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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 12 May 2025

For many of us, if we were asked, hey, do you have a problem with money we’d say, “Sure, I need more of it,” but is money really the answer to all our problems?

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #206 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

Money is one of those things we seem to associate with the word “more.” It’s like the Country and Western song, “Too Much Fun,” sung by Daryle Singletary. The refrain says,

“Too much fun? What's that mean?
It's like too much money, there's no such thing.
It's like a girl too pretty, with too much class.
Being too lucky, a car too fast.
No matter what they say I've done,
I ain't never had too much fun.”

Yeah, right, no such thing as too much money.

Americans generally wish for, and work for, and too often connive for, more money. Meanwhile, we tend to spend more too. The “majority of Americans say that they spend beyond their means and 66% say that they live paycheck to paycheck.” This is not a formula for long-term well-being. The formula equals not gold at the end of the rainbow but debt. “Dave Ramsey said in his book Complete Guide to Money - Debt is a product—the best-marketed product in history.”

“Almost 80% of the people in the world have some…kind of debt. Personal debt takes the biggest chunk in the cake. Earlier, at least, personal debt used to be for some big expenses only. But now, people have started taking loans for holidays, for partying, for buying flight tickets, for buying regular stuff, for things which can be avoided.”

“Credit cards have also made it easier to get into this debt trap with buy-now-pay-later concept as people think that they can pay later, while in reality, they can’t. But the instant satisfaction of owning a thing is more important than worrying about the future payment. This habit of living beyond their means is the biggest financial mess most of the people are in.”

“Rich people are rich because they save more, invest more. Most people only see how rich people are spending their money on fancy cars, fancy holidays and other stuff. What they don’t see is that this is only a fraction of their income. If they are studied closely, we will find out that most of their income is either saved or invested.”

We live beyond our means in an effort to keep up with the Jones’s, or to pursue a never-attainable happiness, a Shangri-la that does not exist, or to just feel good temporarily—like a short-term buzz from alcohol or some other substance.

Most Americans aren’t typically familiar with the Buddhist concept of Duḥkha, i.e., suffering, pain, unease, or unsatisfactoriness, but we spend money to fill these holes in our heart in a terrible search for solace and fulfillment, in a fruitless effort to live our best life now. But instead of personal utopia, we engage in an obsessive and futile quest for our own El Dorado, only to end up not with gold but a lot of debt.

We marked a “grim milestone, as 2023 was the first time outstanding credit card balances surpassed the $1 trillion mark.” And just over the debt horizon is bankruptcy. “One thinks of the famous quote from (Ernest) Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises (sometimes attributed to Mark Twain or F. Scott Fitzgerald)—How did you go bankrupt?—Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”

This quote certainly fits our national government wherein the national debt stands at this moment at $36.8 trillion and climbing. National debt used to be associated with events like wars or economic depressions. “Today, deficits are caused mainly by predictable structural factors: our aging baby-boom generation, rising healthcare costs, higher interest rates, and a tax system that does not bring in enough money to pay for what the government has promised its citizens.” Did you catch that last part – what the government, meaning politicians, has promised citizens?

The United States enjoys the highest productivity and the most prosperity of any nation in history. But still, Americans are less happy than the citizens in other less prosperous countries, and we struggle with the difference between “need” and “want.” Sure, we are generous, perhaps more so than any people in history, but since World War II Americans have donated to nonprofit causes just a consistent (minimal) 2% of their wherewithal. This percentage is a long way from the usual biblical definition of a tithe at 10%, which from a Christian perspective is also minimal.

Scripture includes several principles, propositions, and parables to guide our thinking about money.

