Discuss Theology

Look at these numbers for state and government pension short falls:
Pennsylvania Pension Funds Inform State Lawmakers of $28 Billion in Losses

US Corporate Pension Plans Lost $445 Billion in 2008

Tennessee’s Public Employee Pension System Lost $5 Billion in Past Six Months

New Mexico’s Public Pension Funds Need Increased Contributions After $5 Billion in Losses

Washington State’s Taxpayers Owe $5.9 Billion to Oldest Public Employee Pension Plans

72% of New York City Firefighters Who Retired Since 2004 Are Collecting Disability Pensions

Detroit’s Public Employee Pensions Lost More Than $2 Billion

Tough Choices for Colorado’s State Workers After $13 Billion Pension Fund Loss

Virginia’s Pension Fund Loses $13 Billion

Down by $80 Billion, CalPERS Charts New Course for Investment Mix

US Companies Face $109 Billion Pension Tab in 2009

State Pension Funds $865 Billion Loss Means New Hires Get Less

Kentucky Pension Plan Funding Gaps Grow to $30 Billion

Big 3 Pension Fund Shortfall Has Grown to $41 Billion, Warns PBGC

California’s $48 Billion Unfunded Health Care Liability for Retired State Employees

New Jersey’s $130 Billion Pension Under-funding, a Problem Too Large to Ignore

Public Employee Pension Funds Paid Out a Record $168 Billion in 2007

Social Security: Our National Ponzi Scheme

Global Pensions Lost $5 Trillion in 2008

Canada’s Corporate Pension Plans Take a Pounding, Falling 28% in 2008

I sit here in Canada and ask myself. After next Tuesday, election day, how does the United States of Scandanavia sound? Or how about the United Socialist States?

Cheaper health care would be nice, but at the expense of a bankrupt nation? I think the price tag is going to be high-high. I am tying to think of what we will look like 4 years from now and really can’t even invision it.

I find this stat amazing given the numbers of people in Africa who do not even have one or the millions of christians in India who can not get their hands on one.

From a “Christianity Today” interview:
Q & A: Dave Ramsey
The popular Christian financial adviser on why he thinks the bailout is a disaster.
Interview by Sarah Pulliam | posted 9/26/2008 11:13AM

Related articles and links | 1 of 2

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The government has rushed to aid several corporations in recent months, hoping to contain an economic crisis. President Bush urged Congress to pass a proposed $700 billion plan for the government to purchase troubled mortgage assets. Dave Ramsey tells Christianity Today why he is against the bailout and how Christians can prepare during an economic crisis. Ramsey’s show is carried on 350 radio stations nationwide, and he is the author of several personal finance books.
What do you think of the bailout?
I think it’s a disaster. It’s the largest government department ever formed in the history of man, and they are doing it in five days, and they are doing it based on a spirit of fear.
There are other things we could be doing to calm markets. All of the Bush administration appears to be in a dead dog panic. I’m afraid it’s going to pass, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to like it.
What do you recommend instead?
Change the market accounting rules. Do away with the capital gains tax, which will cause money to flood into the market instantaneously in 24 hours. Last, if we do need to do some insurance of some of these bonds, we can insure them rather than just buying them all. Only 7 percent of them are in foreclosure, while 93 percent of them are paying, so why are we buying them all—so we can make Paulson king?
Will the economical crisis affect how Christians will vote?
It translates into which person they think will go to Washington and give them the economy that they want. As a believer, I think that’s a mistake. I think we’re taught that God is to be our source. We’ve really got to stop looking to Washington to fix our problems. It obviously doesn’t have the ability to do that. People who are successful are not successful because of the President.
You meet people who think Sarah Palin is the Second Coming. People who say, ‘If we can get John McCain and Sarah Palin in the White House, everything’s going to be okay,” and it’s not.
Should this affect how Christians give? For instance, should Christians give to nonprofits that have lost money through investments?
I think giving priorities should never have anything to do with investments anyway. It should be the ministry that is doing God’s work, and what you feel God leading you to be attached to.
What will the crisis do to people’s lifestyle?
Hopefully some of this will scare people straight. Some of the consumption level will go down, some of the debt level will go down, and people will save more money.
God’s ways of handling money work: in the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil (Prov. 21:20). Having cash on hand is a good thing, always having some money. Get out of debt; the borrower is a slave to the lender. These are things that worked 1,000 years ago, they worked 20 years ago, and they worked 20 minutes ago. They will work for the next 20 years.
The emotions in the last two weeks have been more related to fear that their bank is going to close, that somehow the mortgage company is going to take their house even if they pay their bills. The other emotion has been anger at the government for talking about passing this ridiculous bailout of Wall Street

