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Biblical Principles of Government (5b)

Release Date: 04/10/2024

Principle Perspective with Mike Winther

As Mike Winther continues his Biblical Principles of Government series, we'll explore practical components about how the world works while increasing our intellectual inquiry. All of this is so we can gain a better understanding of how we can make a difference. He kicks off the show by discussing whether the topics covered in the series really matter. For many Christians, they don't. Everything is already seen as a foregone conclusion. This is a view that people have held since the second century AD. If your answer is yes, this matters, then what are you going to do? This lecture will...

Biblical Principles of Government (7b)

Principle Perspective with Mike Winther

Mike Winther continues his conversation from last week about charity, highlighting God's plan for generosity and the importance of sharing. He differentiates between God's model of voluntary charity and the concept of forced charity, such as Marxism, which he claims is not genuine charity. He compares the government's approach to God's model, beginning the episode by referencing scriptural passages that outline God's vision. Mike also examines God's "safety net," which includes working, helping one's family, and seeking support from the church. Another critical topic he dives into is the...

Biblical Principles of Government (7a)

Principle Perspective with Mike Winther

In this discussion, Mike Winther explores the significant topic of charity. Mike approaches this subject with caution to ensure that our actions align not only with our intentions but also with what God intends. He discusses the arguments for both large and small government structures, highlighting two main reasons why government expansion occurs. Mike examines what the Bible says about charity and assisting the poor, and he contrasts God’s model of charity with that of Karl Marx. Additionally, Mike addresses the issue of inflation, the increase in the money supply, and rising prices. We...

Biblical Principles of Government (6b)

Principle Perspective with Mike Winther

This episode of the series begins by discussing the 2007 and 2008 housing bubble, a topic that remains highly relevant today. During that period, prices were skyrocketing and interest rates were low, leading people to refinance and sink deeper into debt. When the collapse occurred, proponents of big government blamed the free market and called for increased regulation. Mike dives into the causes of this housing bubble, highlighting the manipulation of interest rates, the pricing of money, and the economic stimulation by the Federal Reserve. He discusses how low interest rates and the selling...

Biblical Principles of Government (6a)

Principle Perspective with Mike Winther

Mike Winther kicks off Section 6a of "Biblical Principles of Government" with a poignant quote from Thomas Jefferson: "It's strangely absurd to suppose that a million human beings collected together are not under the same moral laws which bind each of them separately." This assertion underlines the principle of The Collective Application of God's Commands. Mike dives into the concepts of individualism and collectivism, explaining individualism as dealing with individuals, whereas collectivism addresses the group as a whole. He highlights the role of government as a collective entity that...

Biblical Principles of Government (5b)

Principle Perspective with Mike Winther

Biblical Principles of Government (5a)

Principle Perspective with Mike Winther

In the words of Samuel Adams, one of the fathers of the American Revolution, The natural rights of the colonists are these: first, a right to life; secondly, to liberty; thirdly, to property; and lastly, to support and defend them in the best manner they can. Our journey began with the theme of origins, followed by the theme of nature. Tonight, we turn our attention to property. We will explore the biblical view of property, define what property is, discuss how we manage property, and debate whether private property should exist. We dive into the multifaceted concept of property through a...

Biblical Principles of Government (4b)

Principle Perspective with Mike Winther

In this section of Mike Winther’s class on Biblical Principles of Government. Mike dives into economics with the goal of making economics useful to us. We explore the strategies communist leader Khrushchev purportedly advocated for undermining our economy through the gradual introduction of socialism. Mike emphasizes how societal readiness for change often emerges from discontent with the current state of affairs, suggesting that instigating dissatisfaction is a precursor to change. The lecture covers both microeconomics and macroeconomics, with Mike providing a tangible example of...

Biblical Principles of Government (4a)

Principle Perspective with Mike Winther

Welcome to Section 4a of Mike Winther's continuing lecture series on the Biblical Principles of Government. In this segment, Mike embarks on an examination of Samuel Chapter 8, focusing on the events following the Israelites' entry into the promised land, which was preceded by a significant 40-year period of wandering in the wilderness. This period began after the Israelites sent spies to scout the land of Canaan, and, upon receiving a discouraging report, the majority chose not to trust in God’s promise. Contrarily, only two spies, Caleb and Joshua, remained optimistic and faithful to...

Biblical Principles of Government (3b)

Principle Perspective with Mike Winther

Mike Winther continues his series of lectures on the Biblical Principles of Government. Today, we dive into the sources of authority. God is identified as a source of authority, a truth we understand through scripture. The Bible is also proposed as the foundation for authority within family governance, as well as in civil and church contexts. If God is not considered the source of authority, then who or what would fill that role? He discusses democracy and the principle of majority rule. Mike draws a distinction between large-scale (big) government and small-scale (small) government,...

More Episodes

Last week, Mike Winther discussed the biblical view of property, the definition of property, and the question of whether private property should even exist. Throughout this series of lectures, he has been using the example of an island to illustrate each concept.

Today, we return to the island to vote on redistributing money from the island's wealthy family to its poorer counterpart. In essence, our island has adopted a somewhat socialist approach, redistributing wealth from the rich to the poor. This change necessitates the introduction of an IRS agent and a social worker, leading to decreased production. Winther continues by demonstrating the impact of varying governmental forms on the real economy.

We explore concepts such as distributional and motivational loss. Mike dives into discussions on charity, the socialist model, and biblical principles aimed at preventing the vicious cycle of loss. He also outlines the reasons socialism is considered flawed, both biblically and in practical terms. Eventually, he comes back to the importance of property rights.

You’ll Learn:

[00:43] One family on the island is highly productive. They are rich. There's also a poor family who isn't as productive.
[01:40] Our system then becomes socialist where we take from the rich and give to the poor.
[02:35] We then have to audit the productivity of every family on the island.
[03:27] One person is in charge of redistributing wealth.
[04:45] Removing one family to be the redistributors of wealth creates less for everyone, because that family isn't productive anymore.
[07:59] 40% of Americans are employed redistributing wealth.
[08:37] Socialist economies have motivational loss and distribution loss.
[11:31] The Socialist model for taking care of the poor reduces economic capacity.
[12:10] We need to understand why there is poverty.
[14:24] Socialism violates property rights.
[15:07] Three of The Ten Commandments actually assume a positive role of private property.
[23:14] Mike discusses a Biblical example of voluntary gifts of wealth.
[23:57] The free market is voluntary. Karl Marx and socialism are mandatory.
[24:09] Reasons why socialism is wrong: 1. It violates property rights. 2. Requires the government to operate outside its bounds. 3. There's no God in the system.
[27:29] Why are people poor? They're poor because of poor governmental systems and the economy's created by those systems.
[28:14] How to create poverty. Have a government that makes it hard to accumulate tools or excess production. Without property rights and holding title, improvements can lead to confiscation.
[30:03] Mike talks about the dangers of inflating the money supply.
[31:08] Contracts need to be enforced in order to grow wealth.
[32:00] We are poor with socialist governments. We are poor with no property rights.
[32:40] Our founding fathers said the most important right was the right to property.
[36:56] Governmental regulations can sometimes be used to pass the buck.
[37:50] Having the government solve every problem is the definition of statism.
[38:44] A Laissez-faire economy is a leave us alone economy or free market.
[44:16] How a market economy is able to actually create goods. The term is called the invisible hand or the hand of God.

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