First he called it a “pro-poor budgetâ€; now he calls it an “empowering national budgetâ€.
Read in the papers that the President calls the PhP2.006 trillion national budget “…an instrument to give the common man the power to control and improve his life…â€
I find three items in the General Appropriations Act of 2013 that wouldn’t fit my simple definition of “control and power over how to improve one’s lifeâ€, these items are:
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• PhP8.4 billion allocation to programs and projects proposed by local officials
• PhP17.5 billion allocation to local government units
• PhP44.2 billion allocation to the conditional cash transfer program
Bullet number 1 is controlled by local officials and politicians while bullet number 2 is the same dog with a different collar. Bullet number 3, it is like – I play the music and you dance.
For bullet number 1, a local government unit proposes a project to the Palace and the Palace grants. Will the Palace favors one local government unit from another? Is that a question?
For bullet number 2, the delivery of that allocation is delayed or fast-tracked depending on which side of the fence you are in.
For bullet number 3, they say it is promoting a “culture of dependencyâ€. Why are they doing it? Because it is easier to give “dole-outs†than to fix, for example, our problem on joblessness with the recent National Statistics Office (NSO) figures at 2.8 million unemployed people.
[Photo courtesy TreeHugger.com.]
All bullets are “popular†budgeting move; designed to create waves and a lot of noise.
The budget secretary was quoted and he identified two factors that will “…support the economic upswing we have enjoyed this year…†and these two are: pre-election infrastructure spending by local government units (from bullets 1 and 2); and, “the feverish spending for the May 2013 electionsâ€.
Popular and short-sighted.
I wish it is as simple as saying that all we need is a good economy and this starts with jobs for everyone or at least for the majority. Jobs come from business and from investments. I wish it is as simple as saying that we need to attract investments and investors with the government coming up with sound policies and regulations and not be tempted to change business and economic policies and regulations midway just because that move or change is “popularâ€.
I wish the government would stop dancing; or making us dance.
Well, isn’t it that the key to life is going back to basics; making things and solutions simpler?
You want to empower me? Give me a job.
Teach me how to fish.
Do not teach me how to dougie to your music.
I am working with a large-scale mining company that adheres to responsible mining and sustainable development principles.
What is wrong with serving the poor? The Bible is very clear that we must serve and help the poor.
Luke 14:13, 14
“If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”
I am tired of you “fake Christians” who just talk about being a Catholic or a Christian yet do not do what their Bible says is required of them. You can’t just talk the talk you need to walk the walk.
Do you even know your own Bible? Why don’t actually spend time on reading it and following it. Okay, and no cherry picking the good parts only while ignoring the parts that don’t agree with your world view (like Trosp saying its okay to be Muslim, Hindu, etc.).
One last time people:
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
It does not get any more clear than that. ONLY through Jesus can you attain salvation. Not Buddha, Allah, Blue Hindu Gods, morality, etc. Jesus only okay. John 14:6.
God Bless.
And I’m tired of “fake Christians” like yourself who never see the bigger picture. I’m all for that “helping the poor” stuff but we need to change their mindset
No wonder why this nation as a basketcase. That’s why we cannot move forward as a country. BTW, you don’t want them to help themselves?
God bless. Oh yeah, you’re sarcastic. 🙂
Vergil,
Obama is doing the same thing yet many of you call him a visionary.
Under Obama:
1. Historical Record EBT (free food) issuance
2. Historical Record Unemployment benefits
3. Historical Record Disability Benefits. When you exceed you unemployment benefits, you can apply for disability. Bill Clinton made it difficult but Obama took away all the barriers that we have not seen more “disabled” people in the USA in history.
4. Pro-poor and anti-Rich (productive people) tax policy.
5. Unwilling to make meaningful cuts to entitlement spending despite trillion dollar budget deficits leading to gov’t insolvency before 2020 unless meaningful budget cuts are made soon.
