Crisis on Wall Street: Why Do Innocent People Suffer?
This morning as I was leaving the house to come to work at FOX, my 12-year-old son asked me a question that stopped me dead in my tracks.
“Hey dad, is America in a depression?” he said.
And I said “No, why do you ask?”
“Because I hear everybody talking about the economy and all this trouble that I don’t understand,” he said.
“What do you know about the Great Depression of the 1920s,” I asked.
“Well,” he said, “I know there was no money and I think people were jumping out of buildings in New York.”
I tried to reassure him that things were okay and that nobody was jumping out of windows…yet.
But as I left, I started thinking about our conversation, and I asked myself: Why do innocent people suffer? How is all this anxiety and stress over the current economic crisis going to be remembered by the next generation in America?
Yes, every mental health professional will tell us that there are multiple studies that correlate severe financial debt and depression – even suicide.
I remember reading a recent report of two college student that killed themselves after being overwhelmed by credit card debt.
In India, an estimated 150,000 debt-ridden farmers have committed suicide since 1997.
Yes, we all know that suicide is not the solution, but again I asked myself, why do innocent people suffer?
And as I stopped to ponder the answer to my burning question, I began to evaluate some of the things that many of us have forgotten – the things that are truly important.
Love and respect for ourselves and others – that’s what’s important. You can’t buy happiness. The integrity of our lives and the way we love and respect the people we are so fortunate to have in them is far more important than any economic indicator on Wall Street.
So I thought long and hard, and I decided to tell my son the biblical story of Job – a story I think many people should read in these times of financial crisis.
Job was a happy man, a wealthy man who lived a prosperous life filled with family and good fortune. But one day, Job was tested by God. He was stripped of his fortune, his family and his health. Job began to complain of God’s indifference, he wondered why God did not punish the wicked instead of him. But after all of his analysis, he understood that what was important to God was the love that should never be questioned — the love that he has for his children. And, in the end, Job’s prosperity was restored.
Why do innocent people suffer? Because perhaps they forget that love, compassion and respect settles all debt.
Tags: anxiety, compassion, debt, Dr. Manny Alvarez, economic crisis, Job, love, New York, respect, stress, suicide, Wall Street
Share
So If i love my family my debt is restored? That wont happen. God wont come save us. WE need to redo our government and get the curropt out. WE are in debt because of a needless war and the rich wanting to be richer while the poor suffer
You don’t know why innocent people suffer so you make something up to feel better about suffering, “because they forget that love bla bla bla”. The fact of the matter is that life can be very random and really bad things happen to decent people for no reason and through no fault of their own. I’ve noticed that a lot of people seem to have a very, very hard time accepting that. That is why there is religion.
Absolute cobblers.
I don’t think credit card companies or mortgage companies would settle for love, compassion and respect at the end of the month.
For one thing, we are not suppose to be in debt in the first place. To many people want it all and have to have it all. We are not suppose to take out loans after loans and then can’t pay them. The government should not have to bail anyone out. For another thing, we are doing great things in Iraq. We have shown the people over there that we do have compassion and that we care. Things will take time and it won’t happen overnight like a lot of people think it should. Last and most important, God will save all who believe in him one day. It will be in his time, not ours.
Do you want to be truly rich? You already are if you are happy and good. After all, we didn’t bring any money with us when we came into the world, and we can’t carry away a single penny when we die. So we should be well satisfied without money if we have enough food and clothing. But people who long to be rich soon begin to do all kinds of wrong things to get money, things that hurt them and make them evil-minded and finally send them to hell itself. For the love of money is the first step toward all kinds of sin. Some people have even turned away from God because of their love for it, and as a result have pierced themselves with many sorrows.
1 Tim 6:6-10 TLB
The above makes sense to me. The whole world is greedy, hard trap to escape. I know someone who has lost a lot of money this couple of weeks. I don’t have any money, so I don’t feel the loss. So tell me who is worse off?
The reason why these problems occur are due primarily to faith in ones’ self and core. God will not solve our financial problems, as I remind you, they are YOUR own problems. People today are geared toward placing the blame on everyone but themselves. Blame the government…blah, blah, blah. Take a hard look at yourself and think about what you are doing wrong. Most problems in your life are self created.
