Income inequality and spirituality

Originally posted by whodey
What accounts justice in your view?

Not what RBHILL suggested.

Originally posted by FMF
Not what RBHILL suggested.

Who cares?

Originally posted by whodey
Of course, the only way to make an unequal society equal is to continually tinker with it because it never is "equal" and never will be "equal", whatever "equal" means.

This thread is not about making anything "equal". The OP was specific.

Originally posted by whodey
Who cares?

Well it was my response to him that you responded to.

Originally posted by whodey
This is why Marxists are so opposed to a "free market". They purport to love freedom EXCEPT when it comes to other peoples money.

What bearing does your spiritual mind map have upon your viewpoint on widening and narrowing income gaps in the world today?

Originally posted by FMF
This thread is not about making anything "equal". The OP was specific.

So you are only concerned with increasing inequality, but you are not concerned with things being equal?

That sounds like double speak.

Again, the issue is what to do with human free will when it goes "awry".

Jesus wished to compel men to look at their own depravity and repent from it rather than beating them over the head and forcing them to do the right thing.

Originally posted by whodey
One thing pretty much everyone can agree upon is that greed is a "sin". How then do we deal with it?

Here is one of the scenarios cited: A businessman has earnings that are partly as big as they are because he pays infrahuman wages to employees who have no choice but to accept them because of their poverty.

As a spiritual person,what is your take on this? Do you think this businessman might be "sinning" according to your Christian terms of reference?

Originally posted by whodey
So you are only concerned with increasing inequality, but you are not concerned with things being equal?

I have no interest whatsoever in wealth and income being "equal". It's a thoroughly daft proposition. Nobody of any consequence advocates it.

Originally posted by whodey
Jesus wished to compel men to look at their own depravity and repent from it rather than beating them over the head and forcing them to do the right thing.

As a follower of Jesus what are your thoughts on the 'free market', the 'coercive nature of poverty', and 'infrahuman wages'?

Originally posted by FMF
Here is one of the scenarios cited: [b]A businessman has earnings that are partly as big as they are because he pays infrahuman wages to employees who have no choice but to accept them because of their poverty.

As a spiritual person,what is your take on this? Do you think this businessman might be "sinning" according to your Christian terms of reference?[/b]

That is between him and his God whether he recognizes that God or not.

Poverty is a form of slavery. There is more than enough to go around but there never seems to be enough to go around. The man in question you talk about, probably turns around and throws millions at his political leaders who spew such catch phrases as "income inequality" and "social justice".

Now do you suppose those politicians really wish to bite the hands that feed them, or will they do what they can to make that person have more power over all of us?

And that is what we see from the Progressive movement here in the US. We have political leaders who wage "wars on poverty" and wish to redistribute the wealth. However, with each grand scheme something curious seems to happen. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Obviously something is askew.

At the end of the day those on the "right" champion the corporate entity and those on the left champion those in the government. But what both fail to see is that the corporate entity and those in the government are one in the same because the later is simply his representative, not ours.

Originally posted by FMF
I have no interest whatsoever in wealth and income being "equal". It's a thoroughly daft proposition. Nobody of any consequence advocates it.

So where is the maginot line? Where do you draw your "red line" in the sand when it comes to income inequality? You obviously have one or would not have created this thread.

Originally posted by FMF
You don't see any problems being caused by abject poverty allowing wages to be set at infrahuman levels?

Subhuman levels!?

Any area will be subject to a variety of factors that will play in to pay.
If people who want workers that are skilled they will not go to a place
filled with abject poverty they will go to an area filled with a skilled work
force and pay them what is required. If they only need people who can
next to nothing before they train them they will find them too.

I see problems with poverty and wish no one lived like that, but wages
are what they are. As I told you, if the demand of workers is high then
the wages will be set to draw them into the work force. If there are many
more workers than jobs, the pay will be so much less because anyone
can do it. So they will lower it to the least amount possible, again to make
the most money for the company.
Kelly

Originally posted by whodey

That is between him and his God whether he recognizes that God or not.

Poverty is a form of slavery. There is more than enough to go around but there never seems to be enough to go around. The man in question you talk about, probably turns around and throws millions at his political leaders who spew such catch phrases as "income inequality" and "social justice".

Now do you suppose those politicians really wish to bite the hands that feed them, or will they do what they can to make that person have more power over all of us?

And that is what we see from the Progressive movement here in the US. We have political leaders who wage "wars on poverty" and wish to redistribute the wealth. However, with each grand scheme something curious seems to happen. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Obviously something is askew.

At the end of the day those on the "right" champion the corporate entity and those on the left champion those in the government. But what both fail to see is that the corporate entity and those in the government are one in the same because the later is simply his representative, not ours.

This discussion is not about "politicians". Take that to Debates, perhaps. We are talking about a 'spiritual stance' on the income inequality that results from the economic systems we are saddled with,if you have one.

Originally posted by KellyJay
Subhuman levels!?

Yes. "Infrahuman wages". That's what I have been discussing with you. Has this not been clear from what I have been saying?

Originally posted by FMF
As a Christian entrepreneur, would you be happy to allow the coercive force of poverty (something you concede exists) minimize your wage costs even if you know you are paying infrahuman wages?

I don't think you care one wit about what I think, when I told you about
working two jobs to make ends meet you went to, well what if two was
not enough!

I would do the most for those that worked for me.
Kelly