So if Obama does creates a culture of dependence it is okay but if Noynoy does it is not okay? You can’t have it both ways.
Socialism is the new I-Phone. Socialism has never been more cool. Deal with it or move to the Cayman Islands.
“Obama is doing the same thing yet many of you call him a visionary.”
For the record; not me.
Speaking of socialism, most of Noynoy’s cabinet and his supporters are composed of socialists. So you’re not making any sense either. 😛
“Socialism has never been more cool.”
A system that punishes those who produce for the sake of palamunin leeches cannot possibly be considered just.
You’re such a hypocrite. Helping the poor you say while you drown yourself with outrageously priced coffee praying comfortably at starbucks. Has it occured to you that the characters called pharisees in the bible fit your description?
Alconce,
I do not understand your hostility towards Starbucks. It makes for a great venue for Bible Study. The place is clean, air conditioned, and has wi-fi. The coffee may be expensive but have you considered all the employment that Starbucks creates out of their success?
As for our tithe system, fear not for it all goes to a good cause. We shall be doing missionary work in Vietnam and Malaysia in the next few months. All of this would not be possible without the donations of our church members who understand that “to those much hath been given, much is expected.â€
Despite your antagonistic posts, you are welcome to join us. If Jesus can love his enemies, I can certainly do the same for you. We must not only talk the talk but also walk the walk.
God bless.
And, see you at Starbucks 🙂
I hope you’re sarcastic. There’s even a smoking area in there. So your loss.
I just hope the mods will delete his comments. They’re all spam.
@ Pastor Ernie
Your response to @Alconce showed a lot of arrogance for somebody making his living out of peoples kindness to you and your family. Consider that Starbucks coffee is not your average Joe’s coffee I’m quite sure most member of your congregation can not afford to have.
As a pastor, you don’t show the sensitivity and respect to the people that give their hard earned money to support you and your family.
“pastor”; I’ve known people like you all my life: Self-important and self-righteous people who’s desire to control others is covered with a veneer of holiness. Still, you have the right to voice your opinion. At least it gives others the opportunity to understand what type of person you represent.
T4Man,
And more importantly, it gives others to learn about the teaching of Christ and that he was sacrificed for our sins so that we may enter the kingdom of heaven.
But, T4Man, if there is something I hope people will remember, that is JOHN 14:6. Jesus only okay? No Buddah, Allah, Hindu Vishnu, Morality, etc. To deny JOHN 14:6 is to call Jesus a liar.
He’s a liar? HEESALAYER? Got it? No Jesus is not a liar. That is why John 14:6 is the truth: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
God bless.
I’ll just do that in a more sensical manner than for trolling purposes. So… your point.
Oh yeah, just want to remind you: fact you are also the same guy who said this –
“Well I was using old spoof nicks all the time. So old folks like you, benign0, Toro, etc knew all along what was up.
I am still flabbergasted why so many Pinoys don’t appreciate satire and sarcasm. Sometimes you can make a point more devastatingly effective that way.
Oh well, back to life. Until the next Philippine catastrophe. Have fun guys. The Philippines will remain a shit hole and there is only one solution: GET THE F*** OUT.
Peace.”
The damage is done, mewling quim. The damage is done.
Virgil,
I challenge you with a single verse from the Bible, John 14:6:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
This verse is crystal clear. Only through Jesus can we attain salvation.
This is what I stand for. And what is your counter argument? Nothing! All you can come up with is an old post from a troll?
Seriously dude. I challenge you to counter my argument. Please discuss the implications of John 14:6 ! Is it not clear that its Jesus or damnation.
Next time you pray, remember John 14:6
God bless.
I remember John 14:6 and I will never use that to TROLL on someone else. But this is all about the situation in the country and yet your dragging your nonsense as a comment? And yes, I’ll label you as a TROLL because you never put things on perspective. Oh yeah, I’ll just use it as for real-life perspective, not pretenders.
