Just to let you know how unscrupulous banks are, let me give you an example of how they reach through corporate protections for business owners and officers so they can grab personal assets.
When a small business wants a loan from a bank, the collateral is usually all the company’s assets, such as inventory, receivables, and fixed assets (equipment, furniture, and fixtures). In addition, banks and leasing companies often require personal guarantees from the owner and maybe even from certain corporate officers. Companies incorporate to protect the owners from incurring the company’s liabilities, but unscrupulous banks get around this protection by demanding a personal guarantee.
As a result, many small business owners are being reduced to poverty because these greedy and unethical banks are grabbing their personal assets when the small business owners can’t make their loan payments. I believe personal guarantees should be made illegal. A corporation’s collateral should be enough.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Unscrupulous Banks – Part 1
Why is it that banks, which were a major contributor to the current economic crisis because of their reckless lending practices and other abuses, will foreclose on mortgages that are in default because of the very mess the banks themselves created? This makes no sense.
Why would a bank want to take possession of a house it can’t resell for quite some time, and will cost the bank money in terms of utilities, upkeep and property taxes? The house will most likely be vacant for some time, may be vandalized, and could fall into disrepair. It makes no sense.
Wouldn’t it be smarter for a bank to let the occupant stay in the house so it remains occupied, cared for (at least to some level), and people aren’t made homeless. That would make sense, wouldn’t it?
Of course it would, but bankers aren’t that smart. Otherwise we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in. They would rather make someone homeless than do the right thing for all concerned. Banks are unscrupulous, uncaring, and reckless. This is certainly a moral and ethical issue that should be dealt with by government. For at least the short-term, some provision should be made for occupants to be allowed to stay in their houses, and banks should be forced to renegotiate terms of mortgages.
While I’m usually not in favor of such heavy-handed governmental interference in the free market system, I believe the banks have acted so badly that such measures are necessary. If you agree, write your senators and congressman.
Why would a bank want to take possession of a house it can’t resell for quite some time, and will cost the bank money in terms of utilities, upkeep and property taxes? The house will most likely be vacant for some time, may be vandalized, and could fall into disrepair. It makes no sense.
Wouldn’t it be smarter for a bank to let the occupant stay in the house so it remains occupied, cared for (at least to some level), and people aren’t made homeless. That would make sense, wouldn’t it?
Of course it would, but bankers aren’t that smart. Otherwise we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in. They would rather make someone homeless than do the right thing for all concerned. Banks are unscrupulous, uncaring, and reckless. This is certainly a moral and ethical issue that should be dealt with by government. For at least the short-term, some provision should be made for occupants to be allowed to stay in their houses, and banks should be forced to renegotiate terms of mortgages.
While I’m usually not in favor of such heavy-handed governmental interference in the free market system, I believe the banks have acted so badly that such measures are necessary. If you agree, write your senators and congressman.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
We’re Not Alone
My wife and I have just returned from 10 days in Ireland. It was our first time in that country, and it is a wonderful place. The people are friendly, the scenery is beautiful and varied, and the old castle and abbey ruins are historic and interesting.
I was interested to learn that they are facing many of the same problems we are. We know the recession is world-wide, but when you are in another country and hear about the foreclosures, lay-offs, and other problems caused by this economic mess, it really brings it home that we aren’t alone in our economic hardships.
They also have immigration issues. When times were good, they welcomed the immigrants, many of whom are from Eastern Europe (especially Poland). They did many of the jobs the Irish would rather not do. Sound familiar? Now that things are tough, the Irish want these foreigners to leave. Yet many of the eastern Europeans have nothing to go home to, so they prefer to stay in Ireland.
Recently a report was issued documenting the extent of child abuse by the Roman Catholic Church. In Ireland it seemed to be systemic and perhaps even more widespread than here in the US. In 2002 the RC Church cut a deal with the government to limit its liability, which has caused quite a controversy now that the extent of the abuse is known. Why the Irish government would agree to such a thing is beyond me.
While we were there, North Korea tested a nuclear device. That made the news and raised concerns about stability of the world.
Let’s pray for these other countries which are facing some many problems. It helps to remember that many have it worse off than we do, and we are all part of God’s creation. Let’s pray that this recession will end soon, and also that the people, companies, the financial industry, and governments have learned some valuable lessons.
I was interested to learn that they are facing many of the same problems we are. We know the recession is world-wide, but when you are in another country and hear about the foreclosures, lay-offs, and other problems caused by this economic mess, it really brings it home that we aren’t alone in our economic hardships.
They also have immigration issues. When times were good, they welcomed the immigrants, many of whom are from Eastern Europe (especially Poland). They did many of the jobs the Irish would rather not do. Sound familiar? Now that things are tough, the Irish want these foreigners to leave. Yet many of the eastern Europeans have nothing to go home to, so they prefer to stay in Ireland.