• The doctrine of stewardship comes first to mind, the idea God gave us time, talent, and treasure and then vested in us the responsibility for using them for his glory and our family’s well-being (Matt. 25:14-30).
• God told us to depend upon him for all things, not money, possessions, or status.
• We are told that what God gives us is “enough,” and we are warned away from a profligate lifestyle based upon selfish ambition and lust for more. Eccl. 5:10 says, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”

• We’re told we should enjoy the fruits of our labor but not seek to eat, drink, and be merry at the expense of acknowledging every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above.
• The Bible contains 500 verses on prayer and faith, but 2,350 verses about money. 15% of the Bible is about money/possessions, that is more than any other single topic including Heaven, Hell, faith, or prayer.
• The Bible does not say poverty is a virtue or that we should take vows of poverty.
• The Scripture does not claim that the poor are automatically morally superior or closer to God, nor does it condemn wealth, even as the Word warns of certain dangers when wealth becomes an idol. In other words, the Bible is not simplistically pro-poor and anti-wealthy.

“What we do with money, individually and as a society, is a profound moral issue. Jesus made it clear that whatever our station, we are merely stewards, since God owns everything. Thus, we have a responsibility to God to manage our assets well.” In a world driven by consumerism, debt and the pursuit of wealth have become normal—even expected. Yet as believers, we’re called to live differently. True freedom is found in trusting God, not credit or accumulation.

From a Christian perspective, excess debt and the love of money are spiritually damaging and dangerous because they distort priorities, enslave individuals, and erode trust in God.

1. Debt as a Form of Bondage

Proverbs 22:7 says: "The borrower is slave to the lender." This reflects the idea that owing money can compromise a person’s freedom—financially, emotionally, and even spiritually. When Christians are burdened with debt, they may become anxious, less generous, or driven by financial survival instead of God’s calling.

2. Love of Money as Idolatry

1 Timothy 6:10 warns: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil..." The problem isn’t money itself, but the love of it. When wealth becomes a central pursuit, it can replace God as the object of trust and devotion. This is considered idolatry in biblical terms—putting something else in the place of God.

3. Trust in Riches Undermines Faith

Matthew 6:24 says: “You cannot serve both God and money.” If someone is consumed by financial gain or driven to maintain a wealthy lifestyle (often fueled by debt), their allegiance is divided. This weakens their dependence on God’s provision and distorts spiritual priorities.

4. Hindrance to Generosity and Stewardship

Excessive debt restricts the ability to give freely, a key Christian value. Debt can impair a person’s ability to use resources for God’s purposes.

5. Emotional and Spiritual Consequences

Debt and greed often lead to anxiety and worry (Phil. 4:6–7), strained relationships, ethical compromises (dishonesty, manipulation), or loss of joy and peace—hallmarks of a Christ-centered life.

Christ taught contentment with what we have. “Watch out!” Luke 12:15 says, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

DOGE may or may not do everything exactly as we’d wish, but its mandate to reduce government spending beyond our means and cut out waste, fraud, and abuse is good stewardship and moving in the right direction.

In our own lives, are we trusting in God or in money for security? Is debt affecting our peace, generosity, or obedience to God? What steps can we take to realign our heart with God’s priorities?

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com. Or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers for more podcasts and video.

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2025  

*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/ or my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers or https://x.com/RexMRogers.

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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 05 May 2025

To hear major media, you’d think DOGE is little more than a fox in the henhouse, but is it? Why does DOGE exist and what really can it accomplish?

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #205 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

I’ve talked about debt before but feel compelled to do so again.

Debt is sometimes necessary. It is not a sin per se. But it is dangerous, for sure for individuals or families but also for organizations or countries.

“Debt, once it passes the Rubicon from extreme to just plain madness, destroys nations. Just ask the former Spanish, British or Dutch empires. Or ask the inter-war Germans. Ask the Yugoslavians of the 1990's or ask a historian of Ancient Rome or a merchant in modern Argentina. It's all pretty much the same story, just different a different stage or curtain call.”

The current U.S. National Debt stands at $36.790 trillion. This is as I write. By the time you read this or hear it, it will be racing past $37 trillion, each penny a new record.

“The WSJ recently wrote that "deficits finally matter." Hmmm. They have mattered for a long time.”

And the U.S. is not alone in this. Not at all. “In 2025, total global debt is projected to reach $322.9 trillion. This represents a significant increase compared to previous years.”

