USA downgraded - Be still, God is still in control

“HALF of America pays NO taxes. Zero,” Rick Warren tweet

"Jesus' love for us is not like the stock market. His grace never crashes even when we make stupid decisions," Greg Stier, president of Dare 2 Share Ministries tweet.

“No matter what some agency may say, we’ve always been and always will be a AAA country.” President Obama

"The national debt is at $14.5 trillion, but the real debt is the $211 trillion in unfunded liabilities" Christian Post 08 Aug 2011

 The US has been downgraded from the AAA rating to AA+ sparking a stock market drop of more than 5% because of the current and long term debt issues, the political stalemate, high unemploment, low growth, and a depressed housing market.  Obama said that the US will always be a AAA country which is arrogant since it is country with debt at 100% GDP, and rising at more than 1.7 trillion a year or 40c in a dollar spent borrowed.

Many Christians got it wrong. Gays and gay marriage were not the slippery slope, but arrogance and greed in America where the rich are getting richer and the poor suffering, and the rest of the world lending money for a run away stock market and deficit.

Two weeks ago, a pastor from the States shared that what was happening in America is due to its arrogance, greediness, and self-centeredness.  The US has indeed been blessed, a super power, its currency a standard trading reserve currency making it trustworthy. She is still a great and rich nation which has been a blessing to the world. We do well to compare this “nation under God” it to the strict Islamic nations of Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Somalia where basic human rights is non-existent.

The slippery slope started when President Bush supported by the Christian Right took over in 2001. The budget surplus soon became a deficit with tax breaks for the rich and costly wars. Anti-gay legislations were initiated to limit basic gay rights such as marriage. We went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan but like the crusaders of old never managed to come out alive.  

A Prosperity theology was preached. The price of houses went up due to unnatural demand as loans were made to those who cannot afford. The rich did become richer with lower tax and more tax breaks, and a booming stock index with easy money. It was blessings from heaven, even though we had borrowed very heavily as individuals and as a nation. It was not gay “lifestyle” that was causing the moral collapse of America but the “Prosperity” lifestyle of arrogance and greed.  

The liberals in power didn’t tackle the critical deficit issues created by the conservatives but chose social justice with an expensive universal health care issue. The policy of Quantitative Easing or printing billions allowed the banks to reap more profits without creating many new jobs. The housing stayed 30% below their peak, unemployment at 10% even after 2 years from the end of the recession.

The Sojourners blamed it on the politicians acting in a hostile manner and not compromising. However, as a nation, there were no easy answers and the issue was serious - 40 cents out of each dollar spent to be shed from their sacred cows of tax hikes, and cuts to the welfare/ medical costs. There was little room for compromise because there were few alternatives.

The debt ceiling debate led to a comical agreement of a 2 trillion cut over 10 years, when they were adding 15 to 20 trillion deficit.Sojourners called it the budget immoral as the rich the spared. Perhaps the real immorality was greed and arrogance.The workers in Asia worked far below the US basic wage of USD 10/hr so that Americans can continue to borrow money and lived a good lifestyle.

A perfect storm is coming, the economic slide of the European Union, and the US. The Asian giants, China, will be impacted as they are financially tied to the American Debt and currency holdings.

I am reminded by the song "Still" last Friday morning before the US market dropped by 4%. I felt that God was saying that a storm was coming and not to fear because God is in control and He will hide me and I will be safe.

The oceans are rising over us, but we are asked not to panic but to be still and to trust in God.

Still (Hillsongs)

Verse 1
Hide me now
Under Your wings
Cover me
within your mighty hand

Chrous
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm

Father Your are King over the Flood
So I will be still and know You are God

Verse 2
I rest my soul
In Christ the Lord
Know His power in quietness and Trust

 

 

Locations of visitors to this page