How the Message of the Bible is lost in United States Economic 1
How the Message of the Bible is lost in United States Economics
Daelyn Phillips
GOVT 200, C01
The United States government was founded on September 17, 1787, when the constitutional
convention adopted the Constitution. This document created a strong federal government with a
How the Message of the Bible is lost in United States Economic 2
system of checks and balances to avoid tyranny like what was experienced under the rule of
Great Britain. There were many sources that the United States Constitution was derived from and
one of those was the Bible. Unlike the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution does not
outright mention God, but His influence is still present. The Constitution acknowledges the
innate human need for law and order and displays itself as superior to other man-made laws. The
division of power that was created in this document is a reference to the division of power that
Moses’ was told to create in Exodus 18:17-22.
Since the creation of the federal government, two individual parties have been developed.
The Republican party and the Democratic party make up two sides of the United States
government, both of which have different views on economic policies. The morals, beliefs, and
values of each of the political parties are different. The Republican party believes in liberty,
preserving traditional American values, economic prosperity, and providing the American dream
to all of the United States citizens. The Democratic Party believes in equality for every American
no matter their differences, universal health care, a progressive tax system, and a mixed
economy. These two different systems of beliefs make up the current division in the government
today.
The Bible is one of the most influential documents in the world and provides the
foundation for the economic policies that should be at the forefront of the nation. The Bible
teaches that first and foremost God is our sole provider. He is responsible for attending to our
needs and when we believe in Him, we know He will always provide for us. This foundational
principle is one that is overlooked by both parties in different ways. The Republicans believe
against government spending and intervention in the economy, while the Democrats think the
government should regulate the economy and fund social programs with taxation money. The
How the Message of the Bible is lost in United States Economic 3
Democratic party believes that the rich should be taxed, while the Republican party is against
this. The Democrats intended for the money taken from the rich to be implemented into the
welfare system supplying a large portion of capable citizens who are able to work with free
money. Some of the people receiving welfare in the United States are able to work, but the
benefits given by the government outweigh the desire to work a menial job. 2 Thessalonians 3:10
states “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: The one who is not
willing to work, he should not eat”. Although there are disadvantages to the United States
welfare system, it is still advantageous to the government and to the American citizens who truly
cannot work.
Another way the United States economy has overstepped biblical principles is through the
Federal Reserve. Created in 1914, the role of the Federal Reserve is to manage the United States
monetary policy, regulate bank holding companies, and monitor the systemic risk in the financial
system. The reserve is meant to preserve stable prices and lower unemployment. These jobs of
the Federal Reserve are not always done with Biblical principles in mind. The Reserve allows for
higher inflation rates for consumer goods and services not maintaining stable prices. The ability
of the Federal Reserve to increase inflation is against what the Bible says because the increase in
prices is at the expense of the American people. Deuteronomy 25:13 says “Do not have two
differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light. Do not have two differing measures in your
house—one large, one small. You must have accurate and honest weights and measures”. This
principle can be related to the Federal Reserve because when the Federal Reserve raises the
money supply the people who are able to use the new money before prices increase are at an
advantage over someone who uses their money later when the prices are much higher for the
How the Message of the Bible is lost in United States Economic 4
same product or service. This system disproportionately affects the poor and goes against the
Bible’s ideas of fairness.
In conclusion, the United States was founded on the principles established in the
Constitution which was greatly influenced by the Bible. As the nation continued to grow,
however, those biblical principles became overshadowed, and the creation of the two-party
system and the Federal Reserve was formed without the Bible’s influence. The Democratic and
Republican parties are driven by their differing belief systems which at some point included
references to the Bible but have since shifted creating policies that are not aligned with God’s
word. The Federal Reserve is also responsible for going against the Bible’s principles of inflation
and weights and measures. The economic policies of the United States are not fully aligned with
biblical principles and the tension is evident in the challenges of the people of this nation.
How the Message of the Bible is lost in United States Economic 5
References
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com
Fischer, Kahlib J. (2020) "Biblical Principles of Government and Criminal Justice,"
Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/jspp/vol1/iss1/3
Hazlitt, H. (2010). Economics in One Lesson. Random House Digital Inc.
https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/books/9780307760623
McBride, J., Siripurapu, A., & Berman, N. (2022, November 8). What Is the U.S. Federal
Reserve? Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-us-
federal-reserve
Moore, S., Mulligan, C., & Antoni, E. J. (2022, December 18). It pays not to work in
Biden’s America thanks to welfare benefits. New York Post.
https://nypost.com/2022/12/18/it-pays-not-to-work-in-bidens-america-thanks-to-welfare-
benefits/
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