“A total of 52 countries—almost 40 per cent of the developing world are in “serious debt trouble.”

“Debt distress now looms over more than half of the 68 low-income countries eligible for the International Monetary Fund’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust – more than double the number in 2015…In 2023, developing nations paid $847 billion in net interest, a 26% increase from 2021…When governments must prioritize debt repayments over public services and investments, people pay the price. Schools are underfunded, hospitals lack supplies and infrastructure crumbles. Yet, because existing debt workout mechanisms are inefficient and costly, most governments avoid default at all costs – even if it means sacrificing development goals and climate action. As a result, countries may not default on their debt, but they default on their development.”

“If debt repayments become impossible, a government typically has to ‘declare default,’ letting its creditors know that further repayments under the original terms are no longer possible. Debt defaults cause substantial and long-lasting economic damage…For ordinary people, a default means higher food costs from inflation, as the government prints money to cover its costs. It means unemployment, as businesses and government agencies cut spending. And it means reductions in essential services such as health care and education. All this increases political pressure on a government to resolve the default as rapidly as possible…Protracted debt restructurings have real impacts on the lives of the people in the country affected. These burdens fall most heavily on the poorest—poor families focus on food and fuel and cut back spending on what they see as non-essentials, such as education and visits to health care clinics. This leads to increased poverty, decreases in national GDP, lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality rates, and more human suffering.”

“1) Poorly managed nations get too drunk on debt, and then 2) debase their currency to pay their debt; thereafter, 3) inflation comes, followed by 4) rising rates to fight that inflation, which in turn means 5) higher debt service costs, which means 6) more inflationary currency creation is rolled out to pay those higher rates.”

So, we are in a global debt crisis, and the U.S. is right there in the middle of it. The U.S. is not invulnerable to economic realities, nor is it “too big to fail.” What American political leaders on both sides of the aisle have been doing for decades is simply operating on a perceived unlimited credit card designed to give the people what they want – no matter if it is unhealthy, unaffordable, unwise, unsustainable – simply to keep officials in office.

The Department of Government Efficiency was created by President Trump’s executive order on January 20, 2025, to directly address this issue. DOGE was tasked with reducing federal spending and improving operational efficiency. The initiative sought to achieve savings by eliminating wasteful contracts, reducing agency budgets, and streamlining operations, or by what we’ve heard often, identifying and cutting waste, fraud, and abuse.

As of April 20, 2025, the DOGE website claims it has, so far, saved $160 billion or $993.79 per taxpayer. Probably the most high-profile action has been eliminating USAID, though many more departments have been shuttered, and as of April 14, 2025, the second Trump administration announced more than 275,000 federal civil service layoffs. These cuts represent about 12% of the 2.4 million civilian federal workers. 

Now in a perfect world as they say, this all makes sense. It’s logical, isn’t it? If the U.S. government is woefully bloated, irresponsibly allowing waste, fraud, and abuse, and either way, up past its ears in unsustainable debt, shouldn’t we take action to reduce the financial bleeding? Any reasonable business would do so. If you’re in over your head, you cut costs, and you don’t wait, you act.

This is what DOGE, with the President’s direction, has done. But how have people reacted? Media have cried about every job that’s been cut. Now as I’ve said before, there is no easy way to hear you’ve lost your job. It is a severance, a sometimes necessary one that, frankly, is not the end of the world as we know it.

DOGE is not there to secure, reinforce, protect, or expand government employment. DOGE is not there to preserve everyone’s job who is working for the federal government. DOGE is there to protect the government, or more specifically, to preserve and protect the future of the United States.

Certainly, it is far easier to add jobs than to reduce them. No one likes participating in a reduction in force, but those who sidestep this necessity when the writing is on the wall eliminate not just a job but everyone’s jobs if not the organization itself.

I’m not arguing that every decision DOGE has made or will make is without flaw. DOGE has and will make mistakes, but these errors are missteps, not its mission. Overall, the point is to try to curtail the US multi-trillion national debt. This cannot be done without pain.

