Gary North, in my opinion, is the clearest writer on how Biblical Law and Economic theory mesh together. Few people have the depth understanding that Gary North, in my opinion, is the clearest writer on how Biblical Law and Economic theory mesh together. Few people have the depth understanding that North does in either of these vital subjects, let alone both of them. Above all, however, is how he combines his knowledge with unflagging discipline to write commentaries that highlight the economic aspects of God's Word revealed in the Bible. The Dominion Covenant was one of the first North books I read and started me on an intellectual journey to understand my Bible in a new light. This led into further study with the Austrian economist who, although many are secular authors, capture many points economically that God previously revealed in the Bible. North is a treasure of truth in a sea of lies and I appreciate his efforts to shine Light in a dark world.
For instance, North's explanation on the Austrian marginal revolution and Mises's theories of monetary policies are second to none. Dominion Covenant is the first in the series of Biblical Commentaries and a great place to start on your journey to unpack Biblical and Economic truths. I highly recommend anything North writes for even when one disagrees with him, he makes a person think deeper about the underlying principles at stake....more
Charles Murray's book pinpoints the unraveling of America's community over the last 50 years and shares a plan for its restoration. It's one of the feCharles Murray's book pinpoints the unraveling of America's community over the last 50 years and shares a plan for its restoration. It's one of the few books that I purchased and read within the week. Truthfully, it was hard to put down!
Although many believe that the complex challenges facing us today cannot be solved through the lens of the American founder's virtues, Murray writes:
I take another view: The founders were right. The success of America depended on virtue in the people when the country began and it still does in the twenty-first century. America will remain exceptional only to the extent that its people embody the same qualities that made it work for the first two centuries of its existence. The founding virtues are central to that that kind of citizenry.
Murray found that people with satisfying work; a happy marriage; a high social trust community; and a strong religious foundation are more likely to be happy than people without these four attributes. Of the four, in fact, a happy marriage is the factor that generates the biggest improvement in someone's happiness score. I can speak on marriage and happiness both personally, experiencing first-hand the changes in happiness when Laurie and I improved our own marriage, and professionally, witnessing many couples improve their marriage and subsequently, their happiness over the years.
Coming Apart reveals that only 10% of respondents who are unmarried, unhappy in jobs, profess no religion, and have low social trust describe themselves as genuinely happy. When a good job is added, the number of respondents stating they were happy increased to 20%. A happy marriage, however, jumped the total to 60% sharing they were happy. The final two attributes - high social trust communities and strong religious faith increased the respondents scores an additional 10% each. Thus, from a baseline of 10% of respondents being happy, over 80% of the people who had all four attributes stated they were sincerely happy. That's an eight times improvement! This is a significant increase and enough to make even the most skeptical of people pause and ponder.
If America desires to restore its degenerating culture, Murray has just provided the blueprint. Hopefully, it isn't too late. ...more