Recently a report was issued documenting the extent of child abuse by the Roman Catholic Church. In Ireland it seemed to be systemic and perhaps even more widespread than here in the US. In 2002 the RC Church cut a deal with the government to limit its liability, which has caused quite a controversy now that the extent of the abuse is known. Why the Irish government would agree to such a thing is beyond me.
While we were there, North Korea tested a nuclear device. That made the news and raised concerns about stability of the world.
Let’s pray for these other countries which are facing some many problems. It helps to remember that many have it worse off than we do, and we are all part of God’s creation. Let’s pray that this recession will end soon, and also that the people, companies, the financial industry, and governments have learned some valuable lessons.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Guidelines for Families – Part 4
This is the fourth and last in a series of posts on marriage and the family.
4. Parents
Paul addresses the paterfamilias in his letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 6:4):
And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. NRSV
The cultural context of this instruction is that the paterfamilias was the main disciplinarian, and that discipline could be harsh. For us today, I believe these instructions mean we must find the balance between appropriate discipline, and too much or too little discipline. In addition, parents must be the main source of teaching their children proper values, and they shouldn’t be afraid to set boundaries. Children need boundaries (as do adults), and they must be enforced. Children should be appropriately disciplined when disobeying or disrespecting their parents or other authority figures. When these kids grow up and are out in the real world, they must be prepared for the authority, boundaries, and discipline they’ll find out there.
5. Servants
Lastly Paul addresses servants or slaves, telling them in “The Message” version of Colossians:
Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance.
You may be wondering why this section on slaves is included in the household instructions for husbands, wives, children, and parents. It’s because most slaves were part of a Roman household. Today, I believe we can apply these principles to employees, and also to mothers working inside the home. Here is the lengthier Ephesians version of these instructions, and I’m substituting modern terms to make it relevant to you and me:
[Employees], obey your earthly [supervisors] with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as [workers for] Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are [well-paid or not].
And, [bosses], do the same to [your employees]. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality. (Ephesians 6:5-9, NRSV)
So being a diligent employee is one way we can bring glory to God.
IV. Conclusion
In conclusion, God is relational and wants us to have good relationships. Good relationships are based on mutual love and respect, and they are not co-dependent or exploitive. Our most important relationship is with God through Jesus, and out of that will flow good and loving relationships with others. We should strive to have loving and appropriate relationships:
With our spouse or significant other, if we have one;
With our children and grandchildren, if we have any;
With our extended family, which can often be difficult;
With our friends, acquaintances, and neighbors; and
With our supervisors, peers, and those we oversee at work.
The family is the basic unit of society, so it is critical for us to make our marriages as strong and as bulletproof as possible. So let us look to these and other biblical guidelines to strengthen our family ties so they won’t be easily broken. As King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 4:12: A threefold cord is not quickly broken. NRSV Let us build up our relationship with God, so that we have that strong threefold cord of husband, wife, and God in the marriage.
I’ll be back with more postings toward the end of May.
4. Parents
Paul addresses the paterfamilias in his letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 6:4):
And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. NRSV
The cultural context of this instruction is that the paterfamilias was the main disciplinarian, and that discipline could be harsh. For us today, I believe these instructions mean we must find the balance between appropriate discipline, and too much or too little discipline. In addition, parents must be the main source of teaching their children proper values, and they shouldn’t be afraid to set boundaries. Children need boundaries (as do adults), and they must be enforced. Children should be appropriately disciplined when disobeying or disrespecting their parents or other authority figures. When these kids grow up and are out in the real world, they must be prepared for the authority, boundaries, and discipline they’ll find out there.
5. Servants
Lastly Paul addresses servants or slaves, telling them in “The Message” version of Colossians:
Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance.
You may be wondering why this section on slaves is included in the household instructions for husbands, wives, children, and parents. It’s because most slaves were part of a Roman household. Today, I believe we can apply these principles to employees, and also to mothers working inside the home. Here is the lengthier Ephesians version of these instructions, and I’m substituting modern terms to make it relevant to you and me:
[Employees], obey your earthly [supervisors] with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as [workers for] Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are [well-paid or not].
And, [bosses], do the same to [your employees]. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality. (Ephesians 6:5-9, NRSV)
So being a diligent employee is one way we can bring glory to God.
IV. Conclusion
In conclusion, God is relational and wants us to have good relationships. Good relationships are based on mutual love and respect, and they are not co-dependent or exploitive. Our most important relationship is with God through Jesus, and out of that will flow good and loving relationships with others. We should strive to have loving and appropriate relationships:
With our spouse or significant other, if we have one;
With our children and grandchildren, if we have any;
With our extended family, which can often be difficult;
With our friends, acquaintances, and neighbors; and
With our supervisors, peers, and those we oversee at work.
