Ideas for Consideration

Ideas about money...

How Rich is Rich Enough?

Richard A. Kauffman (Christian Century)

A short article that postulates that the desire to continue gaining more money when already rich doesn't come from the desire to spend, but instead from the desire for power.  

Ending Poverty With Global Christianity's Phantom Trillion

Christopher Cocca (Huffington Post US)

Uses a stat that suggests that Christians' total income is about $10 trillion and then notes what a tithe (10% of income) could pay for.  He suggests that this amount could erradicate poverty worldwide.  Cocca notes that getting all of Christianity to mobilize will be difficult ("impossible" is the word he uses), but also suggests that Jesus commanded it and the promised the Holy Spirit.  These two facts should make a difference.  Suggests Christians can erradicate poverty, but we don't.  

 

Countdown with Keith Olbermann Commentary (Current TV)

This video showed up in the Cocca article above.  The multiple camera angles are irritating, but it raises a couple of interesting points.  Most important is the idea that helping others does not mean doing “everything” but instead doing “something.”  Secondly, is the idea of compromise and presents the idea that compromise is problematic when it is spurred by “manufactured political crisis.”  It is specific to the US debt ceiling and I am Canadian, but these ideas hopefully have big picture resonance.    

Part 1 http://current.com/shows/countdown/videos/dont-cut-care-mr-president-pt-1

Part 2 http://current.com/shows/countdown/videos/dont-cut-care-mr-president-pt-2

Rupert Murdoch: Bible Mogul

Will Braun (Geez)

Notes that Rupert Murdoch, who is dealing with the phone hacking scandal, also owns Christian publisher Zondervan.  Suggests that this presents Christians with a complex problem.  Christians should consdier who profits as they spend their money on Bibles and books. 

Ideas about media...

Media Give No Presumption of Innocence

Patricia J. Williams (NPR)

Argues that people give more credence to a news reporter, comedian, or commentator than to the rule of law and the American assumption of innocence rather than guilt.  She does not shy away from high profile cases, using both Casey Anthony and Domic Strauss-Kahn.  Each case is an example of conviction by media leading to public outrage when there is no criminal conviction.  Suggests that freedom of the press has become "anything goes."

Why a Free Press Need Not Push Ethics to the Edge

David Schneiderman (Huffington Post Canada)

Suggests that for the free press to be "free" it must also be ethical.  This story relates particularly to the UK haking scandal and Murdoch's response.

Ideas about politics...

How Much Money Will It Take to Make the Problem Go Away
Stephen Colbert (The Comedy Network)

Colbert satarizes the idea that money does not effect political discourse.  I expect this video only works in Canada, but Comedy Central likely (which I cannot access) has this episode as well.  It was aired on July 18.

What The Word 'Compromise' Really Means

Geoff Nunberg (NPR)

Describes "compromise" as having two meanings: lax moral principles or a willingness to negotiate.  Suggests that absolute unwillingness to compromise also may indicate a person's morality.

Ideas about rights...

The Sacred and the Humane Anat Biletzki (New York Times)

Questions whether there is a difference between religious work for human rights and secular work for human rights and whether a possible difference is important.  Suggests that the difference is that religion posits "image of God" as the reason for human dignity while secularism suggests human rights is what defines dignity.  This means that when religion and secularism conflict, it is difficult to discuss the conflict because of different starting points.

Above the Law

W5 (CTV)

A Canadian documentary about whether police officers accused of crimes are given preferential treatment over civilians charged with similar crimes.  It highlights an Ontario civilian (SIU) group that investigates accusations against police and whether it was able to and what can be learned from a similar system with the police ombudsman in Northern Ireland.  Part 2 references Part 1.