But DOGE is not the enemy. Debt is the enemy. Waste is the enemy. Fraud is the enemy. Abuse is the enemy. Corruption is the enemy.

Not doing anything to curtail the debt would be the inept thing to do. Not cutting waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, unnecessary bloated government programs would be the foolish thing to do. Not taking action now, while there’s still time, is to commit the nation to a future of brokenness and default, of “massive economic and social destabilization so that citizens would beg for authoritarian control in exchange for survival.” Not to take action to reduce the size and power of the federal government bureaucracy is to consign the nation to historic inflation, a debilitated middle class, and increase in crime and drug use as desperate people do desperate things.

This is an Orwellian future of permanent dependence on the state that, trust me, we do not want.

DOGE is not the enemy. Our own profligacy is the enemy. 

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com. Or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers for more podcasts and video. 

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2025    

*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/ or my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers or https://x.com/RexMRogers.

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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 17 March 2025

Have you ever been in debt and tried to climb out of it? It’s not for sissies.

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #196 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

Not long ago, indeed in my lifetime, debt, especially what was called profligate living beyond one's means, was considered morally questionable or at least unwise. Families diligently attempted to avoid bad debt and to get out of debt. Amazingly, there was a time when even politicians worked to balance budgets.

Now, it seems, American culture not only tolerates but embraces debt. We think we are entitled to live our vision of the good life, or what we think society “owes” us. We want our cake and eat it too. We want, regardless of the cost to ourselves, our nation’s wellbeing, or our progeny.

We did not invent this suspect moral philosophy. It goes back to ancient civilizations. Yet as we’ve embraced the idea that one never has to pay the piper, we’ve conveniently forgotten that one of the reasons many of those ancient civilizations are “no more” is not a lack of natural resources nor absence of ingenuity, but their unwillingness to acknowledge basic economics. Many old empires crumbled under the weight of their own debt.

Interestingly, scripture never says debt is a sin, but it does strongly state that debt is dangerous: “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender” (Prov. 22:7). Scripture also states that one is responsible for one’s debts: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another” (Rom. 13:8). “The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously” (Ps 37:21).

I first spoke about debt in this podcast August 2022. At that time the U.S. National Debt had just surpassed $30 trillion for the first time ever. Now, the U.S. National Debt stands at $36.5 trillion. If you want to scare yourself, go to usdebtclock.org and look at the National Debt Clock. The debt does not really “stand.” It moves faster than you can count. In late 2025, the U.S. National Debt will reach 100% of the American GDP or Gross Domestic Product. Every day, the U.S. spends $2.6 billion in interest alone. "This amounts to over $106K per person in America."

We know what causes this debt: aging population, rising healthcare costs, higher interest rates, a tax system that does not bring in enough money to pay for what government promises citizens. But even more, its government spending wantonly on programs and initiatives offering little-to-no return on investment and not in the national interest. It is government largesse granted by both sides of the partisan aisle.

Recently, in a White House conversation with leaders of the Trump Administration, Elon Musk said, “Just the interest on the national debt now exceeds the Defense Department spending. We spend a lot on the Defense Department, but we're spending like $1 trillion on interest. If this continues, the country will go, become de facto bankrupt." What he is saying, and he is correct, is this trend is not sustainable.

“On November 12, (2024, President) Donald Trump announced…the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a newly created entity focused on reducing government expenditures, slashing regulations and enacting cost-cutting initiatives throughout the federal government.” DOGE has been working rapidly ever since, and as I write, has identified $105 billion in waste, fraud, or abuse, cutting programs and shutting down entire departments like USAID.

This kind of work—budget reduction, cost cutting, restructuring or re-engineering—is rare to the point of near-non-existent in government. Consequently, when you add political partisanship to the mix, this Trump Administration effort to put the U.S. on healthy financial footing has triggered scores of Chicken Littles running around saying, “The sky is falling.” And, it has made Elon Musk the new Hitlerian man to hate and at whom to level death threats, and a man accused of stealing, lying, and helping Trump destroy democracy.

