Character and the Economy

By Rev. Tim Ginter, A Trustee of PeaceMakers Institute

In the midst of the constant and incessant debates on what we should do as a nation to eradicate ourselves from the jaws of economic and social destruction…the debates revolve around varying and often opposing, political and economic philosophies. Should we raise taxes, or lower taxes? Should we reform health care or leave it alone? Should we regulate more of private business or less? Should we bail out companies or let the market adjust itself?

I would draw your attention to the fact that the focus is always upon man’s ability to change the nation through the implementation of economic and governmental principles. Very, very seldom do you hear anyone either in public or private mention the absolute necessity of American society embracing again the moral principles that characterized our nation as recently as two generations ago. In the opinion of the experts, our salvation as a nation is to find the right formula. If we could only do this, then we could turn things around. Principles of morality are seen as extraneous and disconnected from our present economic crisis.

So Tim, what does character have to do with the economic and social condition of our nation?

Everything.

Character is affecting the bottom line. Our economy is being tremendously impacted by lack of character and integrity . According to recent research, today in America, character and integrity is the number one concern of employers when hiring. Part of the reason for this is employee theft. Employees in America steal more than 14 billion dollars a year from their employers. Remember this figure represents what employers know about…much more than this is stolen that is never discovered.

My wife and I are personally familiar with just of one example of what these statistics refer to .The factory where my wife was employed as a receptionist a few years ago was forced to close, and hundreds of people lost their jobs, because one employee embezzled enough money to put the struggling business under. The buildings that took up over one city block in the center of the little town of ninety-five hundred people are actually being torn down and turned into parking lots as I write this letter.

Add to this, the incredible greed and selfishness of those who buy and sell companies at the price of people’s lives. The factory my father retired from also closed. Reason? The original owner sold it to a “big shot” in a large city who knew nothing about the company nor cared about the employees. He kept the company just long enough to flip it for a profit to other owners who quickly moved the operations to another location; I’m not sure where, perhaps out of the country. There was no warning. Men and women came to work one day and were out of a job the next. People who had worked for decades and were close to retirement lost their jobs and some of them, their pension. One of my father’s friends heard the news while working on a shipping dock and dropped dead in his tracks from a heart attack. The reason for all of this?

Greed.

Then consider the fact that there are literally hundreds of thousands of people on public assistance who do not need to be. I know this is politically incorrect, but the time to speak truth is long overdue. I have personally met many men who are on public assistance simply because they are lazy.   Now they would tell you they have a bad back, or something…yet it doesn’t hinder them from doing what they truly want to do; even playing sports. The result?   An economic system that is upside down with millions of people who are struggling to work two jobs to pay their own bills and support their families… AND the guy sitting on his porch who is too lazy to work since he discovered how to “work the system”.

The reason for this? Lack of character and integrity. The Bible says: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” (II Thessalonians 3:10)

This lack of character is also affecting, or should I say infecting, our government. Political scandals are increasing. Corruption seems to be everywhere. Crony-ism and favor granting is operating at unprecedented levels.  An increasing number of money and power hungry people seek and obtain office thru the votes of an increasingly selfish citizenry who will vote for anybody as long as they tell them they will help them get more of the almighty dollar. What the candidate believes about the unborn, or about marriage, or freedom of religion is way down the list of priorities.

Now, for those of you who don’t know me, I want to insert here that I strongly believe in capitalism and the fact that we as American citizens have the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” I will gladly stand by my fellow patriots to fight for these rights.

But…too many in America today have shifted the priorities their grandparents and great grandparents  placed at the top of the list to lower positions because of greed. Our blessings in America have turned our eyes from God and His commandments and have fastened them upon the idols of this world. A world… and a nation, that unless rescued, is quickly passing away. I believe that the principles that will save this nation are the ones that made it great. Honesty, Integrity, character, and a strong work ethic.  People who will do unto others as they would have others do unto them. People who believe and follow the Ten Commandments.

If we as a society had a revival of integrity, we would begin to see an economic turn-around that would astound the world.

And you can take that to the bank.

Tim Ginter
www.AmericanRenewal.us