That is the question we should be hearing in these uncertain economic times, but instead we are hearing, “_______ is to blame.” Fill in the blank (the President, Congress, the Red, the Blue, the Star-Bellied Sneetches, etc.). Right now there is a cry to hold the businesses accountable for their actions. They extended risky loans, so it is their fault. Let me remind us, “It takes two to tango,” or in this case, the dance requires many individuals to accept loans that they cannot possibly repay from institutions who were encouraged to make the loans. Who is better qualified to assess one’s personal financial situation, a business that makes loans to hundreds of thousands or the controller of one’s own checkbook? Don’t get me wrong, loaning money to someone without evaluating and considering the risk involved makes for poor business, but accepting such a loan is no better.
John Leo said, “You can’t run a society or cope with its problems, if people are not held accountable for what they do.” George Pataki said, “When government accepts responsibility for people, then people no longer take responsibility for themselves.”
Until an individual is held accountable for his own actions by other individuals, why would we ever presume to hold an organization accountable for its actions? Ultimately, someone must pay the price. The piper will not go unpaid, and I assure you, he is coming back for our children.
If we don’t hold an individual responsible for committing perjury, how can we hold Enron accountable for its lies?
If we don’t hold individuals responsible for their own credit card debt, how can we hold Fannie Mae accountable for making bad loans.
If we don’t hold young people accountable for their decisions to have sex, how can we hold O.J. Simpson accountable for killing his wife?
How can we exit this current situation?
Say what you want about the government’s contribution, the US exited the Great Depression by taking personal responsibility. In my high school American history class, I clearly remember the text describing the mindset of the day, “Americans believed that they could improve their standard of living by working hard and practicing thrift.” Today’s circumstances call for no government policy or program; it calls for personal responsibility. The government may have contributed to our current dilemma, but at the grass roots of this problem is many individuals making bad and selfish decisions and refusing to take responsibility for them. Instead we are blaming someone else.
It didn’t work out so well for Adam to blame someone else. Yes, Jesus Christ ultimately took responsibility and paid for Adam’s sin, but Adam still suffered some of the consequences. Now, we are asking the government to be crucified for our sins. Remember that government is not God, and I guarantee that it will not be as gracious a Redeemer as our God.
