By George Washington of Washington’s Blog.
Preface: If you are a Christian or Jew, the importance of the Bible is probably obvious. If you are not, please consider passing this essay on to people of those faiths who you know.
If you are an atheist and believe that religion is crazy, please remember that some 85% of the American population identifies itself as Christian and millions more identify themselves as Jewish, and that most people make decisions and process information based on their beliefs and emotions.
The head of Goldman Sachs literally said he’s doing “God’s work” with his banking activities.
The head of Barclays also recently told his congregation that banking as practiced by his company was not antithetical to Christian principles.
Are they right? Is big banking as practiced by the giant banks in harmony with Christian principles?
Do Justice
Initially, the Bible does not counsel us to ignore the breaking of laws by the the powerful.
In fact, the Bible mentions justice over 200 times — more than just about any other topic. The Bible asks us to do justice and to stand up to ANYONE — including the rich or powerful — who do injustice or oppress the people.
There have been widespread, credible allegations that Goldman Sachs and other giant banks have broken the law (see this, for example).
Indeed, one of the first things God asks of us is to do justice:
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)
While many churches and synagogues have become obsessed with other issues, many have arguably ignored this most important of God’s demands of us. As pointed out by a leading Christian ministry, which rescues underage girls trapped as sex slaves in third world countries:
In Scripture there is a constant call to seek justice. Jesus got upset at the Pharisees because they neglected the weightier matters of the law, which He defined as justice and the love of God . . . Isaiah 58 complains about the fact that while the people of God are praying and praying and praying, they are not doing anything about the injustice.
Should Christians just pray for justice and leave the rest to God?
That’s not what the Bible asks us to do. Instead, Hebrews 11:33 tells us that we are God’s hands for dispensing justice, and God uses us to “administer justice.”
We have to “walk our talk” and put our prayers into action.
God demands that we do everything in our power to act as “God’s hands” in bringing justice. And as Saint Augustine reminds us, “Charity is no substitute for justice withheld.”
Please reflect on the following Scripture:
The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, He was appalled that there was no one to intervene. (Isaiah 59:15-16)
This is the only place in the Bible where the word “appalled” is used for the way God feels — in other words, the only thing which we know God is appalled by is if people are not doing justice.
There are hundreds of other references to justice in the Bible, including:
- Blessed are they who maintain justice . . . . (Psalm 106:3)
- This is what the LORD says: Maintain justice and do what is right . . . . (Isiah 56:1)
- This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. (Jeremiah 22:3,13-17)
- Follow justice and justice alone. (Deuteronomy 16:19, 20)
- For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice . . . . (Job 11:5,7)
- Learn to do right! Seek justice . . . . (Isaiah 1:17)
So if the powerful players in the giant banks broke the laws, they must be held to account.
Manipulating Money
Moreover, there have been credible allegations that Goldman Sachs and other giant banks manipulate the currency and other markets.
As Ron Paul notes, the Bible forbids altering the quality of money (which, at the time and place, was entirely in the form of coins):
Even the Bible is clear that altering the quality of money is an immoral act. We are instructed to follow the rules of “just weights and measures.” “You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin” (Leviticus 19:35-36). “Diverse weights are an abomination to the LORD, and a false balance is not good” (Proverbs 20:23). The general principle can be summed as “You shall not steal.”
Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is His delight.
So to the extent that the giant banks have engaged in any dishonest acts or the manipulation of currencies, they are violating scripture.
Of course, any bankers who charge usurious interest rates should remember the little story about Jesus turning over the money changers’ tables.
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I have to clear this up.. the banksters work for me.
They just cannot tell the difference between myself and god.. or they are deceiving themselves.
They just cannot tell the difference between myself and god.. or they are deceiving themselves.
Or they’re knowingly doing your work and punking us all. These have been way too coordinated and way too egregious. These people are not so deluded, nor are they so stupid.
I can’t find any rational interpretation other than having a belly laugh at the expense of believers.
