1. selling your soul... for a pair of flip-flops

2. flip flops? 3. A storyabout aweddingreception 4. Youve had thebad fortune ofbeing placed ata table of PhDeconomists. 5. What can you tell meabout addressing globalpoverty? 6. The key, it turns out,is ... 7. TAXES. 8. You must createan upward spiralwhich depends ona thriving justicesystem. Andjustice isntcheap. 9. When people pay taxes,that helps fundinfrastructure - includinglegal infrastructure, whichmakes lasting prosperitypossible. 10. So taxes are moreimportantthan mostpeoplerealize. 11. 8 Millennium Development Goals: 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. 2. Achieve universal primary education.The HumanConventional ViewGod created the world as perfect,Emerging ViewGod created the world as good, but 3. Promote gender equality and empowerSituation: What but because our primalhuman beings as individuals, and asis the story thatancestors, Adam and Eve, didgroups have rebelled against God andwe find not maintain the absolute filled the world with evil and injusticeourselves in? perfection demanded by God, like a terrible disease. God wants to saveGod has irrevocably determinedhumanity and heal it from its sickness,that the entire universe and all it but humanity is hopelessly lost and women. contains will be destroyed, andthe souls of all human beings except for those specificallyexempted will be foreverpunished for their imperfectionconfused, like sheep without a shepherd,wandering farther and farther intolostness and danger. Left to themselves,human beings will spiral downward insickness and evil. 4. Reduce child mortality.in hell.1Basic Since everyone is doomed to Since the human race is in such desperateQuestions: What hell, Jesus seeks to answer these trouble, Jesus seeks to answer thisquestions did questions: how can individualsquestion: what must be done about theJesus come to be saved from eternal mess were in? The mess refers both toanswer? punishment in hell and insteadthe general human condition and its 5. Improve maternal health.Jesus message:go to heaven after they die? Howcan God help individuals behappy and successful until then?Jesus says, in essence, If youspecific outworking among hiscontemporaries: living under dominationby the Roman empire, and divided intovarious competing sects.Jesus says, in essence, Other people and 6. Combat HIV/AIDs, malaria, and otherHow did Jesus want to be among thosegroups including your own religiousrespond to thespecifically qualified to escapeleaders - are leading you farther andcrisis? being forever punished for your farther astray. I have been sent by Godsins in hell, you must repent ofwith this good news that God lovesyour individual sins and believehumanity, even in its lostness and sin.that my Father punished me on God graciously invites everyone and diseases.the cross so He wont have topunish you in hell. Only if youbelieve this will you go toheaven when everyone else isbanished to hell.2 This is theanyone to question and reject what theyhave been told and instead follow a newpath. Trust me and become my disciple,and you will be transformed, and you willparticipate in the transformation of the 7. Ensure environmental sustainability.good news.world, which is possible, beginning rightnow.3 This is the good news.1Of course, there are many modern western non-religious ontologies and framing stories too,plus Eastern ontologies and framing stories both religious and irreligious. 8. Develop a global partnership for2This reflects a Calvinistic Evangelical protestant version of the message. The popular RomanCatholic version might say, You must believe in the teachings of the church and follow itsinstructions, especially those regarding sacraments. The popular mainline or liberal Protestant development 12. NEEDED:a theology of taxes (and capitalism in general) 13. Societal Machine 14. Machine: acomplex toolProsperity fashioned toachieve a desire. Societal Machine 15. ProsperitySecuritySocietal Machine 16. ProsperityEquitySecuritySocietal Machine 17. ProsperityEquitySecuritySocietal MachineThe Ecosystem 18. HeatSolar EnergyProsperity ResourcesWaste EquitySecurity Societal Machine The Ecosystem 19. HeatSolar EnergyProsperityResourcesWaste Equity Security Societal MachineThe Ecosystem 20. Heat Solar Energy ProsperityWasteResourcesEquitySecuritySocietal MachineOur Equity Systems are under-developed, corrupted,dysfunctional, or dominated by political and nancialpowers. 21. Heat Solar EnergyProsperityResourcesWaste EquitySecuritySocietal MachineThe EcosystemTax reform is essential to a healthy, balanced equity system- transparency, wise policy, progressive rates, values. 22. What doflip flops have to do with this? 23. HeatSolar EnergyProsperity ResourcesWaste EquitySecurity Societal Machine The Ecosystem Framing Story 24. HeatSolar Energy Prosperity Resources WasteEquitySecurity Societal MachineThe Failure of the Worlds Religionsto provide a framing story capable ofhealing the societal machine - i.e.Framing StoryGood News. 25. Prosperity: guided by the common good, shalom.Security: if only you knew what makes for peace.Equity: Just and wise tax policy to support sustainable shared prosperity and security. 26. What doflip flops have to do with this? 27. Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? - Amos 8 28. We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practise deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals (flip flops), and selling the sweepings of the wheat.-Amos 8 29. Buying the poor and needy fora pair of flip flops? 30. The Lords Prayer1. Our Father above us and all around us 2. May Your unspeakable Name be revered. 31. 3. Now, here on earth may Your commonwealth come.4. On earth as in heaven may Your will be done. 32. 5. Give us today our bread for today.4. Forgive us our debts* as we forgive. 33. 3. Lead us away from the perilous trial.2. Liberate us from the evil. 34. 1.For the kingdom is yours and yours alone.2. The power is yours and yours alone.3.The glory is yours and yours alone.4.Now and forever, amen. 35. 