Is Christianity Too “Corporate” To Address the Financial Divide
Christianity, evangelical, pop, orthodox, or progressive, is often covered in the press for its fight over issues of gender, sexuality, or abortion. Some state legislatures full of orthodox or evangelical Christians that are legislating their religious beliefs effecting the health rights of women in order to extend rights to the unborn who are not yet voters, workers, or tax payers much less Christians. Some state legislatures full of orthodox or evangelical Christians that are legislating their religious beliefs effecting the marriage equality of the lives of men and women who are current voters, workers, and tax payers, some Christian and some not. Why are these same state legislatures not addressing the financial divide that exists between the corporations and their citizens? A real threat to American democracy is the continued growing power of the corporation be it based in the United States or the multi-national corporation that can borrow in America and hire in countries that sustain their upper class and governing class through low wage jobs for their citizens. Sometimes it feels like some is both of our political patries, Democrat and Republican, are trying to create that same situation in the United States. Walmart may have cheap goods, but in small towns where Walmart exists it is carrying on the proud tradition of the old coal companies where workers work for the company and spend their wages in the company store. In the end, Walmart gets the dough and pays most its employees at part-time workers with few if any benefits. When I have a choice I never shop there. I wonder if Christianity, local and global, has become too “corporate” in its structure and world view to address the issue of the economic divide that exists in this country and in many countries around the world.
Recovery in U.S. Is Lifting Profits, but Not Adding Jobs
by Nelson D. Schwartz | The New York Times | March 3, 2013With the Dow Jones industrial average flirting with a record high, the split between American workers and the companies that employ them is widening and could worsen in the next few months as federal budget cuts take hold. . . With millions still out of work, companies face little pressure to raise salaries, while productivity gains allow them to increase sales without adding workers.
“So far in this recovery, corporations have captured an unusually high share of the income gains,” said Ethan Harris, co-head of global economics at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “The U.S. corporate sector is in a lot better health than the overall economy. And until we get a full recovery in the labor market, this will persist.”