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Speaking Out

Pity for a Devastated Wall Street

The difficulty in times like this is treating the powerful with justice.

John Mark Reynolds | posted 10/02/2008 02:35PM

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The founders of our nation knew this, but we are sometimes in danger of forgetting it. Media often mock the moral or are bored with moderation and then are shocked when immoral or immoderate men threaten the culture by their wickedness.

Today then is a good day to look with pity on those whose dreams have failed. We should pray for those whose lives have been devastated as surely as victims of a hurricane. Many of the hurting had no more responsibility for their failure than the devastated homeowner who took the risk of building or purchasing a house in a flood zone. Both risked and both failed and it is only human to feel sorry for their failure. We should pray for justice for the wicked who exploit the honest and innocent.

Most of all, we should be thankful for our liberty, even the liberty to fail.

John Mark Reynolds is the founder and director of the Torrey Honors Institute and associate professor of philosophy at Biola University. This article first appeared on his blog, Scriptorium Daily.

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Christianity Today has special sections on the economic crisis and money & business.

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October (Web-only) 2008, Vol. 52

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Unaffiliated Voter

Posted: October 03, 2008 6:07 PM


"Christians voted for Bush because they thought he was there to serve God" I'm praying that we don't get snookered again. http://christiansvoteobama.org

Jason

Posted: October 03, 2008 1:56 PM

As Christians generally know, Wall Street is part of the Babylonian system described in the Book of Revelation, which will be destroyed suddenly by Yahweh Himself. "All the nations have been intoxicated by the wine of her prostitution; every king in the earth has committed fornication with her, and every merchant grown rich through her debauchery" (18:1-3). That is why the current problem is international in scope. Christians are exhorted to "Come out of her my people, away from her, so that you do not share in her crimes.. Her sins have reached up to heaven.. she is to be paid in her own coin.. she will be burned right up.." The terrible tragedies of Iraq and Palestine have still to be paid for at the source of the violent warmaking, killing and oppression. The whorish politicians (18:3) of both the Democratic and Republican Parties have been bought and paid for by the Wall Street-AIPAC-shekellocratic anti-Christian cabal for years and years.

Lars	Posted: October 03, 2008 9:03 AM

We have become a system where "the "economy" is actually considered a business. There are a number of people arrogant enough to believe that they are actually in charge of controlling it and managing it. This dates back to Keynes and prior. God has put each of us in charge of one economy- our own. And in the end, that is the only one that matters. His laws and guidelines allow us to take care of our families and interact with others with integrity, making mutually beneficial decisions to make our respective livings. When we surrender our assets (investing in other people's businesses) we put our own economies at risk. What those entrusted with the funds have done is horrible and sinful. Look back to the early 1900's for a long train of insidious legislation that was designed to devalue our currency and destabilize our economy. I have no pity for the designers of the program. I do feel badly for the many pawns in the game- and yes, are many well-intentioned Christians.

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