Die ekonomie en die Christen n perspektief. 1 Desember 2010

Transcription

1 Die ekonomie en die Christen n perspektief 1 Desember 2010

2 Ekonomiese realiteite Christene poog om volgens die wil van God te handel in elke aspek van hule lewens en heelwat van hierdie dimensies is inter verweef met die markte. Alhoewel ons uiteindelike motivering verskil van sogenaamde nie Christene, is ons egter steeds blootgestel aan dieselfde fisiese, psigologiese en ekonomiese realiteite as enige iemand anders. As n resultaat poog Christene om te koop en te verkoop, te spaar en te investeer, ens ; in die lig van n stel waardes. Die studie van ekonomie is n studie van skaarste ontelbare behoeftes vs beperkte bronne. Dus, binne enige ekonomiese bestel moet ons bewus wees van ons eie beperkinge met die geloof dat God ons seën en ons lewens gebruik op alle vlakke. God s circular flow of income

3 Realiteit vs geloof One of the fundamental assumptions economists make about human activity is that we are limited in our choices by scarce time, resource and knowledge. Christians acknowledge that reality. Like others, they cannot be in two places at once, know the price of everything or provide for themselves and their families without working, saving and carefully considering their budgets and keeping with their values. Furthermore, although Christians are called to have faith that can move mountains, they are taught not to defy gravity or tempt God by jumping from rooftops (Matt 4:5 7). Likewise, they would court physical and spiritual danger if they ignored real limits to their material and financial resources Howard Bowen : Economic life in all its ramifications is of profound ethical significance. This is so because of scarcity which gives rise to conflict, because of interdependence which creates mutual obligations, because of the wide range of values sought through economic activity, and because of the significance for human life of the economic process itself.

4 Praat die Bybel van die ekonomie? Heelwat van ons ekonomiese kopsere soos skuld, die impak van inflasie en werkloosheid, hoe om te voorsien vir ons oudag en vele meer, is inderdaad dieselfde bekommernisse wat heelwat van Sy volgers heel in die begin gehad het. Jesus maak van verhale in die Bybel gebruik om hierdie sake aan te spreek. Voorbeelde sluit in: Kan aardse rykdom gebruik word ten goede? Verhaal van die skelm besigheidsman : Lukas 16:1 13 Kan rykdom die wêreld versmoor? Verhaal van die saaier : Matt 13:18 23 Is ons jaloers op dit wat ander het? Verhaal van die werkers in die wingerd : Matr 20:1 16 Praat die Bybel van die ekonomie? Kan ons met wysheid investeer? Verhaal van die tien sakkies geld: Lukas 19:11 27 Hoe moet ons ons skuld beheer? Verhaal van die onvergewensgesinde amptenaar Mat 18:21 35 Aan wie behoort die dinge wat ons besit? Verhaal van die verwaande ryk man Hoe produktief is ons? Verhaal van die huurlinge : Mat 21:33 46 Kan ons skuld vergewe? Verhaal van die twee skuldenaars : Lukas7:36 50 Gaar ons besittings op? Verhaal van die skat en die pêrel : Mat 13:44 46 Hoeveel gee ons? Verhaal van die Fariseer en die belastinggaarder : Lukas 18:9 14 Wat kan ons doen om ander te help? Verhaal van die ryk man en Lazarus : Luk 16:19 31 Hoe vrygewig is ons? Verhaal van die groot onthaal : Luk 14:15 24 Hoeveel het ons nodig om van t eleef? Verhaal van die verlore muntsuk : Luk 15:8 10

5 Moet ons ekonomiese tendense ag? Jesus gebruik 16 van die 38 gelykennise om sy dissipels te onderrig rondom geld en besittings. Een uit elke tien verse (288) in Mattheus, Markus, Lukas en Johannesburg gaan oor geld. Daar is 500 verse in die Bybel oor gebed, 500 oor geloof en 2000 oor geld en besittings. Dit is duidelik dat God ons heelwat oor hierdie onderwerp wil leer? Jesus self het in die Bybel geleer hoe belangrik dit is om aan dag aan ekonomiese sake te gee. Lukas 14:28 : As jy n huis wil bou, werk jy mos voor die tyd uit of jy genoeg geld het om dit alles te kan doen, nie waar nie? Anders, as jy nie jou sommetjies behoorlike gemaak het nie, is jou geld dalk te min nadat jy die fondament gegooi het. En wat gebeur dan? Dan lag almal vir jou. Hullse sal sê: Daar s nou vir jou n deurmekaar ou wat n huis halfpad bou en dit dan net so laat staan!

6 Moet ons ekonomiese tendense ag? Die sosiale sy van die ekonomie is uiteraard belangrik vir die kontemporêre Christen en ons het n duidelike opdrag om bekommerd te wees en te sorg vir die armes en onderdruktes MAAR die ander dimensie van Christen wees in n komplekse ekonomiese omgewing is dat indien ons as Christene uitsprake wil maak oor hierdie komplekse sosiale, ekonomiese en politieke sake, moet ons goed onderlê wees in die werking daarvan. Unfortunately, many Christian social activists manifest an inadequate grasp of economics. The late Benjamin Rogge, a professor of economics and Lutheran layman, lamented that the typical American who calls himself a Christian and who makes pronouncements on economic policies or institutions, does so out of an almost complete ignorance of the simplest and most widely accepted tools of economic analysis. If something arouses his Christian concern, he asks not whether it is water or gasoline he is tossing on the economic fire he asks only whether it is a well intended act. As I understand it, the Christian is required to use his God given reason as well. Hay, n ekonoom van die Universiteit van Oxford, stel voor that the Bible has enough in it to make Christians rethink their behaviour in developing the market economy. Hy hou agt beginsels vir Christene in n markgerigte ekonomie voor: Humanity must use the resources of creation to provide for its existence, without wasting or destroying the created order. Every individual has a calling to exercise stewardship of resources and talents. Tied to the above is the responsibility to determine the disposition of resources. Every individual is accountable to God for this stewardship. Human beings have a right and an obligation to work. Work is the means of exercising stewardship. In work, humanity must have access to resources and should have control over them. Work is a social activity; human beings co operate as stewards of their individual talents, and as joint stewards of resources. Every individual has a right to share in God s provision for humanity for basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. These needs are to be met primarily by productive work. Personal stewardship of resources does not imply the right to consume the entire product of these resources. The rich have an obligation to help the poor who cannot provide for themselves by working.

7 Inflasie BBP Rentekoerse Wisselkoers Werkskepping Verbruikersvertroue

8 Boeke Economics in Christian Perspective Victor Clear & Robin Klay Bulls, Bears and Golden Calves, applying Christian ethics in Economics John E Stapleford Economic Parables, the monetary teachings of Jesus Christ David Brown A biblical economics manifesto (Economics and the Christian Worldview) James Gills, Ronald Hash