Jesus - Captain of Industry!

For weeks now I have been wanting to write a short piece on the relationship between the US budget deficit and the balance of trade between the US and China. China buys large amounts of US debt to fix the yuan to the US dollar. Normally, in the face of massive trade deficits the dollar would drop relative to the yuan making the price of US goods go down in relative terms and increasing demand for US products in China which would reduce the swelling trade deficit. However, by purchasing large amounts of US debt, the Chinese have helped keep US interest rates low and the price of the yuan near the dollar so that the trade deficit remains large. Anyway, I was going to write something on this until I heard Dr. D. James Kennedy, Senior pastor of Coral Ridge ministries, depositor of 5,000lb block of 10 commandments inscribed granite and promoter of odd ball “Christian” theology.

For background on Coral Ridge check out this post from earlier this year.
http://guerrilladove.blogspot.com/2004/11/why-dont-people-love-us-part-2.html

Anyway, Dr. Kennedy went off on Sunday (as he does on most Sundays) on the evils of Communism and Socialism. The upshot of his commentary seemed to be that Jesus was a hard core capitalist and that God really wants us to accumulate massive amounts of private wealth. While we may choose to use our accumulated wealth for “Charity” there is nothing that says we have to, it's strictly voluntary. Further Dr. Kennedy stated, “God defends private property with his flaming sword of his own [4th] commandment.” He also pointed out that the early church in Jerusalem blew it by sharing everything thus leaving themselves so poor that the Apostle Paul had to go around asking for money from the other churches to support these early proto socialists. Woof!

You know, you watch this guy preaching to a squeaky clean audience of thousands in an enormous ultra modern church and you can begin to see why Kennedy’s followers see Jesus more as a captain of industry and militaristic anti-communist rather than as an itinerant Jewish rabbi. I hope Jesus is taking notes. No more of this walking around and hanging out with the fisherman, tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, and other outcasts. Kennedy makes it clear, Christianity is a top drawer high end affair. As I was getting ready to leave I thought Kennedy was about to promote the virtues of no money down real estate investing using a revolutionary new system that involved voluntarily giving all of your money to Coral Ridge ministries.

Anyway, for any of you budding theology students out there I strongly suggest you start getting in touch with the real Jesus, the one in the Brooks Brothers suit with the cell phone plastered to his ear issuing buy and sell orders to his haggard broker.