Cal Thomas said it well: “Our problem is that too many Americans have become over-reliant on government to take care of them, while ignoring the old Puritan ethic of self-reliance. Politicians have been fine with this because it contributes to their careers and power. That attitude has contributed to our $36 trillion national debt and inflation, which the administration, with the help of Elon Musk and his DOGE squad, are trying to reduce.”

In business, there’s a job called “turnaround specialist.” This person, usually with a financial background, and usually not staying long in any one location or corporation, markets him or herself as the one who, when a company finds itself upside down and sinking fast financially, a corporate board appoints at the top with complete authority, charging the turnaround specialist with righting the corporate ship, with – hear this – saving the company. The turnaround specialist is not there to save jobs, not there to preserve traditions or honor the departed. The turnaround specialist is there to do what must be done inside the corporation to – hopefully – make it possible for the business to survive into the future.

This is not fun for the people who work there, in part because, generally speaking, 75% of an organization’s costs involve personnel, so if the turnaround specialist is going to make a dent in costs and debt, personnel jobs must be eliminated.

Years ago, when we lived near New York City and I was a newly appointed Vice President of Academic Affairs at a small college north of the city, I read about the renowned and redoubtable Macy’s department store, founded in 1858. Amazingly, this company known for its flagship store at Herald Square and for supporting the Thanksgiving Day Parade down Broadway, was on the rocks financially. Macy’s “filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on January 27, 1992, after which point its banks brought in a new management team, which shut several underperforming stores, jettisoned two-thirds of the luxury I. Magnin chain, and reduced Macy's to two divisions, Macy's East and Macy's West.”

That new management team included a “turnaround specialist.” I remember walking into our NY kitchen and saying to my wife, Sarah, “How would you like to be this guy’s wife?” People were booing, sneering, and whistling at the turnaround specialists’ spouse at the supermarket, and I believe there was even a case of slashed tires. In other words, while the specialist was very well paid, the public and many employees hated that guy. He did his job, rescued Macy’s, which thrives today, and then presumably he “got out of Dodge.”

When I served as president at Cornerstone University, we experienced a year like this in which, due to a drop in enrollment, we had to lay off several staff members. It was the hardest thing I was ever involved in as an administrative leader.

Be sure of this: it is not easy or pleasant to hear we have lost our job, and it is not easy or pleasant to inform someone they have lost their job. And unlike the turnaround specialist at a large corporation like Macy’s or DOGE in a massive U.S. government, I knew the people involved. It hurt. But to save the institution what we did had to be done. I remember the university Board saying to me later, “You’re young enough you’ll likely have to go through this again in your career.”

I thought, “Thanks a lot,” but I also discovered that four or five trustees had gone through layoffs in their company, two others had gone through this twice in their careers, and one, three times.

Recently, on a Fox news Bret Baier “Special Report” panel, panelist Jessica Tarlov challenged another panelist with “Well, how many people do you want to lay off?” She was trying to say that already, enough is enough, and the prospect of more federal employees being laid off was too great a hurt for her to imagine. She saw the exercise and she evaluated DOGE in terms of how many jobs would be saved. But this is not why DOGE exists.

Now again, it’s not easy or pleasant to lay people off. No one wants to do this, even turnaround specialists. But the goal here is not jobs, but how many dollars must be cut to reach a level of financial expenditure that gets the U.S. government budget to a sustainable level, where we know we’ve righted the ship? 

Losing a job is not fun. But it is not the end of the world. Losing a job is not capital punishment. A lot of us have experienced this somewhere along the way. And many who lose their federal jobs are being given significant severance, and they will find other jobs.

It’s much easier to spend money, to add to a budget deficit and a national debt, than it is to reduce spending and create a balanced budget and a workable national debt. Cutting will be unpleasant, but the goal is worth it.

It’s not unlike dieting. It’s easier to eat what we want and gain weight than it is to deny our desires and lose weight.