5. Now, here on earth may yourcommonwealth come.4. Here on earth may yourdreams come true.3. Hallelujah2. Hallelujah1. Amen. 36. What doflip flops have to do with this? 37. Paul Stiglitz: Of the 1%, By the 1%, and For the 1%Americans have been watching protests against oppressiveregimes that concentrate massive wealth in the hands of anelite few. Yet in our own democracy, 1 percent of the peopletake nearly a quarter of the nations incomean inequalityeven the wealthy will come to regret.The top 1 percent may have the best houses,educations, and lifestyles, says the author, but theirfate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live. 38. Its no use pretending that what has obviously happened has not in facthappened. The upper 1 percent of Americans are now taking in nearly aquarter of the nations income every year. In terms of wealth rather thanincome, the top 1 percent control 40 percent. Their lot in life hasimproved considerably. Twenty-five years ago, the corresponding figureswere 12 percent and 33 percent. One response might be to celebrate theingenuity and drive that brought good fortune to these people, and tocontend that a rising tide lifts all boats. That response would bemisguided. While the top 1 percent have seen their incomes rise 18percent over the past decade, those in the middle have actually seentheir incomes fall. For men with only high-school degrees, the declinehas been precipitous12 percent in the last quarter-century alone. Allthe growth in recent decadesand morehas gone to those at the top.In terms of income equality, America lags behind any country in the old,ossified Europe that President George W. Bush used to deride. Amongour closest counterparts are Russia with its oligarchs and Iran. Whilemany of the old centers of inequality in Latin America, such as Brazil,have been striving in recent years, rather successfully, to improve theplight of the poor and reduce gaps in income, America has allowedinequality to grow. 39. Its no use pretending that what has obviouslyhappened has not in fact happened. The upper 1percent of Americans are now taking in nearly aquarter of the nations income every year. Interms of wealth rather than income, the top 1percent control 40 percent. Their lot in life hasimproved considerably. Twenty-five years ago,the corresponding figures were 12 percent and33 percent. One response might be to celebratethe ingenuity and drive that brought goodfortune to these people, and to contend that arising tide lifts all boats. That response would bemisguided. 40. While the top 1 percent have seen their incomes rise18 percent over the past decade, those in the middlehave actually seen their incomes fall. For men withonly high-school degrees, the decline has beenprecipitous12 percent in the last quarter-centuryalone. All the growth in recent decadesand morehas gone to those at the top. In terms of incomeequality, America lags behind any country in theold, ossified Europe that President George W. Bushused to deride. Among our closest counterparts areRussia with its oligarchs and Iran. While many ofthe old centers of inequality in Latin America, suchas Brazil, have been striving in recent years, rathersuccessfully, to improve the plight of the poor andreduce gaps in income, America has allowedinequality to grow. 41. ... a modern economy requires collectiveactionit needs government to invest ininfrastructure, education, and technology. TheUnited States and the world have benefitedgreatly from government-sponsored researchthat led to the Internet, to advances in publichealth, and so on. But America has long sufferedfrom an under-investment in infrastructure(look at the condition of our highways andbridges, our railroads and airports), in basicresearch, and in education at all levels. Furthercutbacks in these areas lie ahead. 42. ... when a societys wealth distribution becomeslopsided ... The more divided a society becomes interms of wealth, the more reluctant the wealthy becometo spend money on common needs. The rich dont needto rely on government for parks or education or medicalcare or personal securitythey can buy all these thingsfor themselves. In the process, they become moredistant from ordinary people, losing whatever empathythey may once have had. They also worry about stronggovernmentone that could use its powers to adjustthe balance, take some of their wealth, and invest it forthe common good. The top 1 percent may complainabout the kind of government we have in America, butin truth they like it just fine: too gridlocked to re-distribute, too divided to do anything but lower taxes. 43. The top 1 percent have the besthouses, the best educations, the bestdoctors, and the best lifestyles, butthere is one thing that money doesntseem to have bought: anunderstanding that their fate isbound up with how the other 99percent live. Throughout history, thisis something that the top 1 percenteventually do learn. Too late. 44. What doflip flops have to do with this? 45. Mark 14:7The poor you will always havewith you... 46. Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 15:Every seventh year you shall grant aremission of debts. 2And this is themanner of the remission: every creditorshall remit the claim that is held against aneighbour, not exacting it from aneighbour who is a member of thecommunity, because the Lords remissionhas been proclaimed. 3From a foreigneryou may exact it, but you must remityour claim on whatever any member ofyour community owes you. 47. 4 There will, however, be no one in needamong you, because the Lord is sure tobless you in the land that the Lord yourGod is giving you as a possession tooccupy, 5if only you will obey the Lordyour God by diligently observing thisentire commandment that I commandyou today. 6When the Lord your Godhas blessed you, as he promised you,you will lend to many nations, but youwill not borrow; you will rule over manynations, but they will not rule over you.47 48. 7 If there is among you anyone in need, amember of your community in any of yourtowns within the land that the Lord you Godis giving you, do not be hard-hearted ortight-fisted towards your needy neighbour.8 You should rather open your hand, willinglylending enough to meet the need, whateverit may be. 9Be careful that you do notentertain a mean thought, thinking, Theseventh year, the year of remission, is near,and therefore view your needy neighbourwith hostility and give nothing; yourneighbour might cry to the Lord against you,and you would incur guilt.48 49. 10Giveliberally and beungrudging when you do so,for on this account the Lordyour God will bless you in allyour work and in all that youundertake. 11Since there willnever cease to be some inneed on the earth, I thereforecommand you, Open yourhand to the poor and needyneighbour in your land. 49