Dr. Manny speaks wisely, as the story from Job referenced, people need to do some deep analysis of themselves. Just because society sets a standard, be it the clothes people wear, the size of the house you live in, doesn’t mean you have to be held to that standard.
If you truely want to be happy, which you can create yourself, you have to have faith. Search the web for the Stockdale paradox, developed by author Jim Collins. It notes that if one has faith in themselves and believes that things will turn out right and at the same time, confront the brutal facts of reality, they will make it through trying times.
Well said Cody.
Hi, I found your blog on this new directory of WordPress Blogs at blackhatbootcamp.com/listofwordpressblogs. I dont know how your blog came up, must have been a typo, i duno. Anyways, I just clicked it and here I am. Your blog looks good. Have a nice day. James.
Haven’t you heard the phrase “God helps those who help themselves.” ???
God has provided all of us the skills that we need. It’s up to us to use them properly!
We are in debt because most people have a need for the bigger house, the nicer car, the 300$ shoes. Granted the house prices are horribly inflated, and the interest rates on the cards are horrible, but it is our choice to buy. He is right, we need to focus on the truly important things in life and not so much on money. Money comes and money goes but it is no reason to kill yourself over. Look around and be happy you have the health of your loved ones. If you incurred a mountain of debt and are feeling sorry for yourself, take a moment to thank God that is wasn’t incurred through an illness and hospital bills. Stop blaming and take responsibily for your actions people!! We make our own choices and if we make the wrong ones own up to it, learn from it and move on, because believe it or not this to shall pass.
TO CODY, you missed the point because you got so caught up in the word GOD just like all liberals do. Dr. Alvarez’s point is your family and friends are more important than your wealth and that’s what you should be focusing about and not your 401K value.
If you value your house and your material things more than your own family, then that should be tbe reason for you to jump off a building because you will never ever be happy….
“…Love, compassion and respect settles all debt.” uh, no. Just ask the utility company whose rates have risen 20% and are going up again – and the gas station where the prices are going up so fast, you can almost hear the whizzing of the gears turning in their meters- and the grocery store where a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread pretty much decimates a $10 bill if they’ll accept “love compassion and respect” as payment.
No offense to Dr. Manny, but only a person who isn’t struggling with the fallout from this latest episode of people getting rich on other people’s money, has the unbelievable gall to say innocent people suffer because we’re not nice enough to each other…
jeez.
America is in debt because the government is overspending. Just like my household, if I spend more than I bring in I am in debt. Eliminate most of the government agencies. PUT TERM LIMITS ON CONGRESS.
This is my favorite story in the Bible. It reminds us that hard times come, but what is more important than those hard times is our response to those hard times. Many people get trapped in their stuff and when it gets taken away they have no ground to stand on. If you center your life around the most important thing, God, no matter what happens you will never be without the most important thing. People all over the world live in much more dire circumstances than we will probably ever face here, we have to keep our lives in perspective. It is easier to focus on the difficulties we face than to see all the trials as training ground for our character to develop. We should use these times to reflect and to grow and also to recognize that ‘this too shall pass.’
Cody, though I completely agree our entire government needs reform, you just missed the entire point of the article…..
To Dr. Manny,
Hello Dr. I think it is great that you believe people should read about Job in difficult times. It is very encouraging. I don’t wish to undermine what you believe, however your take on the Job story is a little bit skewed and asked that you kindly go back and read the book with these important issues in mind. firstly it was not God who tested Job. Notice in Job 1:12, God allowed Satan to test Job. This is very important because people blame God when tested by events in their lives. Allowing bad and doing bad aren’t the same thing. Next logical questions is why did God, who is all powerful, allow satan to kill all his children and their families, take his wealth and afflict job with maligant boils to bring Job much pain and grief? Well if you wander your eyes over to chapter 2:3 you will notice God give Job a huge rap but what was satans charge regarding faithful Job.
In Chapter 2:4 Satan said to God everything that a man has he’ll give in behalf of his soul. Can you see what is going on here? Satan claims obedient, faithful mankind will turn on God when they are threatened with their lives. Notice here again it was not god that brought calamity upon Job but Satan did with Gods permission. What was Jobs attitude? Well Jobs wife told Job to curse god and die. Job’s reply; shall we accept merely what is good from God and not accept what is bad. Job was long suffering and extraordinarly never blamed God for his troubles. It reminds me of a scripture in Proverbs. God asks Man to “be wise my son and make my heart rejoice so that I can make a reply to he who is taunting me.”