Oh yeah, here’s my counter-argument. It’s not about John 14:6. It’s about WHAT YOU’VE DONE:
“Well I was using old spoof nicks all the time. So old folks like you, benign0, Toro, etc knew all along what was up.
I am still flabbergasted why so many Pinoys don’t appreciate satire and sarcasm. Sometimes you can make a point more devastatingly effective that way.
Oh well, back to life. Until the next Philippine catastrophe. Have fun guys. The Philippines will remain a shit hole and there is only one solution: GET THE F*** OUT.
Peace.â€
Next time you pray, stop being a pretender. You’re now exposed.
God bless.
Still you cannot counter John 14:6
Why? Because you cannot and so you resort to personal attacks.
Have I personally attacked you? No. I will not. In fact, like Jesus, I offer you my other cheek to slap.
God bless.
@Pastor Ernie:
Well, I can never counter it but do you know about the verse that says “Those who have no sin should cast the first stone”? Actually, you are personally attacking everyone by your anti-intellectual comments, glorifying mediocrity and stupidity. Who would cringe on that?
Don’t tell me you don’t believe that. So I can go on like this:
t’s about WHAT YOU’VE DONE:
“Well I was using old spoof nicks all the time. So old folks like you, benign0, Toro, etc knew all along what was up.
I am still flabbergasted why so many Pinoys don’t appreciate satire and sarcasm. Sometimes you can make a point more devastatingly effective that way.
Oh well, back to life. Until the next Philippine catastrophe. Have fun guys. The Philippines will remain a shit hole and there is only one solution: GET THE F*** OUT.
Peace.â€
Stop being a fraud. You did that a few months ago and I say “Enough is enough.” God bless.
I have no argument with you Pastor in serving the poor.
I did not say do not help the poor. I didn’t say that.
I said teach the poor “how to fish”.
Long-term solutions.
Even modern economics says that “a culture of dependency” is not the key to development.
We need sustainable development and not “band-aid” solutions such as dole-outs.
God bless you too.
Cheers.
There is a qoutation that goes something like this;
“Teach a man how to fish and he won’t be hungry in his lifetime. Teach a man how to pray and and he will wait for that fish to come till he starves to death.”
@Pastor
You post the wrong quote from the Bible. the verse you posted is from Matt 19:21. Even if Luke 14:13-14 speaks of helping the poor, which is within the context of what you’re saying, as a pastor, you shouldn’t wrongly cite. Moreover, Biblegateway.com is just one google away, so you’re not excused 🙂
BTW, Ever read of 2 Thess 3:6-12?
It’s not enough to help the poor, we have to help them to be self-sufficient and to be productive. We shouldn’t encourage the rise of palamunin :->
…. maybe that is why Persinoynoy is giving Mindanao to Murad and Jaffar’s troops and political allies ???
“If Jesus is the son of god, but also god himself, then he supposedly sacrificed himself to himself to save what he created from himself. He also, therefore, prayed to himself and begged himself not to require himself be crucified in order to appease himself and save the world from the wrath of himself.†– Anonymous
Your god must be tooo narcissistic and insecure about getting the attention of others.
Dear Pastor,
I sincerely believe in God and the Bible. But let me refer to what had been statistically (as fact) published. The Philippines is the only “Christian” nation in the Far East.
All religions in this country are so amazingly consistent in preaching about “repentance of sins”, “salvation”, and whatever so called “righteousness” for over a century now. However, have you ever observed (by looking outside the box of your dogmas) that the Filipino moral values have already collapsed as what ex-Senator Saguisag have said before, and that most Filipinos are becoming more and more arrogantly haters of the laws and rules?
Looking at the real world reality, what more souls are there to save if peoples’ values are becoming more and more nauseatingly heinous while religious leaders like you keep on babbling the same “repentance and salvation” doctrine like animated cartoon characters?
Pastor ernie is a trolling bigot. Wag niyo na siyang pansinin. You are just fuelling his idiocy.
