For most of us, who attend church regularly the connection between ‘Sin and Damnation’ has been well established, just as the remedy “Christ dying on behalf of Sinners, in order to escape Damnation is equally propounded from the pulpit, week-in and week-out (and rightly so).
Yet, dare I say that there’s a tragic neglect in our churches of the economic devastation sin causes. That is to say the connection between ‘Sin and Poverty’ is never mentioned. (Perhaps because Bible Colleges are busy teaching Theology and not Economics)
And sadly, the same could be said of secular Universities, where Economics is taught. But their benighted worldview, which is inherently Atheist, precludes them from considering the relationship between moral behavior and wealth, or the lack of it, poverty.
Quiet astounding really, that Universities where seminal minds abound, they never ask the question; “Why are Western nations wealthy, and non-Western nations poor?
Sin and Poverty, The Nexus
The temporal and far reaching consequences of sin, were laid bare to me, in a book that I read recently ‘Truth & Transformation’ by Vishal Mangalwadi a native of India.
He relates an anecdote from his first visit to a dairy farm in Holland. At the invitation of his Dutch host they went to the local dairy to buy milk. Vishal totally unfamiliar with Dutch dairies was amazed that after filling his canister with milk, his host reached for his wallet placed 20 guilders (before the advent of Euros) in the tin and withdrew 18 guilders change, and then placed the tin back on the shelf.
A transaction unsurprising for those of us born before the 1960-70s, and to the younger generation a foolish one, which is predicated on misplaced trust. But completely astounding to Vishal, who hails from India. Astonishing, for the reason I’ll explain in just a moment.
At this time, he did not make the connection between Holland’s honesty system and its consequence; prosperity. But that was about to change.
Once I was blind, but now I see.
He related this incident to a friend, on his return to India, who responded by saying something like ‘The Dutch are stupid, if I’d been there I would’ve taken the milk, the money and the tin’.
Let me explain, why “Thou shall not steal” creates both personal and national, wealth, using Vishal’s story.
Let’s work through a hypothetical scenario, step by step where stealing is a societal norm.
Back at the dairy, since visitors are stealing the money from the tin, the farmer needs to employ a sales assistant to take the money, to stop it from being stolen.
However, the sales assistant doesn’t work for nothing, he or she needs to be paid.
Automatically if the farmer is to remain viable he needs to increase the price of the milk to pay for the extra wage.
But it goes further the farm thinks the consumer is ripping him off, so he dilutes the milk with water (another form of stealing). The consumer in turn requires safe guards so the government employs a milk inspector. To pay the milk inspector, our personal taxes will need to increase.
But seeing that the farmer, nor the consumer are honest, why would we expect the inspector to be honest? He could demand a bribe from the farmer, otherwise he won’t certify the milk as pure, then the milk will curdle and the farmer suffer loss. So the farmer pays up, and passes on the cost of the bribe to the consumer.
By the time supply chain has been paid for, the price of milk has risen substantially, and we are paying the onerous burden of sin, which is impoverishing us.
Remove the bribes, the inspector and the sales assistant, and the price of goods will fall dramatically, we’re all richer and with the extra cash we go and buy, something else. Chocolate topping for a milkshake sounds good, which will employ people in another industry that makes the syrup. This grows personal wealth, the economy and national prosperity.
To Sum Up
Nations which have applied God’s moral law to their social structures, or nations which have not directly received it, but nonetheless apply the same principles it embodies, have become prosperous. While nations where corruption is endemic, where theft is acceptable and where there is no recourse in law to injustice, poverty blights that nation.
“Thou shall not steal” is not a restriction of our personal freedom, on the contrary it brings financial freedom.
Vic Matthews, has three degrees B.Optom, B.Arts & B. Christian Studies. He is a kiteboard tragic, who now works as a Christian Copywriter. He can be found at http://trustworthycopywriter.com/writing-services/christian-copywriter/
Vic Matthews' previous articles may be viewed http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/vic-matthews.html