Thank you, Dr. Manny!
I think if people will look to God when in crisis (and BEFORE crisis occurs) they will be able to put everything in perspective, just as Job did.
Cody – do you really thing the Government can “save us”??? If we have our personal values in check, we wouldn’t have to rely on the government. God can do anything – but we must take responsibility for our own actions (maxing out credit cards, living above our means, etc).
The Great Depression was in the 1930’s.
All those who went bankrupt should not be allowed to have a credit card of any kind for 7 years. They should not be allowed to buy another home unless they have the minimum 20% down and another 6 months savings in the bank. Companies who need bailed out need to get their hands smacked also. No high salary. No higher than the highest hourly worker got last year. No bonus. No perks such as a free car and credit cards.
“If you center your life around the most important thing, God, no matter what happens you will never be without the most important thing.”
That’s called delusion. It is true, though, that no one can take your imagination away from you.
I prefer centering my life around my family. They are who I love and who loves me. Perhaps if more people stopped pretending that this life didn’t matter, they’d take it more seriously.
“In Chapter 2:4 Satan said to God everything that a man has he’ll give in behalf of his soul. Can you see what is going on here? Satan claims obedient, faithful mankind will turn on God when they are threatened with their lives. Notice here again it was not god that brought calamity upon Job but Satan did with Gods permission. What was Jobs attitude? Well Jobs wife told Job to curse god and die. Job’s reply; shall we accept merely what is good from God and not accept what is bad. Job was long suffering and extraordinarly never blamed God for his troubles. It reminds me of a scripture in Proverbs. God asks Man to “be wise my son and make my heart rejoice so that I can make a reply to he who is taunting me.””
Don’t you see the insanity of quoting a book that refers to conversations between Satan and God. This is a story designed to keep people complacent and quiet about their own personal suffering.
“All those who went bankrupt should not be allowed to have a credit card of any kind for 7 years. They should not be allowed to buy another home unless they have the minimum 20% down and another 6 months savings in the bank.”
So, you propose that we return to the time when only the upper-class could dream of land ownership? Perhaps we can bring back slavery and/or indentured servitude.
Most people live paycheck to paycheck. Average salaries cannot afford average home prices. Minimum wage is a sad, sad joke.
I hope you realize that this problem is not just about the poor that cannot afford credit, but those who prey upon them with outrageous loan terms and unwarranted approvals…
People ARE too materialist, no doubt, but we have to and eat and pay rent so to say love settles all debt is not helpful. With today’s high rents, lack of health insurance coverage for so many, etc. etc. it is not hard to get into debt.
While money does not buy happiness, not having to stress out over paying bills can certainly allow you the peace of mind to focus on the important things in life which money cannot buy.
And I agree with Sandra…why do the financial “wizards” continue to bring in huge salaries when the average taxpayer will be paying to bail them out?
Who else can do it ?
Who else can broke two of the largest US investment banks IN ONE DAY, and the same day to broke the largest world insurer – the day of 15-th of September 2008 ?
Why did no one ask each other “What is our sin before the face of the CREATOR ?”
As no one ask, I will explain this mess, and I will tell You why:
States of America, you deserve it. You deserve the pain that You will feel today and You will feel next years.
States of America, here is the shortest list of Your crimes before the face of GOD:
1. Your oil idolatry; oil’s and oil products’ pollution of the Earth. Oil is everywhere: in markets, in news, in politics, in economics, in internal and foreign policy of every government in the world. States of America, you made oil a matter of wealth, a tool of greed and a tool of corruption, a tool of bribing and a tool of sin.
2. Your computer idolatry; young men from all over the world are waiting for a new processor, waiting for “powerful” video chips to bring them into the distorted world of illusions of computer “games”. It is no more “games” when young men kill others as a result of “gaming”. And now You open in Israel the largest fabric of golden idolatry processors in the world, Fab28.
3. Your car idolatry. You reverse the ordinary tool of transportation into the army of iron monsters, who steal million human lives each year around the earth. These monsters are inhabitants of the oil. The other inhabitants of Your sinful oil are: tanks, aircrafts and rockets.
