in the Ancient Near East and Roman world. Debt in the modern world is a generally stable way to extend purchasing power and manipulate time preference in order to secure goods or services which otherwise would be more difficult to obtain. Debt, especially at low levels of unsecured debt and even higher levels of secured debt (for, say, a house) is a relatively stable and secure tool in a personal or family budget. No one in the modern western world risks debt-bondage - or even bears anything remotely similar to the kinds of risks in the ancient world. There is a lot of debt in the modern world that is probably less risky then transporting a cart of goods 30 miles in the 1st century AD.

There are also some similarities. Debt today, just like in antiquity, can place people into contracts which conflict with their obligations to God. Debt can be an indicator of a love of money (which is a root of many evils). Debt can hinder or even conflict with Christian giving. Debt can be incredibly unwise, imprudent and risky - akin to gambling or casting lots.

In this respect, what the bible has to say about debt is entirely relevant to the Christian today - whether it is addressed specifically or by implication (as with vows and contracts). Moreover, our approach towards debt can reveal the motives of our heart and show us our need to depend more on God.

Debt and Giving
There are a couple of questionable views out there about the relationship between debt and giving. First, should people in debt be giving? By this, I mean people without an income (such as students) or whose income is substantially affected by debt. I believe the bible addresses this topic by way of principle here:

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load (Galatians 6:1-5).

Yes, this is a passage about sin, not debt. But there is a principle here - bear one another’s burdens, but beware, lest we also become burdens to others! It is echoed here:

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4)).

Continue reading ‘Christianity and Covenants: Debt’

Links: Let’s Talk About Texting Whilst Driving

Published by Colin November 6, 2009 in Current Events. 2 Comments

Finally, an article against bans on texting whilst driving:

Now think of this poll showing a widespread opposition to texting while driving. I submit that you would get similar results from a poll that asked people about the right to drive:

Do you support or oppose the right of everyone to own 4,000-pound heaps of steel and control them completely and autonomously at top speeds in the midst of thousands of other citizens whose lives could be in danger with so much as a slight flick of the wrist to the right or left?

That question could elicit nearly 100% negative results. We generally trust our capacity to manage ourselves but we do not trust the capacity of others to manage themselves. And we surely don’t believe that society can generally function well under conditions of freedom. Even though we live in the midst of spontaneous order and use its brilliance every day (grocery store, the world wide web, restaurants, housing developments), we don’t really understand it.

While we were promised that they would eventually be repaid possibly at a profit, CIT has now declared bankruptcy with the intent of transferring asset ownership to debt holders. Atanamis‘ commentary: This means that the $2.33 billion in preferred stock that the US government purchased are now most likely worthless. Government funds were wasted because those spending the money are not held accountable for the results of their actions.

N.F.L. Seeks Congressional Help on Drug Policy:

Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the N.F.L., took the unusual step Tuesday of asking Congress to change federal labor laws to prevent states from interfering with the league’s efforts to enforce its banned substances policy.

A step forward for the peoples of the world - domain names beyond Latin script

Christianity And Covenants: The Logic of Christian Relationships

Published by Colin October 22, 2009 in Religion, Politics and Theology. 7 Comments

I would like to do a series on Christian relationships - specifically, the logical, theological and philosophical nuts and bolts of how and why Christians form relationships with God, Christians and non-Christians. As I have been thinking about this topic, the word which often popped into my mind was “contracts” rather than “covenants” or “relationships” but I am going to forego using that word because in modern vernacular “contract” has an economic connotation, and I don’t want to confuse this issue.

The covenants/relationships at which I plan to look are (though I may think of more as time goes on):

God and Christians - what kind of covenant exists between God and man? How do issues of free-will and choice come into play? What are the significant differences between God and man that affect this relationship?
Christians and Marriage - is Marriage a “give and take” relationship? Is there a designated “head” of a marriage? What is the fundamental definition of love in marriage?
Christians and the Local Church - what should Christians expect from pastors and ministers? How should Christians serve the church? How is the local church supported? What about fellowship?
Christians and Employers - Does the bible’s language about “slaves” and “masters” apply to business relationships? How can Christians balance obligations to God and obligations to employers? What about work practices and rules which are unethical or restrict Christians?
Christians and Finances/Debt - what kind of contractual obligations do Christians have with their debt? Should Christians go into debt? Is it legitimate for Christians to pay/charge interest? Is bankruptcy a legitimate option for Christians?
Christians and Governments - What role do politics have in the life of a Christian? How should Christians decide when and how to obey leaders? What kind of covenant (if any) exists between Christians and governments?
Christians and Animals and the Environment - what is the nature of a Christian’s interaction with animals and nature? What about pollution? What about property rights? Is animal abuse wrong, and if so, why?

Some Ground Work on Covenants
The most important thing to look at when it comes to these topics is the terms which are being used. A covenant is a (usually) formal agreement between two or more parties to do something or not do something: Colin and Jason agree to be best friends forever. It can also involve a condition: Colin will be Gabe’s best friend forever, if Gabe emails him at least once a year.

Some covenants are formed only for a specific purpose - such as to accomplish a goal or trade material goods: Colin will give a cookie to Phil, if Phil will give Colin a juice-box. Or, in bigger contexts: if a country declares war on England, the United State will declare war against that country.

In additional there are also unilateral covenants (or promises) which are made by one party to another: Colin will love Sadie as long as he lives. These are covenants where there is no condition (no “if”) and there is no agreement or consent from the other party. Again, these can be quite drastic. Japan declaring war on the United States, for example, doesn’t require that the US do or receive anything - it is a unilateral promise by Japan.

Covenants, contracts and relationships make up all of human interaction (including human interaction with God). This is the major premise of my entire discussion on this topic: that human beings have the capacity to act, the inherent right to form covenants and also are the beneficiaries of some unilateral covenants. Moreover, without these things, human relationships could not happen.

Also, if there is anything I’ve missed - feel free to ask about it, or, even better, address the issue yourself in the comments section or submit it for publication.

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