The Fate of the Welfare State

“An absolute principle of economics,” the late Larry Burkett wrote in his 1992 # 1 best seller, The Coming Economic Earthquake, is that, “no one, government or otherwise, can spend more than he or she makes indefinitely. At some point the compounding interest will consume all the money in the world.”

Saddled by staggering debt, governments all over the world are in fiscal disasters and are teetering on bankruptcy. A financial reckoning unseen since the Great Depression appears to be looming for the welfare and entitlement societies that are so prevalent in the western world.

Every advanced society has some form of welfare and entitlement programs. As such, according to Robert Samuelson, “Almost every advanced country -- the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Belgium and others -- faces some combination of huge budget deficits, high debts, aging populations and political paralysis.”

In the U.S., decades after the start of welfare and entitlement programs brought on by FDR’s New Deal and LBJ’s Great Society—to quote Jeremiah Wright—“America’s chickens (financial, that is) have come home to roost.”

Of course, nowhere in the U.S. is there more “roosting” going on than in California. In June 2002, the liberal magazine American Prospect hailed California as a “laboratory” for Democratic Policies. The author of the story, Harold Meyerson, boasted that “with its Democratic governor, U.S. senators, state legislature and congressional delegation, California is the only one of the nation’s 10 largest states that is uniformly under Democratic control.” In California, Meyerson said, “the next New Deal is in tryouts.”

We all now know that California’s “New Deal” was no deal at all. “California is deeply in debt,” said Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown. “You could say that it's bankrupt,” he added. (Technically U.S. states cannot declare bankruptcy.)

Of course, California is not alone in its financial struggles. Nearly every U.S. state is seeing declining revenues and facing ever increasing budget shortfalls. However, generally speaking there is a trend among the states that are struggling the most. Forbes recently noted that the “bluest states (are) spilling the most red ink.” The article declared that “The five states in the worst financial condition--Illinois, New York, Connecticut, California and New Jersey--are all among the bluest of blue states.”

“Why do Democratic states appear to be struggling more than Republican ones?” Forbes asks. “It comes down to stronger unions and a larger appetite for public programs, according to Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political studies and public affairs at the University of Illinois' Center for State Policy and Leadership.”

Part of the Forbes formula in calculating the financial health of each state included unfunded pension liabilities. The insatiable generosity of many, especially “blue,” U.S. states (and cities) with pensions and with free, or almost free, healthcare, is perhaps the largest millstone around their necks. In the last two weeks alone, states such as California, Virginia, and Illinois, along with cities such as Atlanta, have made news because of their pension woes. “Doomsday is here for Illinois,” stated one pundit. In Virginia they are preparing for “the coming war over public sector pensions.” And in Atlanta a lawsuit has been filed, which the AJC declared as “the first shot of the pension wars.”

Of course, along with generous pension and health care plans come higher taxes. Unsurprisingly, according to the Tax Foundation, the top ten for state-local tax burdens in 2008: 10.) Rhode Island 9.) Wisconsin 8.) Vermont 7.) Ohio 6.) California 5.) Hawaii 4.) Maryland 3.) Connecticut 2.) New York 1.) New Jersey. Notice the “blueness” here?

There is another common link among liberal societies that is greatly compounding their financial despair: low fertility rates. You see, it isn’t just the financial folly of liberalism that has set their house of cards to tumbling; it is their foolish social views as well. In their lust (literally) for sexual gratification, liberal cultures have all but abandoned any moral boundaries when it comes to their libidos.

Marriage, family, and good parenting have taken a back seat to this lust, which is a cornerstone of modern liberalism and feminism. For example, virtually all of Europe has a fertility rate below the replacement rate of 2.1. Greece, along with all of its other troubles, has a fertility rate of 1.36. Spain and Italy are at 1.30. Germany is at 1.41. Not to be left behind by the Europeans, Japan is at 1.22.