If “kindness is your goal†are you sure what you are doing is actually a kindness? Giving someone sustenance rather than giving them the opportunity and freedom to earn it for themselves is slavery, not kindness.
15% of discretionary funds at the disposal of congressman and senators lack any proper accounting. They are considered “unspecified†because of the lack of information about the projects the money is used for. Deputy House Speaker Lorenzo Tanada III justified this by saying detailing all the information “becomes too tedious†for the barangays.
Politicians at the Provincial and Municipal levels regularly grant contracts to family or friends rather than going through a proper bidding process. This seems to be well-known but there are few prosecutions and even fewer convictions.
It’s not an easy thing to correct because it’s “hard coded” into the culture. People get elected because the electorate thinks they can somehow profit rather than thinking about the collective good.
I have a problem with the “sin tax” bill also because I see it as nothing more than another way for the gov’t to collect more revenue and the claims of “health benefits” are insincere.
The Philippines is one of the least “business friendly” countries in the world. Redundant layers of bureaucracy, graft, inefficient workers and poor transportation are the leading causes. As long as the government siphons money from the private sector and provides anti-competition protection for the “big boys” poverty and unemployment will remain a problem.
It is just kind of amusing and healthy to perk up my morning.
I talk about numbers in the budget and someone gives me verses in the Bible.
No offense meant Pastor. Yes, I don’t know my Bible that much, nowadays. I am a sinner, I admit.
I spent 3 and a half years in a Catholic seminary and back then I could definitely debate with Bible verses and their meaning. Heck, we spent one semester studying one verse alone.
But my points in my posting is not to argue with Christian or Catholic teachings, nor with Obama.
My points:
1) To help the poor – dole-outs, they are never a long-term solution
2) To help the poor, we cannot rely on short-term economic activities like “feverish spending during elections” (Btw, I have studied a little about our national budget and check the records, every election year the government either increases its budget with a very big percentage or re-enacts its budget with supplemental funds)
3) To help the poor, it is dangerous to rely mainly from projects coming out of political favors
4) To help the poor, help the poor help themselves (improve and stabilize the economy with practical and working policies, jobs, investments, long-term economic activities)
Miner,
God works in mysterious ways. Even if you left the seminary, I am confident that it is all part of God’s divine plan. We are all serving a grand purpose that will, in time, be revealed.
Now, let me ask you, if Jesus had control of the budget, what would HE do? Would he redistribute wealth and be generous to the poor? Or would he be a pro-business free market capitalist?
You don’t need to be an expert in the Bible to know that Jesus is a basically a socialist.
God bless.
Fact: Socialists are always pro-poor yet doesn’t know about the principles of LIBERTY and FREEDOM. They’re always on EQUALITY but on the wrong perspectives.
Please reconsider. God bless. 😛
@ Pastor
So now we are labelling what type of person Jesus is?
A Socialist? Capitalist? Communist? Democrat? Republican?
Wow Pastor, just wow!
I would argue that “jesus” would not support any form of government as it presently exists because most, if not all, are self serving to those in power. The “contributions” to those below are all for show to gather support from “blind sheep” who take what they can get.
None of it works. Look at Europe and America. It is great that they give social security to their people but that has now broken their backs because they are no longer able to support the system that relies on a greater population of younger working population supporting the retired population.
Before the ratio was 1:5 but the present is now like 1:3. It is an unsustainable system that will never work. It is not about being a capilatist, or socialist. It is about being realistic.
Luke 3:11
And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.â€
I am getting tired of you fake Christians not knowing your own Bible. I haven presented you Solid Biblical quotes and not a single person can refute them. Why? Because you cannot. So you resort to personal attacks.
Who is the troll now?
God bless.
Sphynx:
If any government that Jesus supports that would be THEOCRACY.