The family is the basic unit of society, so it is critical for us to make our marriages as strong and as bulletproof as possible. So let us look to these and other biblical guidelines to strengthen our family ties so they won’t be easily broken. As King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 4:12: A threefold cord is not quickly broken. NRSV Let us build up our relationship with God, so that we have that strong threefold cord of husband, wife, and God in the marriage.
I’ll be back with more postings toward the end of May.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Guidelines for Families – Part 3
This is the third in a series of posts on marriage and the family.
2. Husbands
Now it’s the husband’s turn, and what Paul instructed for them was pretty radical for that culture. Paul goes into more detail about the role of the paterfamilias in a Christian family than he does the wife’s role:
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind — yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish.
In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, because we are members of his body…
Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:25-30, 33, NRSV)
Telling the Paterfamilias to love his wife as himself and in a self-sacrificing way was completely revolutionary for that day. Also radical was what Paul wrote in the introduction to this section of Ephesians on family ties. He wrote this to husbands and wives: “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21, NRSV)
He’s telling the paterfamilias to be subject to his wife! I’ll bet that raised some Roman eyebrows! Paul also refers to the husband’s role as spiritual head of the household in that he is to look out for the spiritual welfare of his wife. Paul compared Jesus preparing his bride, the church, to the role of the paterfamilias to care for his wife spiritually. I think the message for us today is one of harmonious relations based on mutual love and respect, and knowing each has important roles to play. Moreover, the husband is to look out for the wife’s welfare, especially in the spiritual area (which unfortunately I don’t think happens in too many families today).
3. Children
Paul gives this instruction to children in his epistle to the Ephesians:
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” — this is the first commandment with a promise: “so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3, NRSV)
You never stop being the child of parents. For example, in Matthew 15:1-9, Jesus criticized the religious leaders for being hypocrites by not honoring their older parents. These religious leaders were giving the money to the temple that could have been used to support their elderly parents. This outraged Jesus, because they were using a religious practice to dishonor their parents and break one of the Ten Commandments. If course it is up to the parents to bring children up with the proper teaching and discipline, and train their kids to show respect to them and any adults.
More on this topic of marriage and the family in a future post.
2. Husbands
Now it’s the husband’s turn, and what Paul instructed for them was pretty radical for that culture. Paul goes into more detail about the role of the paterfamilias in a Christian family than he does the wife’s role:
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind — yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish.
In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, because we are members of his body…
Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:25-30, 33, NRSV)
Telling the Paterfamilias to love his wife as himself and in a self-sacrificing way was completely revolutionary for that day. Also radical was what Paul wrote in the introduction to this section of Ephesians on family ties. He wrote this to husbands and wives: “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21, NRSV)
He’s telling the paterfamilias to be subject to his wife! I’ll bet that raised some Roman eyebrows! Paul also refers to the husband’s role as spiritual head of the household in that he is to look out for the spiritual welfare of his wife. Paul compared Jesus preparing his bride, the church, to the role of the paterfamilias to care for his wife spiritually. I think the message for us today is one of harmonious relations based on mutual love and respect, and knowing each has important roles to play. Moreover, the husband is to look out for the wife’s welfare, especially in the spiritual area (which unfortunately I don’t think happens in too many families today).
3. Children
Paul gives this instruction to children in his epistle to the Ephesians:
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” — this is the first commandment with a promise: “so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3, NRSV)
You never stop being the child of parents. For example, in Matthew 15:1-9, Jesus criticized the religious leaders for being hypocrites by not honoring their older parents. These religious leaders were giving the money to the temple that could have been used to support their elderly parents. This outraged Jesus, because they were using a religious practice to dishonor their parents and break one of the Ten Commandments. If course it is up to the parents to bring children up with the proper teaching and discipline, and train their kids to show respect to them and any adults.
More on this topic of marriage and the family in a future post.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Guidelines for Families – Part 2
This is the second in a series of posts on marriage and the family.
III. Paul’s Guidelines
After that introduction in the first post in this series, I want to take a look at the instructions God gives thru Paul to wives, husbands, children, parents, and servants. Even if you aren’t a wife, husband, child, parent or servant, many of the principles can be applied to your other relationships. I’ll put these instructions in the context of the culture of that day, will identify the underlying principles, and apply them to life today. In general, the principles behind this and similar passages about family ties are harmony, mutual love, mutual respect, and mutual submission.
1. Wives
Regarding wives, Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians:
Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands. (Ephesians 5:22-24, NRSV)
These instructions seem outdated and even harsh to modern-day Americans. So let’s look at the cultural context of these controversial passages about wives submitting to husbands. In Greek and Roman households of that day, the husband was the head of the household with absolute authority, and he was also a priest. Every house had a shrine to one or more of the gods, and the husband led various kinds of prayers and worship in the home. You can see those shrines or altars in the ruins of houses in Pompey.