In the U.S., states with the lowest fertility rates are generally, again, the “bluest of blue.” Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, along with D.C., are all in the bottom 10 when it comes to fertility rates in the U.S. As Mark Steyn recently put it, “The 20th century Bismarckian welfare state has run out of people to stick it to.”

U.S. spokesperson for the entitlement society, Nancy Pelosi recently said, “Imagine an economy where people could change jobs, start businesses, become self-employed, whether to pursue their artistic aspirations or be entrepreneurial and start new businesses, if they were not job-locked because they have a child who's bipolar or a family member who's diabetic with a pre-existing condition, and all of the other constraints that having health care or not having health care places on an entrepreneurial spirit.”

There you have it: the classic example of the worldview of modern liberalism. If government would only provide yet another entitlement, then more people would be free to do what whatever they want. Contrast this with the words of President Grover Cleveland near the end of the 19th century:

While taking a stand against government aid involving a very deserving orphanage in New York City during a severe economic crisis, Cleveland, a Democrat, said, “I will not be a party to stealing money from one group of citizens to give to another group of citizens. No matter what the need or apparent justification, once the coffers of the federal government are opened to the public, there will be no shutting them again…It is the responsibility of citizens to support their government. It is not the responsibility of government to support its citizens.”

In 1887, after vetoing a bill that appropriated $10,000 to buy grain for several drought-stricken Texas counties, Cleveland stated, “Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character, while it prevents the indulgence among our people of that kindly sentiment and conduct which strengthens the bonds of a common brotherhood.”

If only today’s Democrat Party were in the same solar system with Cleveland. Ben Franklin said, “When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.” Never have we been closer to such an end than we are today.

Copyright 2010, Trevor Grant Thomas

At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason

Trevor and his wife Michelle are the authors of: Debt Free Living in a Debt Filled World

tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com

The Resurrection

At this time of year Christians celebrate Easter, or as I prefer, Resurrection Sunday. As one scans history, no other date put such a mark in time as when Jesus Christ shed His grave-clothes and departed the tomb.

Of all the religions of the world, only Christianity claims an empty tomb for its founder. The physical resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christianity. British theologian Michael Green said it well when he noted, “Without faith in the resurrection there would be no Christianity at all.” Noted biblical scholar, professor, and author Wilbur M. Smith said that, “The resurrection of Christ is the very citadel of the Christian faith. This is the doctrine that turned the world upside down…” Indeed it did.

According to C.S. Lewis, “In the earliest days of Christianity an ‘apostle’ was first and foremost a man who claimed to be an eyewitness of the Resurrection,” or more accurately, a witness of the resurrected Christ. He adds that, “to preach Christianity meant primarily to preach the Resurrection.” And preach they did.

The transformation of the disciples of Jesus is one of the greatest evidences of His resurrection. For decades following Jesus’ death and resurrection they preached His “good news.” Biblical references and strong extra-biblical sources have almost all of the disciples dying martyrs’ deaths. James, the son of Zebedee, according to Scripture was, “put to death by the sword (probably beheaded).” According to early church historians Peter was crucified in Rome, and Paul (of course not one of the original 12, but an apostle nonetheless) was beheaded there. Strong church tradition has Thomas, the “doubting” disciple, being run through with a spear.

The manner of martyrdom of the other disciples is less clear, but strong evidence suggests all, save John, died horrific deaths because of their faith. Their unwavering efforts spread the gospel to many regions of the world, including Rome, Greece, Armenia, Persia, Syria, India, Egypt, Libya, Arabia, and North Africa.

The faith of Jesus’ Apostles spread to thousands upon thousands in a relatively short period of time. Many of the early believers suffered intense persecution as well. Fulton Oursler, in The Greatest Faith Ever Known, notes that “Thousands of these men and women would die themselves in the arena, burning on pitch-soaked pyres, crucified, they would die for Jesus Christ, and for the Faith, the Church that Christ founded.”

The persecution of the church continued for centuries. After Constantine’s conversion in the year 312 the church passed from persecution to privilege. Councils were called, the Scriptures were translated into various languages, and missionaries carried the gospel to ever farther reaches of the world.

