Firstly, the greed of many corporations has dug a practical hole for themselves. You cannot sell milk to people that cost $1.00 for $10.00 without expecting some kind of negative consequence.

Of course peopel can't pay thier mortgage payments. They were bamboozled into loans they could not afford. Couple that with the fact that national wages have not increased in proportion to inflation. Yet CEO's & CFO's keep getting higher pay while the profits of major companies keep increasing. Yet only a small percentage of people enjoy this wealth. What is wrong with this picture? The economic gap between the rich and poor keeps increasing.

Factor that into the reality that some pastors  brag about expensive minsitry jets,board members give CEO's million dollar severance packages and politicians take bribes from corporate lobbyist who are trying to get some bill passed. The greed of American leaders is catching up with them.  When the storms come due to their lack of obedience to Jesus' principles (assuming Jesus has something to say about money matters) what else can we expect, except for an economic fall, collapse, downturn, or whatever else you want to call it!

Secondly, God is outraged by the greed of our country. This issue comes down to the moral responsibility people feel to be "economically just". Since capitalism teaches us it's about the "bottom line" and not the "person at the bottom" many people including believers have fallen into this financial philosophy.

Have you ever had a conversation with a Christian entrepreneur? Next time you do ask them how much profit they take home in comparison to their top employee (s). They will either not answer the question, feel your question is inappropriate, or rationalize their philosophy of economics based on the competiveness of the market. Market principles over Christian principles. Yet these people serve on elder boards and are happy go lucky members of many churches. Don't expect the pastor and the treasurer to make them feel uncomfortable about their econmoic explotations. The Prophet Jesus would have! Our churches are more business insitutions then prophetic communites of worship.

But again we do send money to third world missionary and humanitarian agencies, so get off our back, Jack! Well I think economic justice means much more then sending some money to an orphanage or church that is doing grass roots work in an impoverished city. Rather it is being involved in the more dangerous work of bringing systemic change and regulation of corporate executives by world governments on a national and local level. Local churches and community members have to take this responsibility of bringing trasnformation to their perticular goverments and consciences of the common people.

If government does not regulate to some degree, who else is going to make sure that people act justly in all aspects of society (Romans 13:1-4). God is clearly upset about American corporate greed and governmental aloofness (what do you expect from those economically stable politicians). He will surely judge our infrastructure and cause us to be the "tail" instead of the "head".

• The tithes of the Old testament were established not just for the church and it's administrative needs, but the needs of the poor in their community:

• Notice how God loves the powerless and poor and calls "believers"to help them due to His salvation in thier lives:
  

Ultimately God calls the church "cursed" when we don't employ ourselves in making sure society is taking care of the poor and powerless. You know those "WallMart" workers with no health insurance as WallMart makes billions in profit.



The biggest blame to this problem is the body of Christ in America. We apathetically sit by as all this corporate greed happens and vocational injustices take place in our midst amongst immigrants, the lower and middle class. We teach people the importance of prayer, Bible study and fellowship. Never dealing with how this empowerment and education of truth should equip us as a prophetic community to pervade, like leaven all aspects of society and bring God's social order; better known as "Kingdom Presence & Principles".

Today's church leaders, and I say some of them are like the false prophets of the Old Testament. Those prophets knew what the "Mosaic Covenant" declared about economics, truth, justice and social responsibility for the weak and how God would judge them through other wicked nations. We emphasize orthodoxy over orthopraxy! How do i know that? When was the last time your church community practiced discipline on a "hardened sinning" Christian. Probably never becuase in the final analysis we are all talk, but no action. We talk about "holiness" in theory.

The false prophets instead of calling people to repentance declared, "God is going to bless us because He loves us and has established an eternal covenant with us" (as if the covenant was not conditional). Long as you keep sacrificing and tithing in the temple (hmm!, I wonder why the temple tithe was so important!). All that mattered was the up-keeping of ecclesiastical matters.Much like our modern day evangelical, pentecostal, protestant pastors. I think we make God sick!

In actuality they were telling the people that the institution of the "temple" would protect them long as they attended to it's needs (church centered rather then christ centered). It did not matter what was going on in the wider society and how they were to be "salt" and "light". Look at these powerful words written by the prophet Jeremiah:


Where is the church in its action of calling corporate executives, greedy Word Faith teachers, and politicians to repentance. Why aren't we being specific like John the Baptist about what each person can do in their perticular field to better honor God.

The church gathers every Sunday like fat overweight children eating their chocolate cakes and cream sodas,wondering why they feel and look so pathetic. The church is filled with socially ignorant worshippers who have made religion, like Karl Marx said, "the opiate of their souls".

All their leaders care about is looking better then other churches, numeric growth and financial security. Yet look at what God declared about the false prophets who were supposed to be exposing the problems of their society and calling people to heed God's ethical system:




I believe based on an analysis of scripture that Christians on all levels are a "big part" of the problem as to why we are financially cursed at this moment in America. We put so much emphasis on "church growth" and  "personal financial prosperity" thru tithing, rather then just doing the will of God in all aspects of life (i.e. church, community, family, government, etc) despite the results of poverty, persecution, isolation, and death (Hebrews 11:35-40). Doing the will of God as a new prophetic community (Acts 2:17-21) means speaking the truth in love about God's covenant blessings and conditions.

Look at the example of Old Testament prophet Micah:



Look at the example of the New Testament Apostle James;

Look at the Apostles request that Paul not forget about the lower class demographic (try emphasizing that in our churches):



Look at the example of Jesus our Lord who is the ultimate Prophet, Priest and King:






Who are we depending on to be that clear voice of econmic justice in these troubled times. Don't look to your institutional church. They have potlucks, camping trips, promotional campaigns, spiritually sick congregation gatherings, administrative meetings, birthday parties, and picnics to worry about. Since they only have 1 pastor to every 100 members how can they expect their parishioners to be engaged in these issues. Their still babes in Christ, which isnot a complement!

The local and national church is part of the problem for our financial crisis. They think it's not their job to be a voice on a local and national level concerning issues of "just economics". Rather they would like for us to just focus on the disciplines of prayer, daily bible reading, bringing your friend to church and tithing. Yeah this is the way of the MASTER! Yeah this is the power of CHRISTIANITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY!

What are your thoughts concerning this issue?