Tag: debt
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Prudent but not puritan (Religion and Spending)
Economist: Prudent but not puritan … After using a lot of fancy statistical tools, they came up with some expected findings, and some rather unexpected ones. Households "with a strong commitment to faith"— demonstrated by higher spending on religious activities—are less likely to be weighed down by excessive mortgage outgoings or loan payments for cars.…
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US incomes fall to 1989 levels. How did that happen?
Christian Science Monitor: US incomes fall to 1989 levels. How did that happen? A Census report signals that for much of America, the economic downturn has produced not one lost decade but two. But the data also show that federal safety-net programs helped keep people out of poverty. … … Economists haven't reached a consensus…
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The Milquetoast Radicals – David Brooks
New York Times: The Milquetoast Radicals … Take the Occupy Wall Street movement. This uprising was sparked by the magazine Adbusters, previously best known for the 2004 essay, “Why Won’t Anyone Say They Are Jewish?” — an investigative report that identified some of the most influential Jews in America and their nefarious grip on policy.…
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Burden of student loans squeezing grads
New York Times: Burden of student loans squeezing grads In some circles, student debt is known as the anti-dowry. Student loan debt outpaced credit card debt for the first time last year and is likely to top a trillion dollars this year as more students go to college and a growing share borrow money to…
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MEC: Solutions
Chapter 30 in Everything Must Change is titled "Organized Religions or Religion Organizing the Common Good?" He identifies seven categories of development economics. Summarizing: Trade First, we have to live within environmental limits. Second, integrate free trade with fair trade. Third, we need to make it easier for people to grow small businesses. This will…
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God’s Politics: Why Jim Wallis Doesn’t Get it Either
[I am away at the General Assembly Council Meetings of the PCUSA with little time to write. So here is a rerun from December 14, 2005. I should also point out that by identifying myself as a theistic evolutionist in my post yesterday, I probably annoyed some of my conservative friends. This article is my…
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The 12 Biggest Money Mistakes
The 12 Biggest Money Mistakes is a Suze Orman piece about what not to do with your money that I thought was pretty good. I had a college professor who said that if you wanted to become rich, you only needed to do two things (assuming a job, of course): Never own a car and…
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Young dream-seekers strapped by debt
Tony Campolo used to preach that God expects us to contribute 10% of our yearly income to throw a party with God. The real question is, what will you do with the other 90% of God's money? I hear a lot about preaching stewardship in our churches which usually translates into a plan for getting…
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As We Forgive Our Debtors
Yours truly has been quoted in the Christian Science Monitor in an article called "As we forgive our debtors." Reporter Jeff McDonald did an hour-long phone interview with me about a week ago. I always hold my breath because you never know what will end up in print. I like the article; he accurately reported…