I couldn’t have said these two posts better myself.
The King James version mentions heaven 551 times according to wiki,
and a Baptist preacher whose sermons I used to enjoy (this particular sermon was an answer to the question Is There a Heaven) I believe said heaven was mentioned more than 700 times.
My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.—Isaiah 56:7
But you have made it a den of thieves—Jeremiah 7:11
Or if you prefer a more theatrical expression: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61TwQwgGi8Y
Actually this is better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g77AcTbjFo
This is a refreshing post, and most appropriate. This is the number one reason why the Obama administration is an epic fail. (And Bush does not get good marks in my book, either. A lot of stuff was swept under the rug under his administration.) The first responsibility of government is justice. Instead, Obama let the criminals go, and gave them working capital to plot the next crime.
Bible-believing Jews and Christians also believe there will be a judgment. I would not like to be in the banksters’ shoes when that day comes. Blankfein almost borders on blasphemy. I would not want to be standing next to him in a thunderstorm.
Janet Tavakoli and James Galbraith (and William K. Black) have been making similar calls for justice to be brought to bear against the perpetrators of fraud. They are secular prophets, crying out in the wilderness for wrongs to be righted. May God protect them.
Oh God (sic), what a question. Didn’t Jesus rail against the ‘money changers’?
A silly post.
And Don John and his disciples entered in to the house of the wedding feast and yeah there was abundance laid out before the guests as of a harvest and Don John said:
“Take ye the wine in the bottles laid up on the highest shelves and pour it into the vessles which I have supplied ye, and poureth back into the bottles this water which ye have, from the fountain even in the village. And take ye the vessels with the new wine and offer them at the market yonder and increaseth thy pile with the proceeds therefrom.”
And the then disciples said, “Will not the wedding host rebel against thee? And will not he smote thee upon the brow and turn thee upon thy heel with sticks and stones?”
And Don John said, “Nay, for the virtuous man misseth not an opportunity for profit and to increaseth his pile, finding favor in the lord of hosts. And a man increaseth in stature before the lord even as his guest profiteth by his labors.”
And the disciples poured water into the bottles and took the wine yeah and receiveth gold and silver and increaseth thy pile in plentitude. Even before the host reacheth up to the high shelf to replinish his wine, yeah Don John and the disciples quickly departed.
And Don John returned to his house, which they called a John, and sat upon his pile. And the disciples were astonished at the abundance of the pile, for it overflowed with riches and was as of a treasure and they said to themselves, we shall increase too our piles, yeah through trickery and deceipt, and find favor before the lord.
-The Gospel According to Mammon, IV, ix – xii
“We’re doing God’s work.” Lloyd Blankfein
Actually, I have it on good word God sent his resume to 85 Broad, because Goldman makes money faster than God made the Universe. Got some serious halo-envy working.
This is an extremely old debate, and sadly, strangely, still somewhat relevant today. However, R.H. Tawney’s “Religion and the Rise of Capitalism” is required reading for those who seek to understand the minutiae of the arguements. I think it was first published in 1922.
In the end, The Bible is just a book put together by humans, and subject to wildly differing interpretations. Quoting biblical passages at one another may well be fun, but doesn’t really lead to any clear conclusions, other than to demonstrate how open to interpretation The Bible is. I assume the same is true for other religious tomes.
When a banker says anything like “we are doing God’s work” it is public relations, pure and simple. Taking such statements seriously is playing the game by their rules. They should be met with idle amusement bordering on indifference.
Toby,
Jonathan Haidt, a leading American scholar on morality, has done extensive cross-cultural research and has found that the notion of fairness/justice is universal to all mankind:
http://thesciencenetwork.org/programs/beyond-belief-enlightenment-2-0/jonathan-haidt
In fact, the need for fairness and justice isn’t even unique to humans. Monkeys also refuse to participate in unfair activities:
Monkeys reject unequal pay
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v425/n6955/abs/nature01963.html
Granted, George Washington chose to limit this post to a discussion of Judeo/Christian theology, but there’s a lot more going on here than just some religious tenet divorced from factual reality.