The national debt looms. It’s like a ticking time bomb just as dangerous as nukes. Do we have the moral fortitude to dismantle it for the good of our grandchildren?

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com. Or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers for more podcasts and video.

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2025  

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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 23 January 2023

Is back-breaking debt what’s going to bring the world to its knees in the End Times? 

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #65 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

During WWII, some of our forebears thought Hitler was the Antichrist and that he’d bring about the end of the world as we knew it. Given the level of evil he and the Nazis instituted in a roughly twenty-year reign of terror, I can’t say that I blame anyone for thinking this way.

During the Cold War with the USSR in the 1950s and 60s, we thought the end of the world might someday come from what we then called “thermo-nuclear war.” 

I remember the same concerns when I was in graduate school during the late 70s, early 80s, studying for degrees in political science. We talked about nuclear arms, MAD or Mutually Assured Destruction, ICBMs, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and a few other scenarios involving “nukes.” 

Interestingly, whether intellectuals speculated end of the world scenarios sourced in international geo-politics, vast armies, space age weaponry like “Star Wars,” or whether theologians drew them from biblical prophecy, most of us, as I recall, didn’t think about debt. 

Yet national debt, deficit spending, and unbalanced budgets are now among the greatest threats to future wellbeing in the West, if not the world.

Today, the United States is $31.5 Trillion in debt. I cannot comprehend this, and no offense, I’m guessing you can’t either.

In 2011, I wrote a similar piece like this on debt. The total national debt figure I used just twelve years ago was $15T, less than one-half what it is now. If you want to scare yourself, go to usdebtclock.org and look at the digital displays moving faster than you can count the dollars aloud.

America has the largest national debt in the world. With a population of over 333 million, that means a debt burden of $94,219 per citizen and equates to a US federal debt to gross domestic product or GDP ratio of 121.5%, according to USdebtclock.org. Think of the GDP as sort of the asset or positive side of the ledger, whereas debt, what’s owed, is the negative side. Clearly, at 121.5% we’re upside down. We owe more than we could presently pay.

Using 2022 statistics, other nations in the world are in a similar quandary. Japan has the highest public debt to GDP ratio of 288.31% and a national debt of $15.2T.

Italy carries $3.8T in national debt, against its GDP of 176.81%, followed by France's 130.64% ratio and debt of $3.7T. The United Kingdom debt load is $3.4T, giving it a ratio of 103.61%. Germany is similar with $3.4 trillion in debt, but the country's ratio is much lower at 76.46%. Canada and Russia also are all in debt with poor GDP ratios. 

Now that’s a lot of statistics, but the bottom line, pun intended, is that

“the world is in debt. A record amount of debt. Three hundred trillion dollars, to be exact…That number is about 349% of global gross domestic product, and the equivalent of $37,500 of debt for every single person in the world.”

“There is no easy way out of a global debt crisis…Avoiding a crisis will require unpopular actions and a “great reset” of policymaker mindset. That may mean more cautious lending, curbing overconsumption and restructuring projects or entities that don’t make a profit.”

For the US, “the possibility of reaching the self-imposed cap on how much money the US government can borrow currently looms large…Congress can avoid the partial government shutdowns, potential cash flow shortfalls and even the possibility of default by simply raising the ceiling as it has in the past.” 

But should the ceiling be raised, as it has so many times before?

Even the economic powerhouse China is looking at major trouble on the horizon. China “carries roughly a third of the debt load as the U.S. at $10.8T, with a public debt to GDP ratio of 61.94%.”However, because China’s government attempted to play God and control birthrates, forcing a one-child policy on Chinese families for the past sixty years, China now faces a huge demographic crisis with more people dying than are born. 

In 2015, the Chinese Communist leadership admitted their mistake in the one-child policy and has since been allowing all married couples to have two children. “Total births in China have now fallen for six straight years, and the United Nations’ middle-of-the-road projections find that by the end of the century, the country’s total population will have fallen below 800 million people, a level it hasn’t been since the late 1960s. Unlike then, when the median Chinese was in their highly productive early 20s, that smaller China will be far older.”

