The fact that the president considers income inequality, rather than employment or economic growth, to be the most important economic issue is peculiar

What Every Christian Should Know

 About Income Inequality

by JOE CARTER

In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama has signaled that income inequality will be his domestic focus during the remainder of his term in office. The fact that the president considers income inequality, rather than employment or economic growth, to be the most important economic issue is peculiar, though not really surprising. For the past few years the political and cultural elites have become obsessed with the issue.

But what should Christians think, and how should we approach the issue? Should we also be concerned? And if so, what should we do about it?

Here are ten points about income inequality that every Christian should understand:

1. Incomes are measured in money — and money is not wealth.

2. The existence of income inequality is generally a sign of a fair distribution of incomes.

3. Both low and high rates of income inequality can be signs of unfairness.

4. Income inequality is not the same as economic inequality

5. Measures of income inequality are meaningless because incomes are not zero-sum

6. Income inequality and poverty are separate issues.

7. No one in America is really concerned about absolute income inequality.

8. Discussions of income inequality are almost always about redistribution of income.

9. The only real threat caused by income inequality are problems caused by envy

10. The focus on income inequality is at best, useless, and, at worst, immoral.


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