The immoral practices of these bankers are indefensible, irrespective of whether you want to talk religion, science or both.
And if you’re interested in this sort of thing, here’s a later paper that treats the same subject:
http://www.pnas.org/content/105/36/13685.full
Thank you DownSouth, I appreciate the input and will look into that article. I find the commonality of justice and fairness across cultures both fascinating and inspiring — that monkeys prefer fairness too more so (there is a very moving story in Kropotkin’s Mutual Aid about a troupe of chimpanzees facing great danger to recalim a fallen comrade from a hunting party, which backs this idea up). If ever there were a pressing need for this sort of information to reach as many minds as possible, it is now!
The only people who believe the bible is so open to interpretation is the people who don’t know what it says, or the people who don’t like what it says.
Example:
1Cr 6:9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
1Cr 6:10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Now, many people will say that God doesn’t have a problem with homosexuality, or partying and getting drunk, or you don’t have to get married. Also, notice the greedy. They say it is interpretable. Read those verses and you tell me that it is interpretable. That is a statement that reads as true as 2 + 2 = 4. To say that is interpretable is equivalent to saying 2 + 2 = 4 is interpretable.
Again, either you dont know what it says or you dont like what it says. I really don’t get it. Either be a christian or not, but don’t tell me it is interpretable. The sections of scripture that are interpretable ALWAYS say so. As in “It was like…” or such. They let the reader know it is symbolism which always leave open what the symbol means to the reader. But what is right or wrong in the bible is NOT interpretable.
Why so many quotes from the OT? The NT is where the rubber hits the road.
“The head of Goldman Sachs literally said he’s doing “God’s work” with his banking activities.”
If Jesus had been there he would have either thrown that man out of the Church or exorcize the demons out of him.
“With God on our side…”
More and more, MONOTHEISM – not religion – IS the problem because when taken to be the WORD of God, there isn’t any room for anyone else in the debate. There is simply no need to tolerate those who disagree with you once you have God on your side. Monotheism is inherently totalitarian.
But depending on one’s interpretation, religion can be either reactionary or revolutionary. To claim that we have to tolerate inequality in the course of doing God’s work by a GS banker is a stretch. The theory of election to which this banker apparently subscribes has always been suspect insofar as it equates good works with good fortune, as little more than a rationalization or justification for inequality and those activities which perpetuate it.
A Presbyterian minister once told me that if most Calvinists had ever bothered to read John Calvin they would not be Calvinists! His point was that since wealth was bestowed by the grace of God it was to be used to promote heavenly bliss on earth as determined by the elect – elders of the church – not the individual. Roman Catholicism has always been suspect to many a capitalist for its doctrine of social justice. When Pope John stated that people should come before profit many conservative Catholics were appalled and suggested that he should keep such opinions to himself! Adherents of Liberation Theology have adopted the position that resistance to oppression, both violent and nonviolent – Jesus chasing the money changers from the temple – is not a sin. So take your pick…
But everything I have ever gleaned from the New Testament has left me with the belief/impression that Jesus Christ took the side of the oppressed – politically, economically, spiritually. Indeed, ask yourself if Jesus was more communist than capitalist and your answer will probably determine how you interpret this banker’s good works! I asked a priest this very question over 40 years ago at my last confession and never went back! INEQUALITY is the work of men, not GOD!
Proverbs 22:16 (KJV) explicitly cautions against supply-side economics.
“He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.”
Our recent financial collapse proved the wisdom of this.
Then the bible has an answer for this:
Deuteronomy 21:18-21
“If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, that will not hearken to the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and though they chasten him, will not hearken unto them; then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; and they shall say unto the elders of his city: ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he doth not hearken to our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.’ And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die; so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
And let’s not forget that all rich people are doomed to hell. “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24).
