The Economic Repercussions of Hurricane Katrina

Perhaps the United States will stop taking its economic prosperity for granted now? After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack the economy took a huge hit. It looks like the same thing will happen in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and possibly worse. The Roman Empire only lasted one thousand years. How long will our great nation last? I recall the famous words of President Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address asking whether any nation dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal can long endure civil war?

There is a cultural battle going on for the hearts and souls of Americans. While we do believe in the principle of religious freedom for all denominations and religions in this nation, that does not mean that we ought to allow godlessness and materialism to rule or that we have to become a totally secularized society.

Total lassez faire capitalism says that whatever makes a profit is acceptable so long as it is legal. That means that as long as vices are legal then moral and ethical issues are irrelevant. Should pornography be legal? After all, it erodes the foundations of the traditional family and ruins the lives of the actors and actresses employed in the industry. Should abortion be legal since it destroys the life of a human being on the way into this world? Even the abortion industry is profitable for the doctors and other employees who make a financial gain from the plight of women with unwanted pregnancies. Should we ignore the environment and those in poverty simply for financial gain? What about the future generations who will follow us?

These are questions worth asking. What would God have us do?

Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” [1]
[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.