Rich/Poor Gap

Here's another issue (like the Walmart issue below) that Jesus would care about:

LA Times Poll: Nearly Three-Quarters of Americans Believe Gap Between Rich and Poor is a Serious National Concern

Nearly three-quarters of Americans believe inequality is a major issue, versus 24 percent who don't think so, according to a new Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll. Most of the concern is among Democrats and independent voters, though a majority of Republicans -- 55 percent -- also called the situation serious. . . .

[A]nxiety about the growing rich-poor divide unites Americans, crossing income and political divisions. Among those earning less than $40,000 a year, 84 percent called the gap a serious problem, with more than half saying it's "very serious." Among those earning more than $100,000, more than three in five said it's a serious concern. Those in the middle-income group making between $40,000 and $60,000 were almost as concerned as the least wealthy.

3/4 of Americans are right- this is a national concern.

It is a spiritual concern as well.

Jesus spoke often on issues that today we would lable economic justice. Why is so much of American Christianity silent on the matter. Is it rather like the Supreme Court after the turn of the century (1900)- the so called Lochner era? Have we now defined our faithmore by economic values (laissez faire free market capitalism) than religious values- as the Court did then the Constitution?

I don't think that saying that Jesus would care about these matters indicates a particular solution- I'm not sure exactly what Jesus would say to do on such matters. But Jesus' words make clear that he does care. And we who are Christians should care. Dropping some coins at Christmas time into the Salvation Army bucket is not enough. We need to look at broader issues of equality of opportunity.

GP