Here’s a nice debunking of the notion (http://www.debunker.com/texts/needleye.html) that this means something other than rich people are doomed:
“The Jerome Biblical Commentary is a standard reference work found in many libraries, written by Catholic scholars. Its commentary on Matthew 19:24 states bluntly, “the figure of the camel and the eye of the needle means exactly what is said; it does not refer to a cable or a small gate of Jerusalem.” The Abingdon Interpreter’s Bible is a major reference work compiled by Protestant scholars, and its analysis of this passage is in full agreement. Unfortunately for the fundamentalists, the concensus of New Testament scholars is that Matthew’s passage barring rich people from heaven means exactly what it says. It remains to be seen how many of them are willing to give up all their wealth in accordance with the ideals they claim to profess.”
They wouldn’t have to give up all their wealth, but pretty clearly Jesus wouldn’t approve of multi-million dollar payouts while other people are being forced out on the street.
Continue reading my friend. Pulling a verse out of its context without knowing what was said next is very misleading. The whole point of Christ’s ministry was to say your not worthy of God. He did it in many ways.
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Screw letting go of your riches. Christ told everyone they had to be perfect!!! Who is perfect!?!?!?!
But, if we continue reading we will see.
Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mat 19:25 When his disciples heard [it], they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
The point of Christs statement wasn’t to say rich people are screwed. The point of Christ’s ministry to was to show ALL men are screwed. We all fall short. Hence Him dying on the cross. Hence your need for salvation.
Bob let us not forget in the context of history that Jesus was a lessor profit of his time and location, especially with in metropolitan areas (rich neighborhood). Hence the need for him to hit the dusty trails and establish a grassroots movement in the rural country side (poor neighborhood) and polish his shtick.
The pretext for this move was his issue with moneyed interests aka the priests and their monies, power and control of the ear of god and their grooming of the nobles and monied interest with in the state to create a perpetual religious leadership class.
Did he not upset the gravy train for all those in concern Priests, Nobles and Romans (eh!) was not that his real crime! He got in the banksters way by stirring up the back woods people in revolt of their hegemony. He defiantly was a voice of the poor and disenfranchised and not the powerful or wealthy, yet after his death the very same people that he fought against him/killed him co opted his name too justify their claims to power by religious decree[!] see genealogy’s to his loins lol by the 12 holy roman family’s, you did know the Queen of England is a direct descendant right?
Crazy story hay, middle class lad debating religion and power on the steps of the temple is not well received, goes out of town finding receptive ears, returns with some street cred/ibility aka power, threatens the hegemony of the well to do blood suckers and gets the biblical treatment for it aka crucification.
Now that the poor/disenfranchised champion has been used as an ex-sample of bad behaver the wheels are set in motion too ultimately use his very name to justify the very things he was dead set against[!], and payed with his life for, can you say the –*MOTHER of all IRONY*– and it still persist even today ROFLMAO!!!!!!! Jesus was a De-constructionist!!!LOL
Skippy…Deception is the strongest force on the planet…right, I on the ball patriot.
Jhn 8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
Jhn 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Jhn 8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
To act as if time defines the creator of it is nonsense. Christ was not defined by the age with which He chose to come in the flesh. He didn’t need a “movement”, “grassroots”. LOL If you disagree with the bible, fine. But to try and turn Christ into some sort of modern political figure with even a HINT of a political message is silly. Christ was about death and the life there after. His conversation about the decisions we make in this life were always held in a context of eternal consequence.
Jhn 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Also, please cast aside the illusion that man killed Christ without Christ allowing it. He gave His life. He commented over and over again, to the point of calling Peter(the first pope according to my catholic brothers) satan for rebuking Christ about dying. He came to die. Whether His message was recieved or not was not the issue. The issue was sin and its eternal consequence. We needed salvation, not freedom from some banker/priest conspiracy. Those bankers are going to die, just like you and I. In the end that stuff is as important as what you decide to wear today.