And PE, if someone here who is a ‘fake Christian’, it was YOU. And of course, YOU are the troll because your comments are purely nonsensical and out of context. 😛
@Pastor
I was a Christian. I never claimed I still am now. This is the release why I have knowledge of the bible but I never claimed such.
You are adding words to my statements. Sad Sad pastor.
Actually, it appears you do not know your own Bible. You are picking the quotes. Specific quotes that you want to be acknowledged word for word.
If you go by that logic, then Noah and Adam and Eve should be word for word as well right?
Cheers pastor! I am not trolling, I am responding to your illogical statement.
Is it personal when we are simply saying you should stop preaching here to people who have different beliefs than you? No! But you persist and we are just telling to STFU!
@ PAstor
If you keep the discussion only at this level then I am pretty much hopeless but to stick with your level.
This level of mysterious ways includes but is not limited because of his omnipotent/omniscient power. He knows what will happen before it happens and can choose to prevent it from happening.
As such we have the following that were caused by this mysterious power:
1) Black Plague
2) Mass extinction of dinosaurs
3) small pox/polio
4) AIDS/HIV
5) Holocaust
6) Terrorist attacks in any shape or form
7) Suffering/Death in general (unnatural death is what I mean hear like murder, accidents, illness with the exception of old age)
8) Wars and natural disasters
Hooray!
And I would never be surprised if that guy says the Holocaust is a ‘blessing from God’. I would say that’s preposterous. 🙂
Also, he’s the same guy who’s sharing conspiracy theories and such. 😛
@Vergil
Haha! Yeah I think he would twist any word to suit his need and claim something for what it isn’t.
Anyway, for those who may misunderstand, no I am not attacking the Catholic/Christian belief.
I am simply putting Pastor Ernie in his place or at least trying as he just doesn’t want to STFU.
If he wanted a healthy mature discussion, then by all means, he is welcome to it. But as time went on, he just proved he wasn’t up to it and I just had to interject already.
He wanted word for word Bible doctrines in the mix and when I do reply with word for word interpretations he doesn’t reply and avoid it.
Again, I’d reiterate here. He wanted the John 14:6 to stand on its own and be literally interpreted and the main argument with that mindset is just that he basically damned everyone before Jesus and the existence of the Bible and the “church”.
Also, with the Luke 14:13,14, if we go by it literally then the Pastor has failed. Heck, he holds meeting in the expensive Starbucks instead of opting for 3 in 1 and using the excess funds meant for starbucks for charity,. right? He wanted to be literal and we are just being literal with him.
Cheers people! And HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Funny argument Pastor. Jesus is a socialist? Hmm. Really?
God bless you.
@ The Miner
Metaphorically speaking, serving the poor is socialism but material poverty is not the only thing the Bible is talking about. It speaks primarily of spiritual poverty, oppression, isolation and injustice.
Beware the false teachers (somewhere in the book of Jude). XD
LA702, Pastor doesn’t seem to see goodness beyond the corporal works of mercy.
About this article:
A state, realistically, cannot be a free market entirely, for the rich get richer and the poor get poorer to the extent that they have lost all means to contribute to the economy; leading to the loss of intellectual capital. It cannot be a welfare state entirely either, since it is the case that the lazy prey on the industrious; lagging the economy with an institutionalized parasitism. This article is a classic sample of addressing the case of the constant clashing of the free market (industry, work, employment) and the welfare state (charity, relief goods, socialism).
And so I raise this question: in what areas of Philippine society and to what extent must a free market thrive? A welfare state?
I’m not interested in your fundamentalist opinion, Pastor Ernie.
I am for teaching the poor how to fish. It is more acceptable than the palliative mendicancy program of the current yellow administration. But then, BS Aquino is teaching all of us examples. Examples that should not be emulated.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/commentary/item/8391-dirty-politics-played-in-tuwid-na-daan
http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/headlines/item/8421-cj-sereno-fires-court-psychologists
Points to consider.