I smile as I watch the groping for answers by our media in these issues. John Ashcroft was dyed in the wool pentecostal and no one really attacked him for it. He came from a family of pentecostal folks. The lion’s share of bible writers in the New Testament were practicing tongue speakers. I am not sure what the problem is here. I suppose it is that Sarah Palin stands in the way of the democrat machine getting into power. A problem for sure-for the democrats. [By the way, I am an independent--politically. I have voted on both the democrat and republican side for president in my voting history.] Sarah Palin fears God and loves her family and her country. That is a good thing. Who really cares about her mystical experiences?

I got a rather excited phone call from a seminary prof. at an evangelical seminary after McCain
announced Sarah Palin. Then I read this transcript from Dennis Prager interviewing James Dobson.

Dobson: “But I can tell you that if I had to go into the studio, I mean the voting booth today, I would pull that lever.”

Well, I called a major christian media figure and stated that this shows that McCain is a lot smarter than people think he is. My friend responded, “yes, absolutely.”

Christianity Today Poll
Do you think your college culture promoted an unhealthy view of sex?
Yes. Hookup culture dominated.
29%
Yes. It promoted a “purity culture” that wouldn’t acknowledge sexual desire outside of marriage.
8%
Yes (other)
12%
No. I think my college culture promoted a healthy view of sex.
11%
No. There was a lot of sex on campus, but hookup culture was not too influential.
11%
No. It promoted a “purity culture,” but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
12%
No (other)
9%
I didn’t go to college/ I didn’t live on campus
8%

Total Votes: 525

Christianity Today just 2 polls on God in the political campaign and also the interest of its readers in Nascar. Here are the results.
Have you ever attended a NASCAR event?
Yes, I’ve been to one or two.
14%
Yes, I am a regular.
2%
No, but I keep trying.
0%
No, I’m not interested in NASCAR.
69%
No, but I watch it on TV.
11%
Other
3%

Total Votes: 481

Discuss

Results From Our Most Recent Poll

Christianity Today Poll
Are you pleased with the role faith has taken in this presidential campaign?
I’m extremely unhappy with the way candidates/ media handle faith issues.
42%
I’m unhappy about it.
29%
I haven’t been paying much attention.
4%
I’ve been paying attention, but I’m neutral on this issue.
9%
I’m pretty happy with it.
10%
I’m thrilled.
1%
Other
4%

Total Votes: 1203

Christianity Today took a recent on line poll that was revealing.
Do you pray for countries other than your own?
Yes, for countries where I know missionaries
23%
Yes, for countries that have influence on my country
3%
Yes, for countries that are in the news for problems
52%
Yes, for countries where I’ve traveled
6%
Yes, I use a system that leads me to pray for a different country each day
7%
No
10%

Total Votes: 936

Here is a new Christianity Today poll which I found quite interesting:
Christianity Today Poll
Did you wait until you were married to have sex?
Yes, and I’m married now.
43%
Yes, and I’m still waiting.
9%
No, but I felt it was beyond my control.
2%
No.
34%
No, I think sex requires a commitment, but not necessarily marriage vows.
3%
Depends on what you mean by “have sex.”
5%
Other
4%

Total Votes: 3968