The impact that Christianity has had on the world can be measured in practically every facet of life. Everything from the family, to science, government, medicine, art, literature, business, and so on, has felt the impact of the message of the Resurrection of Christ.

The world’s first university, birthed in 1088, was The University of Bologna in Italy. It was founded to teach canon law. The second oldest university, The University of Paris, grew out of the cathedral schools of Notre-Dame and soon became a great center for Christian orthodox studies. Dr. Alvin J. Schmidt, in his book Under the Influence: How Christianity Transformed Civilization, points out that every college established in colonial America, except the University of Pennsylvania, was founded by some denomination of Christianity. He adds that, preceding the Civil War, 92 percent of the 182 colleges and universities in the U.S. were established by some branch of the church.

Many of the greatest artists in history: Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Donatello, Da Vinci, and Salvador Dali were Christians. This is evident in that many of the great works they produced were scenes or characters from Scripture. Beethoven, considered by many to be the world’s greatest composer, composed some of the most profound Christian masterpieces in musical history. Additionally, Johann Sebastian Bach was, as one scholar put it, indeed “a Christian who lived with the Bible.”

Take note of the number of influential charities inspired by Christianity. Among them are The Salvation Army, Campus Crusade, Catholic Charities, Habitat for Humanity, and the YMCA. Also, about 25% of U.S. hospitals are Christian.

The great nation that we inhabit was founded almost exclusively by Christians and upon Christian principles. The United States has become perhaps the most influential nation in world history. Standing for freedom and justice and operating out of love, this nation, whether through its government or private citizens, has come to the aid and rescue of billions of people around the world.

The current year is 2008. This is not 2008 years from Caesar, Buddha, or Mohammed, but from the birth of Jesus Christ. Dan Flynn notes that, “The attempt to replace Anno Domini (AD) and BC (Before Christ) with BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era) is yet another exercise in futility. Doesn't this Common Era, after all, begin with the life of Christ?”

The impact of Christ’s resurrection can be seen in institutions and nations, in virtually every facet of life, as I said earlier, but I think it is most noticeable in the lives of individuals. We may measure our years from His birth, but our hope is in His resurrection.

Copyright 2010, Trevor Grant Thomas
At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason
Trevor and his wife Michelle are the authors of: Debt Free Living in a Debt Filled World
tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com

The Science of Couponing

In the current economic climate, most people are looking for ways to stretch their dollars. About a year ago, through a friend at our church, my wife Michelle (who contributed greatly to this column) discovered what is commonly referred to as “couponing.” Through Michelle’s efforts, we have accomplished almost unbelievable things in our personal budget.

For example, we have not “paid” for toilet paper, toothpaste, razors, paper towels, shampoo, band-aids, etc. in nearly a year. And I’m talking about name-brand products, not store ones. Our grocery budget has been cut almost in half. For a family of six, this is no small feat.

The practice of couponing comes down to this: using manufacturer and store coupons paired with store sales, rebates, and store loyalty programs, to drastically reduce the overall price of everything from food to toiletries to household items. This is usually accomplished by shopping at the large chain grocery stores and drug stores.

One goal of couponing is to “stockpile” things when they are at their lowest prices so you never have to pay full price for them again. This practice has resulted in our basement resembling a small convenience store. Thus, we have been able to share much more than we otherwise could with those struggling during these trying financial times. It is nothing now for us to fill up several bags with food and toiletry items for a family in need or to bless a new mom in our church with a gift basket of fun items.

In addition to saving money with couponing, we’ve found ways to help our family thrive in this depressed economy. Many companies offer mail-in-rebates so that you can try their products for free. Other rebate offers, combined with an item being on sale, have allowed us to buy many products and make a small profit on them.

Another pleasant outcome of couponing is when “overage” occurs. This is when the value of the coupon exceeds the price of the item. Some stores will apply the overage amount to the remainder of your bill, thereby reducing the cost of other items.