1. In reality, we can’t have every able-bodied and unemployed person get a job.(given there are other factors on not getting a job like qualification and unemployment will always exists)and at most cases, the job is way underpaid.
2. Doling out the poor is a good way for the tax payer in “helping the poor” who can’t find no means at all.
3. If you think dole-outs given to the poor with taxpayer money is not well-managed, might as well do it yourself.(charity works)
4.Of course you can teach a man how to fish the only question is, can everyone be able to get fish when they have learned how to fish given that the pond(opportunities)is small? Or is it better that we also teach them and also give what we can considering some have a surplus amount of fish(riches) to begin with?
Applying both charity & self-help works better than applying just one of them.
I Tim.6:17-19
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
Eph.4:28
“Let him that STOLE:but rather let him LABOUR, WORKING with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.”
Jesus a socialist? Next we know the imposition of a socialist system on our state is justified because it is the lord’s Will. Pastor I will tell this to your face Jesus had no particular affiliation and no amount sweet talking in your part will not hide the fact that your sweet words have poison in them. Truth be told your are interpreting the Good Book according to your will not God’s will. Hmph, false teacher…..
Points considered,
1. In reality, we can’t have every able-bodied and unemployed person get a job.(given there are other factors on not getting a job like qualification and unemployment will always exists)and at most cases, the job is way underpaid.
– Yes we can give every able-bodied and unemployed person get a job (or a business opportunity). It can happen in a municipality – lets work from there.
2. Doling out the poor is a good way for the tax payer in “helping the poor†who can’t find no means at all.
– Doling is a good way but it is not the best way (not sustainable as well).
3. If you think dole-outs given to the poor with taxpayer money is not well-managed, might as well do it yourself.(charity works)
– Same answer as above. Dole-out is good but not sustainable.
4.Of course you can teach a man how to fish the only question is, can everyone be able to get fish when they have learned how to fish given that the pond(opportunities)is small? Or is it better that we also teach them and also give what we can considering some have a surplus amount of fish(riches) to begin with?
– Teaching them how to fish (employment, jobs, small business opportunities) will lead to a stronger middle income class, will mean more money for purchasing (more money will circulate), more demand (for products and services), and this will lead to a sustainable economy. Fish for all.
Funny thing is how can you even do that with a greedy elite? And the economic basis in which you belie on is only possible if the share of the elite would yield to do some “act of charity”.(increase wages at a cost of cutting some profits)
You are talking about money supply which is circulating yes, but sadly it usually happens on the upper strata of society (big investors, corporations, millionaires and billionaires) – thus my basis for the small lake which also creates the problem of the formation of the supposed stronger “middle class”. More
And if you want to combat inflation there are to things you must do.
1. Increase productivity and
2. Balance the increase of the money supply in relation to productivity.
Remember the money supply matters as it can value or devalue the paper money(inflation and deflation) which also leads to price fluctuations.
In reality, not all can reach financial success and that is impossible!Just read Deut.15:11
So points 2 and 3 are actually SEVERAL of the best means to “help the POOR”. And by the way, it is sustainable too! as the paper money itself will circulate in the economy instead of just sitting in the bank increasing the amount of paper that will just increase the inflation.(without being used in any means of real production or consumption)
Consider the importance of money supply and productivity in this.
And the I’ll just cite I Tim.6:17-19 again
I Tim.6:17-19
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.â€
Just look at the excessive speculation IN the housing market back in 2008, it led to the global economic crisis that led to massive unemployment and revealing the GREED and DECEPTION of the upper elite. (I do NOT ACCUSE ALL OF THEM)
In reality I like your proposal for the having a strong middle class and I am not against “teaching how to fish” but you have to look at more dimensions than just that which is the basis of my point no.4.
And if someone is accusing me of being a Socialist…. You are quite WRONG!
Sorry for some typos, the lake should be pond.
And by the way acts of “charity” can be easily be looked at as a “fast” means of wealth distribution add to that the “teach them how to fish” concept. (educating them in financing and to having a job/work which I highly agree)
And do not forget the basics of economics in which my point no.4 is also based, “managing unlimited human wants with limited resources”.
We have limited resources and the financially established can easily access these resources.(with the money they have) I do believe it is not a bad idea to do “acts of charity” due to the EXCESSES that they have which they can sustain by proper fiscal management(which I do think they are very good at!)
I suggest you folks ignore “Pastor” Ernie. GRP is starting to turn into a theological forum.
Capitalism is the noblest triumph of humanity. Not the kind of government controlled, crony capitalism that is crippling economies around the world but the kind that encourages creativity and ingenuity. In a vibrant, successful economy there will always be found people willing to help others.
How about worker cooperative?
In this set up the workers are also the owner of the business enterprise. This is different from state owned enterprises common in communist countries and from corporate capitalism, where the investors are the only ones who can decide for the company.
Moreover, it can operate in capitalist economy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worker_cooperative
One criteria would be that each worker is rewarded based on their production and if they don’t produce to an established baseline they will be “expelled” from the group. These actions are automatic in a true capitalist system. If that is met I don’t see why it wouldn’t work although I haven’t contemplated the concept much. The failure of the communist ideal occurs at the point when members figure out they can do nothing and still have an equal share in the product of the group.
Yeahh, and by captialism, it isn’t just about money. It’s resources, in general, so it also includes human resource (intellectual captialism). Human psychology even works so well with capitalism.
Yeah, and before you help other people, you help yourself. We can’t give away what we don’t have. 😀
Pastor Ernie forgot one important scripture:
2 Thessalonians 3:10
“He who does not work should not eat.”
Makes me wonder: Are the poor, poor because they refuse to work? In the end people need jobs. They should work for their own keep.
Life isn’t fair. Some people have abundance but didn’t earn it. Some who have suffered loss did nothing wrong. However, many have worked hard to achieve what they have and many that have nothing earned that as well.
Teach people ‘how to fish’ is really a simple solution, basically. But we all know that our problem is not really that simple. It would take a president longer than a regular term to address the complexity of the problem. Or it would require a not so simple approach to solve it even beyond the current administration’s watch.
So, your somewhat insulating your president from this problem?
Didn’t you say that you would gladly leave this place when we asked you to? Why are you barging in again?
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach him to use the Internet, and he won’t bother you for weeks!
Dear pastor,
Stop giving genuine believers a bad name. And stop misinterpretting and taking the word of God out of context. Remember how the devil tempted and tested Jesus by distorting a passage from the book of Deutoronomy? Look this up in the godspells of Matthew and Luke.
And it’s a shame that you think our Lord is a socialist. Socialism even negates the authority of an absolute leader. And God is an absolute who actually walks his talks unlike the rest of us.
Remember this quote from Jesus “My kingdom is not of this world”? Shouldn’t it be clear to you that he doesn’t care about setting up political and religious institutions because he’s more concerned about OUR souls and the consequences of remaining in sin?
And it shouldn’t give you a tick about teaching people how to do the right thing because by teaching the deprived how to take responsibility of themselves is real generosity. Our Lord even washed his servant Peter’s feet so that others will follow his example of treating others the same way. Remember that passage, “if you want to be a leader you must be a servant for all?” And you wonder how many of our leaders even are willing to stoop to make others follow their good example.
If you are after God’s own heart then lead others by example on how we should be taking great care of ourselves instead of letting them remain in idleness and the muck they’ve been in.
Godspeed and wish you a Happy Epiphany of our Lord!
Well said, but since the “pastor” is a false teacher who has his own vision of what Jesus is (a socialist) your words fall on deaf ear, stubborn will and harden heart. Still I applaud you for trying…..
He’s not even a real pastor. Remember that his other handle is “Proud Pinoy,” and he sure slurs like hell when he uses it.
LOL. I thought everyone knew that already and would just ignore him.