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Project Employment Inc.
A Question: In October 2008 the economy of the whole world cames so close to a crash, that governments as in Australia have guaranteed all bank deposits. In September 2008 people in general could not imagine the economies of the world would come so close to "meltdown." The question is "Where have the Churches been in all of this?" Do they expect to sit on the sidelines without challenge to a world culture and lifestyle that is based upon debt? If they mean to criticise, what do they say and who hears them?
Project Employment Inc has been one "project" of endeavour to connect the working world, with the insights and contribution that could be made on a corporate, rather than an individual level, by the church. However, as a metaphor presented in the gospel says, "the Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed". The size of Project Employment Inc is akin to this.
Is there any relevance here? The fragility of the environment is demonstrated as carbon increases in the atmosphere daily. The fragiity of the work world is demonstrated by the impact of the US "sub prime" mortgage crisis.
According to a "Four corners" program on the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission), law in the US has allowed the practice of "predatory marketing" of loans to people without Income, jobs or assets. Because a higher interest could be charged for such loans the Brokers who sold them were paid a bonus from Wall St bankers who then paid a bonus to themselves as well. The loans were then onsold ASAP to investors, largely from overseas, who were ignorant of the risks. After a period the interest for such loans was automatically raised and inevitable foreclosure followed. Because there are now so many emptied houses, the value of housing has dropped and lenders have not been able to retrieve their money. It is said one in six homeowners in the US now owe more on their mortgage than their house is worth.
Where was a value system that could highlight the danger of such practices? Obviously what value system the financial and wider world has had, is not working that well!
The value system put forward in "Reality Search", published by Project Employment Inc, has relevance here. "Reality Search" provides an outline of the structural base of the social systems of Judaism, Greek philosophy and Christianity. It presents an approach that is logical, coherant, historical, simple, comprehensive and more "relevant" than ever.
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