In these roles, the man of the house was called the paterfamilias. I believe that Paul wrote what he did to wives to keep order in the family, and to not disrupt family life as it was in that culture. He may have also written these instructions to protect women who had converted to Christianity. If a woman rebelled against the absolute authority of the paterfamilias, it could be very difficult for her.
Placing this passage in an American context where there is no paterfamilias, I believe the principle is for wives to honor and respect their husbands. Again, the aims are for harmony, mutual love, mutual respect, and mutual submission within the Christian household.
More on this topic in a future post.
III. Paul’s Guidelines
After that introduction in the first post in this series, I want to take a look at the instructions God gives thru Paul to wives, husbands, children, parents, and servants. Even if you aren’t a wife, husband, child, parent or servant, many of the principles can be applied to your other relationships. I’ll put these instructions in the context of the culture of that day, will identify the underlying principles, and apply them to life today. In general, the principles behind this and similar passages about family ties are harmony, mutual love, mutual respect, and mutual submission.
1. Wives
Regarding wives, Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians:
Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands. (Ephesians 5:22-24, NRSV)
These instructions seem outdated and even harsh to modern-day Americans. So let’s look at the cultural context of these controversial passages about wives submitting to husbands. In Greek and Roman households of that day, the husband was the head of the household with absolute authority, and he was also a priest. Every house had a shrine to one or more of the gods, and the husband led various kinds of prayers and worship in the home. You can see those shrines or altars in the ruins of houses in Pompey.
In these roles, the man of the house was called the paterfamilias. I believe that Paul wrote what he did to wives to keep order in the family, and to not disrupt family life as it was in that culture. He may have also written these instructions to protect women who had converted to Christianity. If a woman rebelled against the absolute authority of the paterfamilias, it could be very difficult for her.
Placing this passage in an American context where there is no paterfamilias, I believe the principle is for wives to honor and respect their husbands. Again, the aims are for harmony, mutual love, mutual respect, and mutual submission within the Christian household.
More on this topic in a future post.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Guidelines for Families – Part 1
I. Introduction
We just celebrated Mother’s Day in the United States. It got me thinking about families in general, and how difficult it is to sustain a marriage and be a parent. About half of all marriages end up in divorce in the U.S., and the culture isn’t helping any. In this series of posts I’d like to examine the biblical guidelines for marriage and the family found the the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus.
II. Families Under Attack
In my opinion, families are under attack in western society. For example, men are portrayed unfavorably in some TV sitcoms: Homer Simpson, Two and a Half Men, and others. Admittedly some men fit these stereotypes, but TV shouldn’t reinforce them. Back in the day we had positive role models to emulate, such as Jim Anderson on “Father Knows Best”, Ward Cleaver on “Leave It to Beaver”, Danny Thomas on “Make Room for Daddy”, and Ozzie Nelson (not Ozzie Osborne) on “Ozzie and Harriett”. In addition, the media mocks traditional values, encourages instant gratification, and negatively influences children. The voices of parents – even if they do spend time with their kids – are drowned out by TV, movies, magazines, peer pressure, and other influences.
So marriage and families are under pressure, but we have to remember that God instituted marriage and gave us guidelines for it. Like us, God is relational. God wants to have a relationship with us, and wants us to have good and appropriate relationships with others. That’s why there’s so much about loving one another in the Bible. If the relationship with God isn’t there, our other relationships will not be optimal because we will find it much more difficult to love.
More on this topic in future posts.
We just celebrated Mother’s Day in the United States. It got me thinking about families in general, and how difficult it is to sustain a marriage and be a parent. About half of all marriages end up in divorce in the U.S., and the culture isn’t helping any. In this series of posts I’d like to examine the biblical guidelines for marriage and the family found the the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus.
II. Families Under Attack
In my opinion, families are under attack in western society. For example, men are portrayed unfavorably in some TV sitcoms: Homer Simpson, Two and a Half Men, and others. Admittedly some men fit these stereotypes, but TV shouldn’t reinforce them. Back in the day we had positive role models to emulate, such as Jim Anderson on “Father Knows Best”, Ward Cleaver on “Leave It to Beaver”, Danny Thomas on “Make Room for Daddy”, and Ozzie Nelson (not Ozzie Osborne) on “Ozzie and Harriett”. In addition, the media mocks traditional values, encourages instant gratification, and negatively influences children. The voices of parents – even if they do spend time with their kids – are drowned out by TV, movies, magazines, peer pressure, and other influences.
So marriage and families are under pressure, but we have to remember that God instituted marriage and gave us guidelines for it. Like us, God is relational. God wants to have a relationship with us, and wants us to have good and appropriate relationships with others. That’s why there’s so much about loving one another in the Bible. If the relationship with God isn’t there, our other relationships will not be optimal because we will find it much more difficult to love.
More on this topic in future posts.
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