I just got my new Spring 2009 issue of Faith and Economics, a journal from the Association of Christian Economists, of which I am a student member (which means I don’t really pay).
Kenneth G. Elzinga and Matthew R. Givens have a paper on Christianity and Hayek.
They define economic liberty (per Hayek, 1960) as the “state [...]
In conversations about difficult topics it is important to share definitions. Capitalism is a word of many meanings.
In this conversation I lay out a defense of what I consider pure Capitalism and how Christians ought to behave among themselves, and what positions they ought to advocate – if any – in public policy debates. I [...]
Kids often fight over things which were gifts from their parents.
Suppose I slice a cake into several (unequal) pieces, and distribute them to my children. Now, this is cake mind you, not bread, not water. It is a pure bonus. Dessert. So I dole out the cake. It is quite likely that an argument will [...]
We have to be careful in public conversations involving the word “altruism.”
Many sciences employ this word particularly in cases of reciprocal altruism. One recent conversation cited several journal articles on biological reciprocal altruism. One involved warblers. Good on ‘em.
I would never deny that nature demonstrates reciprocal altruism. I think it is unfortunate that the word [...]
The Common Sense Atheist wants atheists to promote evidence-based thinking, but also to recognize many Christians have strong emotional and relational investments in their beliefs.
I’d like to see those emotional ties attached to self-interested motives removed from the reasons why many of us maintain our Christianity.
The quote, with my thoughts in italics:
For example, let me [...]
From a conversation at Common Root, my thoughts:
Men are constantly trying to justify a collective which imposes claims upon the lives of its members. My thinking on this line is informed by Ayn Rand (of all people!) but I think it meshes quite well with the Hauerwasian thesis.
Any time two people come together there is [...]
I gave a Bible to my friend Meredith in high school. It was a Life Application Bible, NKJV. I remember that and it was 13-14 years ago.
Nevermind the signaling involved in buying a friend a $50 Bible, it means something to give someone a Bible.
Even a vocal atheist can be touched by such a gesture:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM[/youtube]
Alexander and I have been talking. So far we’ve agreed on the following:
1. We have agreed that purely voluntary governments may have a right to exist. But this really challenges our definition of government. If it is merely an association for collective action, yet remains voluntary, there is no reason to quibble. What introduces compromise [...]
Sam points out that:
(Some) Christians really need to start being honest about what taking anti-gay marriage positions mean: they hate gays.
Many Christians are just plain selfish on this issue. They believe that America is prosperous because it is a Christian nation. They believe God smiles on us. They fear that if wicked behavior becomes legal [...]
Sojourners’ God’s Politics Blog inspired this comment:
You can tell whether a religion is close to Christianity by whether it rejects the use of force, and whether it marries itself to the state.
Most manifestations of Chirstiandom make the same errors that Islam does in these two respects. While affirming Jesus, they pick and chose among His [...]