James 3:13~18
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. Bus you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace."
My observation is that when Christians think of political issues too often they debate the conclusions of varying theories rather than the underlying content. Instead, one ought to go to depths of the theories, to its philosophical foundations and attempt to determine what scripture says about those ideas.
I read one commentator last fall on the collapse of Lehman Brothers note describe that event as the shattering of an entire worldview. That worldview has posited that markets are self regulatory. In the past recessions came as the result of outside forces like wars or natural disasters, rather than from the market itself. The collapse of Lehman Brothers marked the end of this view of self-regulation because the collapse was the result, not of outside forces, but was entirely the result of Wall Street regulating itself and getting exactly what it wanted since the Reagan Administration.
Anybody who still believes that markets are self-regulating is not intellectually honest. Their faith proves that for them egoism is a religion, not a rational theory.
The man behind these policies was Alan Greenspan. On October 24 it was reported that he said, “Yes, I’ve found a flaw. I don’t know how significant or permanent it is. But I’ve been very distressed by that fact.”
But the worldview is the offspring of Greenspan's mentor, Ayn Rand. It is a neoclassical economic model and a normative ethical theory. It was first espoused in 1964 in the book, "The Virtue of Selfishness". The theory is called "Rational Egoism" and is part of a broader philosophy called "Objectivism".
Simply, Rand concluded that to act against one's one interests is irrational and immoral. She provided many different scenarios, such as examples of rescuing a drowning man and so forth.
And it is a popular theory today by many, even though its most prominent disciple has recanted. The presidential candidate, Dr. Ron Paul is a vigorous adherent. The libertarian think tank in Irvine, California is called, the Ayn Rand Institute. Republicans have adopted these views as a core part of their platform. Turn on FOX News and you'll receive a healthy dose of this doctrine. Even on MSNBC, one can listen to Joe Scarborough make arguments that are right off the pages of "Atlas Shrugged".
All this is fine. But only if you reject the Christian worldview.
If you claim to be a Christian, you've missed a fundamental teaching on the nature of self-interest if you accept these views. & a lot of Christian's have. I visited a Christian Reformed Church in Carbondale & was disturbed to find a parking lot full of "Ron Paul" stickers.
Selfishness produces disorder. Selfishness produces wickedness of every kind. & a cumulative group of self-interested actors doe not produce an invisible hand of efficiency in markets.
Its a lie. & its a demonic one.
