Recently, there was a "debate" among evangelicals over the issue of the national debt mentioned in a USA Today (February 17, 2011) article. I was quoted in it.
         In fact, a television segment we produced at Coral Ridge Ministries-TV—on how Americans are concerned about the national debt and that this is a moral issue—helped sparked that debate.
        "’The Bible is very clear about the moral dangers of debt,’" a conservative Christian broadcaster tells Daniel Burke of Religion News Service." So begins the article. I cannot tell a lie—they were quoting me.
        We are very concerned about the national debt, and it truly is a moral issue.
         The good book says the borrower is a slave to the lender.
        It also says that, as much as is possible, we should try to avoid debt—except the debt to love one another.
         Furthermore, it notes that a good man leaves an inheritance for his children.
         But today in America, we’re leaving a pile of debt for our children. How is that good?
         Author Bill Federer was a guest on our TV segment on the immorality of the national debt, and he made the observation that "our founders were willing to sacrifice their prosperity for their posterity. They pledged their lives and their fortunes and their sacred honor for their posterity. Today, we’re sacrificing our posterity for prosperity and saddling our kids with an unpayable debt, so we can maintain our standard of living."
        Ouch.
         What kind of a country runs up a big bill, spends the money now, and then leaves it up to our children and grandchildren to have to pay it all back? That seems very unethical to me.
         I spoke recently about this issue with a couple of US representatives.
        Michele Bachmann of Minnesota told me: "The national debt is a moral issue, because it is affecting every man, woman, and child in this country. We’re at a very dangerous point now with the escalation of debt in our country. We’ve never before seen this level of debt. Today, the average American owes $200,000 on the national debt."
        Mike Pence of Indiana said, "We have to make sacrifices that affect us today and put us on a long term pathway of fiscal solvency, rather than enjoying the blessings of prosperity today, but bequeathing to our children and grandchildren the obligations to figure out how to pay for it."
         When you look at the debate going on in Wisconsin right now with all the bused- in federal union workers and the teachers, some of whom are receiving faked doctor’s excused absences, unpayable debt is at the heart of the issue. The governor is trying to reign runaway government spending, and he’s running into fierce opposition from the government unions.
         The recent riots in Greece dealt with the same issue. The overdue bills came due.
         A government can’t keep spending money it doesn’t have.
         There are really three main alternatives: cut spending, increase revenue, or steal from the people by printing up more money.
         That latter option is stealing from the people because it causes inflation. Those on fixed incomes, such as retirees, lose a portion of their spending power. Maybe some old people really will resort to eating dog food if the government keeps spending recklessly.
         Here’s the bottom line: it’s the people’s money. Every penny the government has comes from the people. Somehow these politicians think that government money comes from some other source.
         The fact is, we all have to live within our means. Why should the government be any different?
         Liberals will say we need to do more to help the poor. I agree…on a voluntary basis. And I do my part. But the government doesn’t help the poor well—it only makes more of them, for example, by subsidizing illegitimacy.
        Could it be that such government programs are essentially trying to buy votes? George Bernard Shaw once said, If you rob Peter to pay Paul, you can always count on Paul’s vote.
        Hopefully, we will get this runaway government spending under control before we bankrupt the nation—and leave our children stuck with the bill.