Here’s one practical example of how couponing can result in free (plus sales tax) products: Say that at a drug store (large chain only), an item is on sale buy one get one free, and there is a manufacturer coupon on the same item that is also buy one get one free. Because of the way the item rings up at these drug stores (first item rings up full price; second one rings up zero), using the manufacturer coupon results in your having to pay only the sales tax to purchase both items.

It is somewhat rare when such a deal occurs, but we’ve done this several times on various products in the last year. Cashiers, and sometimes even store managers, can be somewhat dumbfounded at such a result, but most stores have official coupon policies explaining how they are to handle such, and any, transactions. Be sure to check with your store for their policy. (Michelle has become as well versed in official coupon policies as most anyone.)

Planning and coordinating when it comes to couponing is a feat made much easier by Web sites such as southernsavers.com (Michelle’s favorite), couponmom.com (mentioned frequently by Clark Howard), moneysavingmom.com, and others.

There are some nuances to be aware of when practicing couponing. Different stores have different coupon policies, so you must familiarize yourself with these to make sure you are conducting your business properly. For example, some stores do not accept Internet coupons.

Remember always to be nice as you go about your couponing. As I mentioned before, many store employees may not be as familiar with their own coupon policies as you are. Also remember that coupon fraud does exist, so don’t be surprised if sometimes you are given a suspicious eye. After developing a sound relationship with your stores, your transactions will almost always go very smoothly.

According to southersavers.com, coupon use in the U.S. rose 27% in 2009 with $3.5 billion in coupons redeemed. Yet companies issued over $520 billion in coupons in 2009. This means that less than 1% of the value of all coupons issued last year was redeemed.

As the economy continues to flounder, taking advantage of the wonderful and abundant opportunities that coupons present is an excellent way for anyone to combat declining income and shrinking budgets. If you have further questions on this practice, feel free to contact us at tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com.

Copyright 2010, Trevor Grant Thomas

At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason

Trevor and his wife Michelle are the authors of: Debt Free Living in a Debt Filled World

tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com

The Man-Made Global Warming Faithful

“A person will worship something,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson, “have no doubt about that…That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.”

The most interesting question now in the anthropogenic (man-made) global warming (AGW) debate is why, as Mark Steyn recently suggested, would those who have bought into this scam (the greatest scam in history, as the founder of the Weather Channel put it) continue their faithful devotion? (Is there anything on earth with less credibility than man-made global warming?)

The answer to Steyn’s question lies with Emerson’s observation. Many, most notably Ian Plimer, recently have noted that the AGW movement has become a religion. Plimer, an atheist, stated that global warming is, “the new religion of First World urban elites.” He adds that “Environmentalism has many of the hallmarks of failed European socialism and Western (failed) Christianity. It has a holy book which few have read (IPCC reports), has prophets (Gore) who cannot be challenged, relies on dogma, ignores contrary evidence, has armies of wide-eyed missionaries...; imposes guilt, has a catastrophist view of the planet, and seeks indulgences.”

Leave it to a Transcendentalist who denied the deity of Christ (Emerson), and an atheist (Plimer), to point us to the truth in this debate!

As I noted in March of 2007, I’m afraid that many caught up in the global warming hoopla became foolish in the manner described by the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans and, “Exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.” Make no mistake about it; “Mother Earth” became their idol. Lost on them was the fact that the planet and all of its resources were created for the benefit of mankind, not vice versa. In other words, they didn’t realize that human beings, not the earth, are the crown of God’s creation.

After nearly three decades of proselytizing, involving everyone from Al Gore to Hollywood to NASA to the U.N., it’s no wonder that so many were duped. Movies were made; industries were born; existing corporations created new products; commercials pleaded with us to change our energy-consuming ways—all based on AGW theory—it’s a wonder all of us didn’t buy into this boondoggle.