This nation of 1.4 billion people shrinking to 800 million represents a drop in economic power that is unimaginable. 

Finally, we’re coming to understand that demographics and economics go hand in hand, that government sterilization policies in China, that abortion on demand in the West, not only reduces population growth but reduces economic potential and prosperity.

Interesting isn’t it, that in the book of Genesis 1:27-28, it is recorded, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”

God’s will is for parents to procreate and produce children, and he blessed population growth.  

In 1798, an English cleric, Robert Malthus, “saw population growth as inevitable whenever conditions improved, thereby precluding real progress towards a utopian society…His philosophy gave birth to Malthusianism, the idea “that population growth is potentially exponential while the growth of the food supply or other resources is linear, which eventually reduces living standards to the point of triggering a population die off. This event (is) called a Malthusian catastrophe.”

Some birth control advocates and radical environmentalists have drawn from Malthus, considering humanity the problem that needs reduced or, oddly, eliminated.

Yet we see now that population growth and economic well-being go together, as God said, “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth.” 

And then there’s debt.

It could be that in God’s providence what finally gets the world’s attention is the need to pay the piper.

Debt can only so long be ignored. Look now at what’s happening in Iran. It may be rampant inflation and a broken economy, not simply political protests, that produces regime change.

The root of the debt problem worldwide, though, is not lack of resources or ingenuity. It is a problem of moral philosophy. The root of the debt problem is humanity’s unwillingness to live within our means, to not mortgage our children’s or our country’s future.

The Scripture tells us we are accountable to God for how we manage our assets, the time, talent, and treasure God gives us. Irresponsible debt is not part of this picture. The Bible says, "The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously," (Ps 37:21). Repaying our debts honors God and is the morally right thing to do. 

Debt enslaves us. “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender,” (Prov 22:7). Given our rapidly expanding national debt, the U.S. is in bad shape. 

But Doomsday Debt is not a given, and we should not give up hope. The problem can be fixed. We are blessed with resources, opportunity, ingenuity, and as long as Jesus’ tarries his coming, time.

Question is, can we redevelop the moral vision to do right and do well?

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com. 

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2023   

*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers

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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 09 January 2023

Have you wondered what socialist ideas can do to a society? I’ve met two men in my life who were born and spent their youth in Cuba, then had harrowing immigration stories about how their parents got them to America. What a difference this family sacrifice made upon their lives.

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #62 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life. 

Ever think much about Cuba? My guess is that if you have thought of Cuba, it was through the lens of Castro and Communism, or similar negative images. And that’s the sad point. Cuba is a story of what might have been.

Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, about the size of the state of Virginia. Actually, there are 4,000 smaller islands plus the larger island. The islands feature powdery white sand beaches and a turquoise-colored ocean. The main island is mostly grassy plains but also features beautiful mountains.

“Cuba was once known as the “Pearl of the Antilles” as it was the Spanish empire’s most-important source of raw sugar during the 18th century… Cuba is famous for its birdwatching, with over 350 different varieties of birds, two dozen of which are endemic...” And, of course, famous for its cigars.

Cuba is an incredibly beautiful environment, average temperature per year in the 70s and 80s. It’s another Florida – except for one critical difference.

Florida is free, democratic, and operates with a free enterprise capitalist economy. Cuba, since 1959, has been governed as a socialist country following Marxist-Leninist ideology.

“Those who crowded the streets of Havana in 1959, hoping that the fall of (Sergeant Fulgencio) Batista’s crony capitalism would usher in a period of human progress, have been sadly disappointed. Anyone interested in what prevents economic and human progress can learn many lessons from Cuba’s stagnation. Cuba joined the long list of countries where central planning and state ownership have turned out to be a detour on the route to progress and prosperity.” 

