Category Archives: Thoughts

Biblical Social Responsibility

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Prices or people?

You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart on it; lest he cry out against you to the LORD, and it be sin to you. (Deuteronomy 24:14-15)

You shall not pervert justice due the stranger or the fatherless, nor take a widow’s garment as a pledge. But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing. (Deuteronomy 24:17-18)

When I became a Christian six years ago, I was drawn to the Bible because of its moral laws. This passage comes from Deuteronomy, which forms one part of the five books of the law (the Torah) in the Bible. Laws like these, as well as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, amazed me far more than any other philosophical moral code I had ever seen. I agreed with the Psalmist: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

As I grew older, though, I was surprised to discover many Bible-preaching churches in America lacking in this type of compassion for the poor and needy. I’ve visited churches where the mere mention of “social responsibility” was enough to raise eyebrows. Even the respectable leaders of the church, the elders and pastors, considered social responsibility nothing more than a “hippie movement started by guilty liberals.” Compassion, someone once told me, isn’t compatible with the laws of modern economics.

I press the issue, but I only get intellectual excuses in return. “We live in different times now; that was the old law.” Other times, the blame is shifted around. “Other people do it, too.”

It’s hard to miss God’s call for social responsibility. Not only is it in the law, but it’s also present in the prophetic writings, the poetic works, the gospels, and the apostolic letters. I’m not surprised, given what Jesus taught about materialism. He once taught a disciple, If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me. (Matthew 19:21)

Meanwhile, I did meet some Christians who didn’t agree with businesses exploiting third-world labor with sweatshop conditions. However, these Christians mistakenly believed there were no alternatives, so they kept patronizing the same bad businesses. But since I started doing research, I discovered that consumers actually have plenty of other choices with whom to do business. It just takes some effort.

My personal tactic is to be minimalist. It’s far easier to shop responsibly when I hardly shop at all. But for the rare occasions when I do need to purchase, I try to buy used. Classified ads and online auctions are great places to get items used. Thrift stores are even better, since the proceeds can go to Christian charities. Thrift stores carry almost anything you could need, from clothes to electronics to kitchen appliances to mattresses. When you buy used, no waste is produced.

I’ve also heard about the Fair Trade label. The idea of certification sounds promising, but I’m not sure if I can completely support the principles that Fair Trade stands for (for example, funds may be used for family planning, which may include abortion (1)). I’m also wary of marketing scams and fraud when it comes to certification programs (2). The best way to ensure responsible shopping is to do your own research and learn more about the individual businesses you shop from.

Responsible Consumption.com is a listing of businesses directories that can aid your research. Many of these businesses also produce sustainable products. For example, the directory includes the Eat Well Guide and Local Harvest, two sites I frequently use to search for organic food.

As consumers, we have a choice. We can shrug off responsible consumption because it’s too expensive. We can dismiss social responsibility as nothing more than a fringe movement. But before we do, let’s remember that it was God himself who wrote the proverb:

The righteous considers the cause of the poor,
But the wicked does not understand such knowledge. (Proverbs 29:7)

Do you think socially responsible shopping is too much work?

  1. Abortion is equivalent to infant murder. The whole point behind social responsibility is to give others a decent quality of life, not to take it away.
  2. Organic food from China currently can’t be trusted: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_6357.cfm

Thoughtful Living

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Hsinya's dad visited a small village in China.

I’m on the quest for a simpler, more thoughtful life.  A few months ago, I got rid of almost everything I owned.

We got rid of:

  • LCD Monitors, computers, and routers
  • Books and office supplies
  • Dishwasher, blender, microwave, and toaster
  • Tables, chairs, and couch
  • Clothing and shoes
  • Pots, pans, plates, utensils
  • …and so forth.

We hawked our most valuable items on Craigslist, and we donated worthless ones (1).  We kept a few possessions, such as two chairs and a few pots, but everything we own can fit in a single room.

I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating the deep, moral reasons for living a simple life.  The core goal behind minimalism is trimming your life down to the essentials.  So I ask myself, “What is truly necessary in life?” To answer this question, I look to the rest of the world.

We live on a gigantic planet with seven continents, four oceans, and almost two hundred countries.  This planet is home to seven billion human beings, most of whom don’t live like we do. These people don’t drive to work because they’re too poor to own cars (2).  Their families spend less than $200 a month on food, roughly the cost of cell phone data service (3).  Many survive without plumbing or electricity.

The rest of the world will never be able to live like us.  Economic progress cannot completely change the situation.  It’s physically impossible for all seven billion people to share the affluent American lifestyle.  There’s not enough oil on this planet to fuel seven billion cars, not enough water to supply seven billion private swimming pools, and not enough space to landfill seven billion music players each year.  Our lifestyle is only possible for the world’s rich elite, but we don’t even realize it.

We need to reconsider our materialistic, ownership-centered culture.  Jesus taught us that a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions (4).  He taught that man must choose to either serve God or money, but not both.  He taught some to go and sell all that they had, to give their money to the poor, and to seek treasures in heaven rather than on earth.  He taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  In the past, many Christians took his words literally.  These Christians considered themselves sojourners, mere pilgrims on the earth.  Consequently, possessions were not something to be hoarded, but to be spent for one another, to be spent for the sake of the kingdom of God.