However, in the last 3 months the AGW movement has seen more “gates” than did all of the Nixon era: Climategate, Glaciergate, Amazongate, and so on and so on. In 2007, the U.N.’s International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) produced its latest and greatest (Fourth) Assessment Report (AR4). It has since been revealed that it is littered with errors. (This is the document that won Al Gore and the IPCC the Nobel Peace Prize!)

Claims in AR4 concerning everything from the Himalayan Glaciers to the Amazon Rain Forests to coral reef degradation to African crop yields to the elevation of the Netherlands to Al Gore’s hat size have proven to be false.

Investigations by the British press (the American MSM has shamefully been very quiet on this issue) “found evidence that Chinese weather station measurements not only were seriously flawed, but couldn't be located.” According to the U.K.’s Guardian, 42 weather monitoring stations in remote rural China were nowhere to be found.

The U.K. Telegraph reported that the 2006 Stern Report, an economic doomsday prediction commissioned by the British government, had some predictions which “had been watered down because the scientific evidence on which they were based could not be verified.” Also, Robert Muir-Wood, a researcher quoted in the Stern Report, now claims that the Stern Report misquoted his work to suggest a strong link between global warming and more-frequent and severe floods and hurricanes. Muir-Wood said his original research revealed no such link.

Just this week, Professor Phil Jones, former head of the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit, who is at the center of Climategate, admitted that there has been no “statistically significant” rise in global temperatures since 1995. He also admitted for the first time that the world may have been warmer during medieval times than now.

Yet, even with all of this mounting evidence, the faithful—“Warmers” they’re now dubbed—still cling to their fateful climate views. Tim Wirth, president of the U.N. Foundation and a former U.S. Senator from Colorado, said the manipulated evidence exposed by the Climategate scandal was merely an “opening” to attack climate science and it “has to be defended just like evolution has to be defended.”

This is an all too familiar approach by liberals when it comes to any attack on their sacred-held scientific positions—they label their opponent as “anti-science.” They have done this in the stem cell debate, the evolution debate, the global warming debate, and so on.

President Obama did as much just after his inauguration last year. On March 9, 2009 Obama declared that he was issuing “a Presidential Memorandum directing the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a strategy for restoring scientific integrity to government decision-making to ensure that in this new administration, we base our public policies on the soundest science; that we appoint scientific advisors based on their credentials and experience, not their politics or ideology.”

C.S. Lewis disputed the notion that we must rely exclusively on the counsel of scientists when it comes to today’s complicated problems. He did not dispute their knowledge but concluded that most of it was irrelevant. “I dread specialists in power,” Lewis declared, “because they are specialists speaking outside their special subjects. Let scientists tell us about sciences. But government involves questions about the good for man, and justice, and what things are worth having at what price; and on these a scientific training gives a man's opinion no added value.”

However, as most anyone with a pulse knows, politicians don’t hold all of the answers to today’s complicated problems, either. Ultimately, one’s faith plays a role in every decision one makes. As the late philosopher Dr. Greg Bahnsen put it, “At the most fundamental level of everyone's thinking and beliefs there are primary convictions about reality, man, the world, knowledge, truth, behavior, and such things. Convictions about which all other experience is organized, interpreted, and applied.”

In other words, all reasoning, all problem solving, is guided by certain governing presuppositions. These presuppositions are determined by one’s worldview, and a person’s worldview is determined by his or her faith. Summarizing Emerson, we all worship something. In other words, we all have placed our faith in something.

A worldview that deifies the earth, or something very close to that, puts people in extreme positions when they see their deity as under attack. Not all AGW zealots are of this worldview; some are motivated by pure, old-fashioned greed and political power, but these are generally more easily swayed by the facts and the truth than the “faithful.”

Ultimately, as with any deceit, this is a spiritual battle. For the eyes of these to be opened it takes a change of faith, and there is only One who can make that happen.

Copyright 2010, Trevor Grant Thomas
At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason
Trevor and his wife Michelle are the authors of: Debt Free Living in a Debt Filled World
tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com

Are You a Grapefruit or Chocolate Milk Christian?