“The government in Cuba is a self-described socialist-Marxist regime, as proclaimed by Fidel Castro himself. It is a murderous, perennial abuser of human rights… 

(And note that) the American embargo does not prevent the world’s 195-plus other countries from trading with Cuba. For example, Canada and Spain have for decades prolifically traded with Cuba. The American embargo has never prevented food and medicines from reaching Cuba...What is shocking to me (in the face of this evidence) is how some Americans and one dominant U.S. political party actively advocate for socialism.”

“All these measures and actions of the government were accompanied by a demonization of capitalism, private enterprise and money making. Business enterprises, as well as money, were considered evil…Two years after the beginning of the revolution the economy entered into a major down spiral. 

Massive unemployment developed; inflation became out of control; all commercial and industrial production was paralyzed. The country rapidly followed this socialist phase with a Marxist-Leninist period with rationing of most products, militarization of society, alliance with the Soviet Union, conflict with the United States and the migration of more than 2 million Cubans. The economy never recovered. The middle and upper classes were destroyed, and the workers joined the ranks of the unemployed, underemployed or of the state, working for miserable wages.”

I mentioned my Cuban-American friends. One man noted that his father was a successful businessperson, a beachfront property owner, a man who later lost everything. His father saw it coming and with heavy heart made an incredible sacrifice for the good of his son, putting him on a boat to America, knowing he’d likely never see him again. The freedom, well-being, family, and faith my friend enjoys today would literally not have been possible without the irreversible gut-wrenching decision of his father.

Look at Florida and imagine what Cuba could have been. A free and democratic Cuba with a free enterprise economy would today be one of the wealthier nations in the world. Think of the resorts and villas in the Caribbean—celebrity and vacation homes in Jamaica, The Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, US Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, St. Barts, not to mention scores of privately held island getaways. But for socialist control and decimation, Cuba could be enjoying the same investment, the same prosperity.

Instead, Cuba’s experience is one of food rationing, fuel shortages, electricity blackouts, severe energy shortages, including gasoline and diesel, other petroleum derivatives, decreased use of automobiles, and an overall shrinking economy that introduced hardships and misery to the declining middle class and the poor.

All of this was made decidedly worse during the so-called Special Period, “an extended period of economic crisis in Cuba that began in 1991 primarily due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.” 

“People were forced to live without many goods and services that had been available since the beginning of the 20th century.” The period lasted to about 2000 when Venezuela emerged as a new trading partner.

“Cuba has a very sad history. It traded a regular dictatorship for a communist dictatorship six decades ago, and the results have been predictably awful. Oppression, persecution, rationing, spying, deprivation, and suffering are facts of life.”

Socialism, the false ideology that markets the supposed genius of government leaders is nothing more than a masquerade for coercion, tyranny, and theft – what’s yours is mine.

Many debate whether the United States is today a socialist economy and country. “More recently Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a handful of other politicians have breathed new life into the label, injecting a radical alternate vision for the U.S. economy into the mainstream political debate.” 

“Many think of socialism as no private property whatsoever, complete equality and the government controlling everything. That's communism - socialism is government control of only certain industries such as healthcare, education, or energy. In a socialist country, people privately own most things, but the government owns some other things. While communism promotes complete equality, socialism works to curb inequality with higher taxes on the wealthy.“

In America, the odd thing about socialism is that it seems to have the nine lives of a cat, never seeming to go away even though its historical record is one of abject suffering, misery, and failure, and in some cases evil.

The reason is that socialism is a litany of wrong ideas, values, and corruption. Governments that control capital are a half step from controlling people. Since socialism depends upon government, the ideology usually leads to authoritarianism. See North Korea and Venezuela.

Socialism destroys competition, and with it, incentive, accountability, and a fair determination of value. Socialism creates large bureaucracies that soon operate for their own concerns, emphasizing means over ends.

“Force, and all of the negative consequences that it inspires, is inherent to a system that is so much at odds with individual values and human nature.  This, probably more than anything else, is what explains the atrocities associated with socialism in the 20th century.” The bottom line is, socialism does not work, and Cuba is exhibit #A in the Western Hemisphere.

Cuba is a story of what might have been. God grant that the US remains a story of what ought to be.

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com. 

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2023

*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers.