Christianomics: A blog on economics, politics, and law

Economics studies how and why people allocate and use their limited resources. Everyone regardless of age, wealth, or ethnicity has 2 basic resources: money and time. Opportunity cost is the cost of choosing one decision over another. Money: I got a call the other day from Alliance Defending Freedom asking for financial support for their many ongoing legal battles (1). As someone interested in politics and the constitution these battles are very important to me. But then Glenn Beck called, asking for donations for the Nazarene Fund to evacuate as many Christians as possible from the trouble brewing in Afghanistan (2). Meanwhile Samaritan’s Purse was also pleading for supplies and personnel for Haiti following their 7.2 earthquake (3). I only have a limited amount of money and I cannot support every request though they are all important to me. By choosing to support one organization I am simultaneously choosing to not support another. Time: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as ...

There are those on the political left (both non-Christians and professing Christians) who claim Jesus was a socialist (1). They point to verses like Acts 20:35 as evidence the church’s mission to care for the poor should also be the government’s mission. “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” -Acts 20:35 While this sounds good on its face, this comparison misses a fundamental difference between the church and the government: freedom of association. “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, [NOT] reluctantly or under [COMPULSION], for God loves a cheerful giver.” -2 Corinthian 9:7 When you join a church, you do so because you want to. When you tithe or support missionaries, you do so because you want to. Yes, we are told to, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse,” (Malachi 3:10) , but no one gets fined or whipped or punished for refusing to tithe. Even if a bad church were to do such things, that church would not la...

  "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”- Acts 20:35 I see Christians on the liberal side of the political spectrum pointing to verses like Acts 20:25, Luke 3:11, Galatians 6:2, 1 John 3:17, and Leviticus 25:35-38 as evidence that Christians should be voting for socialist politicians and policies. When I ask why they think socialism is the answer I’m told they believe we should be generous and that society is better when we take care of the needs of our neighbors. This results in less crime, homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health problems. Those are perfectly fair and reasonable things to want. In fact they are so reasonable that I, a firm believer in the superiority of free markets, agree across the board. So what’s the problem? The problem is these are merely goals. Goals with no clarification on the means of achi...