The game of Monopoly debuted in 1935 during a time of financial recovery after a steep economic downturn called the Depression from which we’ve never really recovered since government intervention created the Depression and every economic downturn since. A similar game was developed Elizabeth (Lizzie) J. Magie Phillips in 1903. The Landlord’s Game, as it was called, was self-published in 190 [...]

Pope Francis has received numerous accolades from the faithful. One area where Pope Francis gets poor marks is in economics. It’s hard to take economic advice from someone who has taken a vow of poverty, never owned a business, and lives off the donations of people who have not taken a vow of poverty and who own and/or work for businesses that make it possible for the Vatican, College of Cardinals [...]

John Stossel has been a consistent spokesman for free market economics. Thomas Sowell recommends Stossel’s latest book No, They Can’t! as a great Christmas gift. I agree. “It is written with a light touch, but gets across some pretty heavy stuff about economics. The title is a take-off on Obama’s old slogan, ‘Yes, we can!’” Sowell adds the following: “It is the first book I have read t [...]

More pastors are speaking out on the relationship between the Bible and politics. Unfortunately, some of them are creating a false dichotomy between the gospel and everything else, including politics. The gospel is the first step not the final step in regeneration. That’s why it’s called the “new birth.” The writer of Hebrews calls on his readers to leave behind “the elementary teaching about the [...]

In 2000, John MacArthur wrote a book with the title Why Government Can’t Save You. ((John MacArthur, Why Government Can’t Save You: An Alternative to Political Activism (Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, 2000).)) When this book first appeared, I wrote that I didn’t know any Christians who believed government can or should save us. The subtitle led the reader to believe that getting involved politica [...]

“I think that you could define [Jesus] as a Utopian communist, where people would work together to solve our problems,” Modine told The Christian Post. I’m all for working together to solve our problems. But that’s not Communism. Communism is forcing people to work for the goals of the State, and the State is a bunch of elites who claim they know what’s best for all of us. In the end, it’s these l [...]

There is a reason we call the revelation given to us from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 the “Bible.” The Greek word biblos (βίβλος) — from which we get the English word Bible — means “book.” The Bible is one book even though it has 66 (39 + 27) individual parts. No single verse can be properly explained and understood without considering it in the light of the whole Bible. No verse can or should stan [...]

The American Family Association is promoting a “Naughty or Nice?” Christmas campaign by listing the top retailers and how they recognize Christmas. There are three categories: 1. Companies that use the term “Christmas” on a regular basis are considered Christmas-friendly. 2. Companies that refer to Christmas infrequently, or in a single advertising medium, but not in others. 3. Compani [...]

Let’s get something straight. The only money that government has, it takes from people who work for a living. The only money government has to lend, it took from you and me. In a way, when these student loans are paid back, the money should go back to the people who had their money taken from the government to make the loans. When we borrow money from a lending institution, we have to pay that mon [...]

I was wondering when liberals were going to bring Jesus into the discussion about taxing the rich. Christians are labeled ‘theocrats’ and ‘dominionists’ when they quote the Bible, but when a liberal appeals to Jesus she’s being compassionate. The latest is an article written by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite who is a professor at the mostly liberal Chicago Theological Seminary. Apparently there’s Chi [...]

The article “Conservatism that Assures the Unthinkable: the Reelection of Barack Obama,” by Chuck Rogér, that appeared on the American Thinker website caught my attention: “As America flirts with permanent economic decline, certain GOP presidential contenders talk of gay marriage, Charles Darwin, and religiosity. Are we losing our minds? “While the current progressive regime is rife wi [...]

Social Security is in the news as presidential candidates jockey for political position. What you don’t know about Social Security may surprise you. Gary DeMar takes a look at the socialist history of this government pyramid scheme in this edition of Vantage Point! [...]

The word ’economics’ is made up of two Greek words: oikos and nomos. House and law. Literally it means, the lawful ordering of a household, whether that household is small or large. Today’s civil officials believe that through legislation that they can break these divine laws. In today’s episode of Vantage Point, Dr. DeMar examines the economic principles behind social secu [...]

Dominionism is still in the news. Jack Cafferty brought it up on his rarely watched TV show. Then there are the current links to Katherine Yurica’s 2004 article “The Despoiling of America: How George W. Bush Became the Head of the New American Dominionist Church/State.” Quoting from J. J. Ligon Duncan’s 1994 article “Moses’ Law for Modern Government, that cites Kenneth L. Gentry’s book God’s [...]

Former theist and now self-avowed atheist Dan Barker, who is co-president of the Freedom of Religion Foundation, promoted a “Beware of Dogma” campaign using billboards that also included the line “Imagine No Religion,” borrowed from John Lennon’s atheist national anthem “Imagine.” I wonder if the FRF’s call for everyone to “beware of dogma” includes the dogma of atheism which is funded by my tax d [...]

Wealthy people get a bum rap. In spite of the higher taxes they already pay, most people are in favor of punishing them for their wealth by taxing them even more. The truth is that wealthy people have made possible many of our modern technological advances as well as creating most people’s jobs. Watch this edition of Vantage Point for a biblical view of wealth and economy. [...]

What is the first principle of economics? Some economists will claim that it’s supply and demand, while others insist that it’s scarcity or the division of labor. The first principle of economics is “thou shalt not steal.” The word economics is derived from two Greek words: oikos, meaning “house,” and nomos, meaning “law.” Combined we get “rules or laws of the house.” Economics is ethical before i [...]

Some claim that the first rule of economics is supply and demand, others insist that it is scarcity. Neither of these answers is correct. Want to find out if you know the correct answer? Watch Vantage Point now to find out! [...]

Shortly after Congressman Paul Ryan’s appearance at the 2011 Faith and Freedom Conference in D.C., a Bible-waving protester confronted the Chairman of the House Budget Committee and questioned him for modeling his proposed budget after “the extreme ideology of Ayn Rand rather than the basic economic justice values of the Bible.” The protestor offered Ryan a Bible and advised him to “bone up on wha [...]

Many conservatives look to Ayn Rand to help determine their economic policy. Her book “Atlas Shrugged” was influential in the recent Tea Party movement. Rand’s ideologies are not consistent with her atheistic worldview and as Christians we don’t need Rand to form our economic policies. Watch this episode of Vantage Point for a more detailed examination of the writings of Ay [...]