It’s popular to decry the income disparities among the world’s nations. Indeed, it’s argued, the cause of poverty is a lack of money, and the wealth of the richest nations demonstrates that they got rich by taking from the poor. Therefore, the rich should transfer wealth to the poor.
Here’s a video that gives some economic history you may find interesting —
Question: How did all the countries get richer and healthier if wealth comes from taking from the poor?
Question: What does this video tell us about the morality of globalization?
Question: Why do some nations prosper more rapidly than others?
Question: Is there anything we can do to help the poorest nations catch up with the wealthiest nations?
PS — These are, I think, very hard questions, but very real when it comes to the church’s obligation to prophetically declare God’s will to the king.
(Isa 58:9-11 ESV) 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.
11 And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Nations prosper when their leaders are not crooks, or at least the leader/crooks agree to abide by the laws, whether they are reasonable or not.
I have seen other presentations by this person. They are quite fasinating. I've personnally used similar statistical graphing techniques on engineering projects since the mid 80's.
This particular topic is kind of a soapbox of mine. I'll try to keep it short with an antedote.
One of our best friends' sons (about 25 years old) had recently lost his IT help desk job because it was outsourced to India. He had been in my teen bible class in years past.
During the same time frame, my company had charged me with setting up an engineering group in India. My first trip to interview candidates was just a month or two after my friend from church had lost his job (and wasn't finding other meaningful work). I was frustrated that I was being told to do something similar and thus move wealth from a relatively Christian based country (the USA) to a Hindu and Muslem based country (India).
I was blessed on my first Sunday in India. I worshipped at a Church of Christ in downtown Bangalore. These were some of the most hospitable people I have ever met. Following worship I talked with a 23 year old who was elated. He had just landed an IT help desk job and was proud he could now raise the standard of living for both his parents and his grandparents (who all lived together).
The twenty something people I hired performed well and the group became a positive reflection on me within my company. But more importantly, I changed my thought process on the situation FROM a transfer of wealth from Christian to heathen TO a means of doing my part to help lift a poorer group of people in the world into a more healthy state of being. My job raised the standard of living for those 20 people as well as others in the local economy who sold goods and services to those employees. Poverty is ultimately reduced by providing meaningful work rather than just charity handouts.
Rich, it is interesting how your thoughts changed when your view of the environment went from a local perspective to a more global perspective. Now, from a global experience perspective, the local one may seem more constrained, like being in a box.
If we were to infinitely expand the local/global difference you described to a point without even space and time constraints, how much greater magnitude is the mind of God? If we could truly have the mind of Christ, how much different would our life perspective be? I have to wonder how much emphasis would we place on "disputable matters" and other points of endless contention? What sort of work would we be about?
Interesting testimony. Thanks for sharing.
I'm currently less concerned with disparities among countries than I am with the size and proportions of the disparities within the US. The rich are getting richer and richer while the poor get poorer, and it's a recipe for social and economic crisis.
We – the church – should be the model for right living through which God's kingdom becomes ever more real and present. It isn't about raising the standard of living globally, or moving beyond our provincial perspectives, but about being the Body – Christ's physical presence on this planet.
That should make us question deeply how we spend our time and money – not to alleviate poverty (though it will help towards that goal), but because we should mirror Christ not only in our thoughts and deeds, but in how and where we spend our time and money.
Are there any poor nations who have open competitive capitalistic free markets ??
Question: How did all the countries get richer and healthier if wealth comes from taking from the poor?
This is the first erroneous concept. The richer countries do NOT get richer because of taking from the poor. This question follows the myth of finite resources from an infinite God. God has given us resources that are renewing and renewable and our economic systems should recognize the prinicple of unlimited wealth avaiable to any who would provide goods and/or services that are valued by other nations/peoples.
The richer countries get rich by innovation, production of goods and services valued by much of the world, and by hard work and smart advances. The poorer countries suffer from inability to harvest resources, welfare from richer countries that stifles innovation and ingenuity with fear of trying to compete, and rampant political and social corruption – when they desire to participate in the global economy at all. (Surprising to some, there are those who do not wish to be ‘modernized’.)
Question: What does this video tell us about the morality of globalization?
Very little. Statistics alone do NOT tell the story. It takes more than economical and physical development to make a country more or less moral. Stressing health and wealth feeds into the health and wealth substitute gospel. Failure to factor in political awareness, spiritual composition, and recognition of basic human requirements for life has held back many countries. NOTE: Please remember that Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is Maslow’s and NOT God’s. Western world views include Maslow’s hierarchy almost by rote these days, but a world view from God takes an entirely different approach.
Question: Why do some nations prosper more rapidly than others?
Some nations prosper more rapidly due to innovation and determination, and some nations prosper by following God’s principles for caring for one another, including both rich and poor members of their societies. Again, the question seems to assume a simple answer when the reality is much more complex than what the video anticipates or includes.
Question: Is there anything we can do to help the poorest nations catch up with the wealthiest nations?
Absolutely. Shared technologies and advancements, as well as shared plans to cultivate and extricate and market resources that are naturally occurring and also human-aided can go a long way towards developing undeveloped countries – WHEN THEY SO DESIRE. Trying to force westernization upon less developed countries or failing to take into account the intermediate steps needed to develop the skills and morality and ethical structure needed can be disastrous. It takes awareness of the process, patience and perseverance to see it through when results are not immediate, and the diligence to address effectively the unforeseen challenges that arise that can make all the difference in a country’s development. As Christians we have the responsibility to help the poor and the oppressed – but not just economically and/or medically.
The Old Testament is full of God’s plan for prospering His chosen people and how they MUST conduct themselves in order to receive the blessings they seek. Similar principles of financial and health ethics between fellow citizens can be found in the New Testament as well. There is more than enough teaching in God’s word to show a nation how to be blessed by God. The key is getting that country/nation to listen to Him.
Grizz
Being a mere sheepherder to some is better than working 12 hours a day 6 days a week to live in a big house and drive a big car.
Some of the poorest people that have enough to eat and time to hunt, fish, teach their children themselves are the happiest on earth. They also seem to find the most time to pray.
We do them an injustice to either tell or show them how bad they have it and that they should join us in the American dog eat dog world.
Question: Why do some nations prosper more rapidly than others?
Here is an excellent short video that gives a different perspective on the root issue of income disparity among the nations. It deals with a culture's perspective of time. I know it sounds tangential but you'll see the connection to this discussion once you watch it.
Grizz, your arguments don’t apply to a country like Lesotho
Grizz, your arguments don't apply to a country like Lesotho
Rich W,
Thanks for recommending the video. Really good stuff! (Glad I took the time to watch!)