Consider drawing up your own list of necessities and luxuries.  Figure out what you could live without, and consider donating the money you save.  I decided to keep electricity, plumbing, and wi-fi internet, but I eschewed the car, microwave oven, consumer electronics, and fashion.  Everyone’s needs are unique, so I try to avoid judging others based on my own list.  I simply want to spur each one of us to live life more thoughtfully and compassionately.

Do you think simple living is worthwhile?

  1. [[**Update: 3 people have already requested the microwave. Sorry, it's no longer available.**]] Email me (via “Contact Us”) if you’re interested in picking up a free, functional microwave, or other miscellaneous items.  I’ll let you know if they’re still available.
  2. There are approximately 600 million cars on earth, less than 1 for every 10 people on planet Earth.  There are far fewer cars in Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile
  3. In Mongolia, a family in Ulaan Baatar spends about $40 per week to feed their entire family, or about $160 per month.  An iPhone phone and data plan for 2 could easily cost over $200 per month.  Other families spend even less, some around $30 per month, and others even close to $1 per month. http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html
  4. From the Bible: Luke 12:15, Matthew 6:24, Matthew 19:21, Matthew 22:36-40

The Journey of a Thousand Miles

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Start today, one step at a time.

Going green can overwhelm because it challenges our entire way of living.  Obstacles seem insurmountable when you live in an urban society that doesn’t prioritize sustainability.  The laundry list of “green actions” is so long that we never act on anything. The journey is so vast that we never bother to make the first step.

  • Eat 100% organic.
  • Live completely gasoline-free.
  • Avoid all product packaging.
  • Recycle everything: plastic, styrofoam, electronics.
  • Only buy used, never new.

Challenging, but just the tip of the iceberg.

My green quest started with a multitude of challenging goals.  I wanted to buy 100% organic.  I only wanted to support local food.  I always wanted to get to the farm by bicycle, not car.  I wanted to avoid all packaging, both paper and plastic.  I wanted stop shopping. If I needed electronics, I would only buy used.  Recycling had to become a rule, even for difficult materials like styrofoam and plastic.  Leftover organic scraps would be composted, not thrown in landfills.  Our clothes would dry by natural sunlight, not by laundry machine.  Lastly, I wanted to do this all on budget, without interfering with work and school.  I quickly got stressed and overwhelmed, so I settled for achieving just a few, individual goals.

Individual decisions actually make an impact.  Even the humblest of beginnings is something to celebrate.  Each little change, consistently practiced, can make a dramatic difference.  You could start by making the small commitment to recycle all paper waste like newspapers and junk mail.  Be persistent, and within ten years you could recycle 1000 pounds (500 kg) of paper (1).  That’s a powerful impact for such a modest investment.

There are plenty of tiny decisions you can commit to:

  • Turn off your lights when they’re not in use.  You can save 36.5 kilowatt-hours of energy and $5.48 in cash each year per lamp (2).  That could mean more than $50 each year for a large house.
  • Use the fan instead of the air conditioner and save 300 kilowatt-hours of energy and $45 in bills each year (3).  If you rely heavily on AC, this one decision could save you more than $100 each year.
  • Walk instead of driving for short trips and save 15 gallons of gas and $45 per year (4).
  • Hang dry your clothes and save $193 worth of energy per year (5).

Tiny decisions involving tiny effort can save significant money.  You don’t need to do everything at once: just pick a few goals, make a commitment, and stick to it.

Just begin.  Start today, one step at a time.  Try to avoid excuses or justifications.  Celebrate your milestones and little victories.  Each decision seems small, but the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.  After a few weeks, your decisions will cement into habits.  Once they become second-nature, take on a few more goals and keep moving.  Someday, you’ll look back and be amazed at just how far you’ve come.

What are some small steps you can start today?

  1. The average person uses about 50kg (110 lbs) of paper per year.  Over the course of 10 years, you can save about 10 trees, 5 thousand gallons of water, 1 barrel of oil, and 2.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity.  See wikipedia for how I got my estimates: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_recycling#Recycling_facts_and_figures
  2. Suppose you have a lamp that uses of 100 watts of power.  If you can save 1 hour a day, 365 days per year, for 10 years, you can save 365 kilowatt-hours and $54.75 if you pay 15 cents per kilowatt-hour.  See Michael BlueJay’s excellent electricity tutorial pages: http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/cost.html
  3. A medium sized-AC unit uses 1000 watts of energy.  If it’s left on 5 hours a day, 60 days per year, you will use 300 kilowatt-hours of energy and rack up $45 in bills at $0.15 / kilowatt-hour.
  4. Assuming each short trip uses about 0.2 gallons of gas, and that you make 75 short trips per year, yields 15 gallons of gasoline per year and $45 at $3/gallon.
  5. Michael BlueJay estimates between $0.31 and $0.49 per load of laundry, depending on whether your machine runs on gas or electricity: http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/dryers.html