Finally the Super Bowl ad starring Tim Tebow and his mother has aired—what a controversial message! The pro-life ad caused quite a stir weeks before it even aired. Several pro-abortion groups were up in arms and called on CBS to pull it. To their credit CBS refused.

Over 30 liberal pro-abortion groups sent a letter to CBS saying that, “By offering one of the most coveted advertising spots of the year to an anti-equality, anti-choice, homophobic organization, CBS is aligning itself with a political stance that will damage its reputation, alienate viewers, and discourage consumers from supporting its shows and advertisers.... we urge you to immediately cancel this ad and refuse any other advertisement promoting Focus on the Family's agenda.”

Erin Matson, the Action Vice President of the National Organization for Women declared, “this ad is frankly offensive.” She foolishly added, “It is hate masquerading as love. It sends a message that abortion is always a mistake.” (Given the tame nature of the ad, she looks even more foolish!)

The Super Bowl “is not a day to discuss abortion,” said Gregg Doyel of CBSsports.com. Another sports writer offered, “Don't accept medical advice, is basically what the ad says. You might lose a kid who will grow up to be a football hero.”

“An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year, an event designed to bring Americans together,” said Jehmu Greene, president of Women's Media Center. And so on and so on. You get the idea—Just shut up and play football, Tim.

You see, what many people seem to want out of Christianity and its followers are simply nice “do-gooders” who go about their business without causing any trouble. (One columnist recently complimented Tebow because, in the past, he has shown “the good manners to proclaim his faith quietly without questioning or condemning that of others.”)

What are these people so afraid of? The answer: Jesus Christ. I’m beginning to repeat myself here, but as I pointed out with Rick Warren (Nice People or New Men?) and Brit Hume (Brit Hume Was Right), many outside of Christianity, and many who feign to be a part of it, have an especially distorted view about what it means to be a follower of Christ. They seem eager to embrace His message of love and forgiveness, as well they should, but they easily forget His message of repentance and salvation. Also, they fail to notice that He was and is, of all things, a very controversial and divisive figure.

As I also recently pointed out, Jesus Christ NEVER claimed that a person’s faith was a private matter. That is frequently-uttered nonsense by many non-Christians, and even by some Christians. Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).”

My pastor (who is also my father-in-law, thank you very little) often points out, that, when Christ truly comes into someone’s life, He is not simply a section of that life, as in a grapefruit. He is not something that we devote part of one day to and are supposed to keep separate from the rest of our lives—work, family, entertainment, politics, and so on.

A person who has surrendered his or her life to Christ is more like a glass of milk that has had chocolate syrup squeezed into it. Once the chocolate and the milk are combined, it is impossible to separate one from the other.

Or, as C.S. Lewis put it, “Christ says, ‘Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there. I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think are innocent as well as the ones you think are wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you myself: my own will shall become yours.’”

In other words, inviting Christ into your life is inviting an invasion. He does not come simply to be a slice of your life, but to transform you into something else—into Himself (or at least a smaller version of Him).

Now, virtually all Christians struggle with “letting their light shine;” that is, letting the light of Christ shine through us. It is a constant, every day battle. As the book of John tells us, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

This is why Brit Hume, Tim Tebow, and anyone else who dares to take a bold stand for Christ experiences a backlash. In fact, if you’re a Christian and your life is rather cushy and you seem to be getting your way a lot, you might want to take stock of your walk with Christ. To use a football analogy (we are talking about Tim Tebow), if your jersey is clean, then you must not be getting much playing time.

We are, after all, in a war—albeit a spiritual one. Paul admonishes us to put on the whole armor of God “so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.” Just remember, before you go out to battle, have chocolate milk instead of grapefruit.

Copyright 2010, Trevor Grant Thomas
At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason
Trevor and his wife Michelle are the authors of: Debt Free Living in a Debt Filled World
tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com