WOW bob, to just arbitrary dismiss any information, which is massive and compiled by theologians/archaeologists/historians and as an on-gong concern_is well_quite *ludicrous*. Its seems your only tool is your/your groups interpretation of your one book contrary to any other evidence. In effect you use the X-Factor of debate or *I believe in my interpretations* there for all other arguments are moot and with out merit.
Come on now your well aware of the chapters that hit the editing room floor during the First Seven Ecumenical Councils, now why don’t you incorporate those view points and check the results.
You say history out side the bible is irrelevant really?
Shortly after the Death (Nisan 14 or 15) and Resurrection and Great Commission and Ascension of Jesus, the Jerusalem church was founded as the first Christian church with about 120 Jews and Jewish Proselytes (Acts 1:15), followed by Pentecost (Sivan 6), the Ananias and Sapphira incident, Pharisee Gamaliel’s defense of the Apostles (5:34-39), the stoning of Saint Stephen (see also Persecution of Christians) and the subsequent dispersal of the church (7:54-8:8) which led to the baptism of Simon Magus in Samaria (8:9-24), and also an Ethiopian eunuch (8:26-40). Paul’s “Road to Damascus” conversion to “Apostle to the Gentiles” is first recorded in 9:13-16, cf. Gal 1:11-24. Peter baptized the Roman Centurion Cornelius, who is traditionally considered the first Gentile convert to Christianity (10). The Antioch church was founded, it was there that the term Christian was first used (11:26).
Although biblical archeology has confirmed the existence of many people, places, and events mentioned in the Bible, many critical scholars have argued that the Bible be read not as an accurate historical document, but rather as a work of literature and theology that often draws on historical events—as well as upon non-Hebrew mythology—as primary source material (see The Bible and history). For these scholars, the Bible reveals much about the lives and times of its authors and compilers. The relevance of these ideas to contemporary religious life is left to clerics and adherents of contemporary religions to decide.
Ipso facto Jesus was most defiantly a man of his time and as such reacted to the thoughts and ideas of his day, had things been different his actions would reflect such.
Do you see were talking about ideas not empirical facts, there was a court case not long ago that retried the creation vs evolution fracas again and presided over by a Christian judge, you should check it out.
Skippy…seems to me that you have personally decided in the only truth/interpretation and effectively ended the debate of century’s all by your self, congrats!
Your original reply to my post:
“Bob let us not forget in the context of history that Jesus was a lessor profit of his time and location, especially with in metropolitan areas (rich neighborhood). Hence the need for him to hit the dusty trails and establish a grassroots movement in the rural country side (poor neighborhood) and polish his shtick.
The pretext for this move was his issue with moneyed interests aka the priests and their monies, power and control of the ear of god and their grooming of the nobles and monied interest with in the state to create a perpetual religious leadership class.”
Christ wanted spiritual freedom, not financial. None of His teachings reflect what you just said. Your pulling it out of the air and then defending it by pulling the “proof” card. Nice. Get me proof that Christ tought against the financial dealings of the day without and spiritual context and your post may have some ground.
Your original post:
“Did he not upset the gravy train for all those in concern Priests, Nobles and Romans (eh!) was not that his real crime! He got in the banksters way by stirring up the back woods people in revolt of their hegemony. He defiantly was a voice of the poor and disenfranchised and not the powerful or wealthy, yet after his death the very same people that he fought against him/killed him co opted his name too justify their claims to power by religious decree[!] see genealogy’s to his loins lol by the 12 holy roman family’s, you did know the Queen of England is a direct descendant right?”
Sure, He did upset there gravy train. But not one of money. In fact He was very clear on tithing. The gravy train He upset was there authority spiritually. People were questioning there teachings on God and who the messiah was, not whether they should give to the temple. He did it Himself!!!
Your original post:
“Crazy story hay, middle class lad debating religion and power on the steps of the temple is not well received, goes out of town finding receptive ears, returns with some street cred/ibility aka power, threatens the hegemony of the well to do blood suckers and gets the biblical treatment for it aka crucification.”
