Can a Person of Faith Handle Wealth? | Eastern North Carolina Now

    My good friend and mentor, Wayne Martin, sent this to me. I send it to you as just one more example of the way terms like "liberal" and "conservative" are thrown around these days. When a bunch of politicians are fearful of the criticism from the Pope over "Trickle Down Economic Theory," that alone tells me it is as dangerous to human compassion and society as was Nazi Theory in the 30's!!! The Pope kept quiet then. A different and more compassionate Pope is speaking now by example and word.

    The Nazi comparison is one I strenuously avoid, but I use it easily in this matter. They promised to lead Germany once again to greatness. They did so by sneaking in a new military and the most advanced weaponry ever invented. I assume you know they almost beat us to the Atom Bomb! Hitler was their salesman with his rhetoric and pseudo-comfort. He became a god for many in Germany while he was actually a mad man. They discovered the "magic of the media." We call it "propaganda."

    The real powers of control/riches in Germany used him to sell their pottage to the people. He did it with gusto. The War Criminals are still being sought and punished for their treatment of the Jews. In their minds, they were "patriots helping their country."

    I would never compare Ronald Reagan to Adolph Hitler. He was far from such in his personal life. He is a great American in my view

    BUT was he USED by powerful and rich segments of our country to sell a tax concept that assumes rich people are kind and generous all???? He conveyed love and lightness as opposed to the abject hate of a Hitler rant.

    Two modern Presidents have dealt with temptation to war without going there: Jimmy Carter / Barak Obama. As the elder statesman, Mr. Carter has offered insights with clarity on the MIddle East. He created a "miracle of statesmanship" with the Camp David Peace Accords. Both the signers, Anwar Sadat / Monakim Began, were killed by their own warring citizens. They turned hate for Arabs/Jews to hate of anyone desiring to live peaceably with them. The influence of President Obama is still too young to tell the ultimate outcome of attempting diplomacy over war in the Middle East. Fox News has him demonized for not going to war.

    Some rich folks are gracious, but most are not

    until the end of life when their conscience and proximity to the Judgement Throne cause them to survey their greed and, perhaps, begin to share. There are few like Bill Gates who see it early. He and his wife formed a Foundation to share. Carnegie was late in life / Vanderbilt / Rockefeller / most others whose names are now famous for their social conscience. Rags-to-riches wealth makes an ego big --- and the desire for obedient servants an obsession.

    It is a historical story. The rich becoming "Robber Barons" at the turn of the 21st Century with railroads, oil, steel, etc is a model of what has happened since WWII. President Eisenhower warned of the dangers of a Military-Industrial Complex. We DID NOT LISTEN!!!!

    As I see it, the wars of my lifetime are the way the rich have become more rich than were the Robber Barons.

    I was born in 1946. The Korean War came on while I was a small boy. Over and over it has repeated itself with Viet Nam / MIddle East / Palestine / you name them into today!!! People like Dick Cheney are filthy rich from wars they had a hand in starting. Mixing politics and wealth are more than dangerous to any free people!!!!

    I am only doing some thinking early on Sunday morning. All I can do is give you some "food for thought" on this day of Sabbath for Christians. I am sure people of Jewish Faith had deep thoughts yesterday with raging war in the Holy Land. Muslims are not so hate-filled as to consider the peaceful aspects of the Koran. It has the Jesus Story in it, as does our Bible.

    The Bible says, "Unless there is a vision, the people perish." Our national vision appears to be the "worship of the dollar and riches" mostly these days. The desire to run world affairs from North America is no different than the wishes of Germany, it seems to me.

    Please feel free to respond with your thoughts. I thank Wayne for the piece below which stirs my thoughts---most deep thoughts.