Brothers' and Sisters' Keepers?

We hear angry barking: let the dumb and rapacious fools who got in over their heads financially sink all the way down, out of sight and into nothingness. We also hear, on the other hand, that virtuous people will keep in mind and reach out a hand to hard-luck losers, whether they brought financial troubles on themselves or suffered for others' flaws and follies.

Clearly, individuals and the citizenry have to make some discriminations. Thus, if every Christian literally followed Jesus and literally sold and gave to the poor, the fabric of finance and society would be stretched and torn and even our woebegone economy would lapse into chaos. If I handed over a generous amount to even every fifth homeless person within a one-mile radius, a person with outstretched arm ending with a cup, what is left of our retirement funds would disappear as fast as it does on what's left of the stock market. Whether religiously or prudentially . . .even the most generous make discriminations.

One of the reasons we live in and profit from societies is the fact that we get help in the discriminating and in the support. One thing we learn in the present mortgage mess is that, while some in folly and madness speculated and lost much or all, and don't seem deserving, millions were themselves virtuous and un-foolish, but were conned by lenders who exploited them and pocketed the change, drawing bonuses at the end of the year. Wherever we can sort out the stories, it is possible to be a sisters' keeper even among sisters we do not know personally, and still make judgments and serve generously.

I mention prudence, since the morality in question and prudence of pragmatism can be webbed, so it's time to note that in this case being generous through governmental social policy -- ouch! even when we weren't asked -- can leave the nation better off than if foreclosures, unemployment, stock losses, and setbacks occur only to people who were foolish. The economy is worse off than if we can figure out ways to use intelligence and vision and even a warm heart in efforts to keep citizens fiscally afloat and alive. The price of many going down can be that every one goes down. But as we sink, some will find pleasure in indiscriminately judging all whose investments went sour to be cheaters.

By Martin Marty  |  March 5, 2009; 5:27 AM ET
Share This: Technorati | Del.icio.us | Digg | Facebook
Previous: A Religious Obligation To Help All Those Suffering -- Not Just The Poor | Next: Erring on the Side of Compassion

The comments to this entry are closed.