4. Your distortion of the meaning of LAW. Your 8000 pages of what you call “tax law” is more sinful, is more idiotic than pharisees’ interpretation of GOD’s law 2000 years ago in Jerusalem. Your “tax code” is more sinful than ancient pagan Rome empire’s taxation with 200 taxes.
5. Your distortion of human rights last decades. States of America, you WERE the union of defendants of human rights. No more. You TWICE elected for leadership the person who is the liar, thief and who ruined human rights in your country and other countries.
At this moment, when God decided to make You start bear punishment for these and other crimes, is the same moment when GOD decided to make modern Israel bear punishment for it’s crimes before HIM. The court, which make a decision to exile “israelitos”
from HOLY LAND, already completed. Modern state of Israel started from “Balfour declaration”, and this modern Israel recently ended with the court’s verdict on “case of Isabella Belfer”.
The highest court of Israel BAGAZ approved a decision when absolutely innocent 70-years old woman, doctor, grandmother was found “guilty” of transferring her daughter and grand daughter from Israel to Russia.
The israelitos have been WARNED in April 2008 about all their crimes and about the case of Isabella Belfer.
The “guilty” decision of high court of Israel was declared in the morning of 15-th of September 2008. It was not the verdict to Isabella Belfer, it was a verdict to modern Israel, it was a verdict to its justice system. And ACCORDINGLY the same day, for the same reason You, States of America become GUILTY for your long support of the anti-human racist modern state of Israel.
Now States of America you will see the exile of israelitos from the HOLY LAND, You will see the falling of their relatives in the States of America – your bankers, and at the same time You will bear punishment for Your own sins before the face of GOD.
States of America, You deserve it. It is LORD’s JUSTICE on all your crimes.
I want to know why the officals of texas had to go beg for money to put our state back together
and the gov. put us the tax payers on the back bunner for wall street we don’t have anything left now we are expected to give what little we have left to people who sit with millions in their pockets
and wouldn’t donate a poor dog a bone tipical will to all you fat cats remember the meek shall inheret the earth thus sayeth the Lord out of work Diva
I think it stinks that innocent, hard working middle class taxpayers are now having to foot the bill for this horrific exercise in greed. It is always the middle class who bail the lower calss and the upper class out of their stupid personal decisions and choices. Now the 401K is tanking because of this bull and I didn’t have anything to do with this. I am so mad at the US Government I could scream.
Less Government!!!! More Liberty!!! Less Socialism!!!
Hi. I am a neurologist
and professor of neurology here in Dallas Texas. I read an article today about a young girl in Australia with episodes of inability to open her eyes and I have some suggestions to her case wich may be helpful.Please contact me.
Thanks
Erwin Cruz M.D.
Somewhere, someplace, Osama Bin Laden is having a very, very good week.
This is what he wanted to happen when those planes hit the towers. (I wonder if some of the appropriate company executives, wall street investors, and members of the government could be charged with collaborating with terrorists?)
Dr. Manny, Thank you for sharing your biblical insight with courage. I needed the message you shared, and I really appreciate it. I’ll also pass it on. Thanks!
Very well said, we have lost site of what really matters for just a little STUFF. We appricate your web site, all the good info.
All I know for sure is we have turned away from HIM and GOD must have Tears in HIS Eyes, but still LOVE in HIS HEART for US.
Blessings, Mary
To AlexBanker,
You just seem to fail all around there is nothing wrong with having and using oil. There is nothing wrong with guys playing video games heck my friends have computers i would love to have but i am currently a poor college student who doesn’t have the time or the money to pay for one. So your point on both accounts is invalid. They reason we are in this stituation is because people who don’t have jobs or have low paying jobs go out and get a credit card, home loan, car loan, ect and then they can’t pay them back.
You have some serious stupidity issues going with your tax rant… You act like God is against taxes have you ever even picked a freaking bible and read the Old Testament? I would say from your not.
Human rights? Where did this come from as Saddam Hussein had one of the worst human rights records on the face of earth. So if anything we are encouraging better human rights not worse.
I would suggest after all your left and right liberal ranting you to get off the internet and go back to your cave as the internet could be your next target for the Evil of this world.