Obama's Economic Plan

Yesterday I read an article in The Washington Post about a plan to stimulate the economy from President-elect Obama. The plan gives the government hundreds of billions of dollars to spend. Where will the money go? In a separate public address, Obama said, “We’ll put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, modernizing schools that are failing our children, and building wind farms and solar panels, fuel-efficient cars and the alternative energy technologies that can free us from our dependence on foreign oil and keep our economy competitive in the years ahead.” What should Christians make of the economic stimulus plan from Obama?

One of the cool benefits of building a biblical worldview is the way it evaluates the events of our world. We can evaluate what we see in the newspaper or the plans of a government or other institutions intelligently. A biblical worldview becomes a filter (or a grid), sifting through and understanding what is good and what is bad.

With that said I don’t think his plan is a good one. Here’s why: While stimulating the economy by creating jobs is a good thing, his plan would drive the national budget into deeper debt. I commend his desire for creating jobs so that Americans can work. God's first command to man was to work (Genesis 2:15). Work is a very good thing. Jeff Purswell has said that work completes our humanity. However, I think that while this stimulus plan might create short-term gains, it might also come with long-term pain.

Because we are made in the image of God and should reflect what God is like, our economic decisions should reflect God’s moral nature. Increasing national debt dramatically does not seem like an expression of faithfulness or wisdom. From a biblical worldview, one must be concerned about spending up to $700 billion when the national budget is coming close to $1 trillion. Proverbs says, “Be not one of those who gives pledges, who put up security for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you” (Proverbs 22:26-27). Now I don't think all debt is necessarily bad, but in principle we should avoid it. I don't pretend to have answers to growing unemployment, but I think we must protect our children from inheriting an America worse than the one we received.