Look up Nicodemus. Also, Christ knew He was going to die. If He really wanted to challenge the “hegemony” don’t you think He would have avoided being killed?
Your original post:
“Now that the poor/disenfranchised champion has been used as an ex-sample of bad behaver the wheels are set in motion too ultimately use his very name to justify the very things he was dead set against[!], and payed with his life for, can you say the –*MOTHER of all IRONY*– and it still persist even today ROFLMAO!!!!!!! Jesus was a De-constructionist!!!LOL”
Except that Christianity spread like wildfire to the point of emporer Nero commissioning the deaths of millions of Christians. It’s not Irony at all, its perfect. He saved millions, billions of lives from hell.
Bob, it seem to me, that you only subscribe to your version of the bible regardless of all the other versions incomplete and added upon, and more importantly disregard any cross-referenced, peer reviewed works based on other writings/evidence of the time.
Skippy…one book fits all sizes, the definitive word on everthing..eh… I realize further discussion would be futile…it was men like you that drove me out of the fold in the first place, but am better for it, good day to you sir.
I think it’s quite true that they are doing God’s work, but they are unfortunately doing it in a very unGodly way.
How they hide behind the appearance, and give no thought to the substance.
Wonder if the GS bankers, since they believe in Jesus, also would listen to Jesus tell them to give all their riches to the poor.
Luke 18:18-24
18A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19″Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'[b]”
21″All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Keep going!!! 2 more verses and you will actually quote the whole conversation.
” He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury;
2 and he saw a poor widow put in two copper coins.
3 And he said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them;
4 for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the living that she had.” “
I like it better when he speaks in King James English.
The modern translations lost all the music in the language. I’m mean, how much life can they rip out of an English sentence before it’s a piece of limp verbal spag-a-teeny, dulling ploding across the page like an office memorandum.
It’s a wondah any body even goes to Choich any moah . . .
boooowhahahah haha hahahahah ahahahaha!!!
They (the bankers) are so accustomed to calling Satan their God that they just refer to the immoral raping of society they perpetrate daily as “God’s work”.
Perhaps they will repent and reverse their course before something utterly horrible befalls them.
One can only hope and pray.
Yes they are and here is proof:
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
GS is making sure that we all die poor so we can go to heaven. And by the way they are sacrificing themselves so there is more room for us in heaven by taking all that money from all of us.
There
You could interpret what Blinkfiend said as a comment from a general in an ideological war to control the economies of the entire earth. He BELIEVES what he is doing is the RIGHT way to quench opposition to ushering in a new age of “prosperity” and “peace”. He is but a cog in the wheel. There are many cogs all working toward the same end. Absolute. Monopoly. Over. The. Entire. Earth.
You can be sure everyone in the “fight” has had there trip up to the top of the mountain:
Luke4:5
” The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” “
I think I’ve had enough of the Wall Street Opus Dei style “God’s Work” for this economic cycle.
Read “Built To Last.” This book reveals the enduring success codes of the top 17 businesses in the history of the world. Somewhere in the chemistry set of success and profitability lies the notion that CORE VALUE system is the heartbeat and soul of a corporation. CORE VALUE was initially predicated upon doing some good for society and consumers, as a whole. Our whole economic implosion was created concurrently by the LACK of core values by Wall Street and the Federal Government.
Compare and contrast these 3 articles:
http://www.justice.gov/dag/cftf/corporate_guidelines.htm
http://watergatesummer.blogspot.com/2009/04/tent-city-update-this-concerns-forced.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/why-its-wrong-when-wrongd_b_350673.html
Our society, our country, and our children are doomed to utter failure unless Justice, Due Process, and the Rule of Law are meticulously upheld. Otherwise, why have rules and laws if they are not followed? What kind of society, country, and children do we have where the enforcement of rules and laws do not exist? And so went the way of other empires that no longer exist…
Oh, I forgot to mention – “Power corrupts absolutely” also correlates to “Corruption Corrupts absolutely…”