There has been a lot in the news lately about Japan's growing disparity in wealth distribution. The country, traditionally known for egalitarian economic growth, has been undergoing a phase of market liberalization over the past few years that originally developed in response to the stagnation of the 1990s. Although the Japanese are now experiencing a fresh vibrancy in their economy due to the relaxation of protectionist policies, they're beginning to realize that an unfortunate and unfamiliar side effect accompanies their new laissez-faire approach: massive income discrepancy.
Many in Japan are beginning to morally question the legislation that has provided for their economic jumpstart. Political leaders are being blamed for sacrificing the wellbeing of many citizens as they pursue a growth-at-all-costs approach. This dilemma — an ethical one — has rocked the political scene in Japan, a country in which religion and politics have historically been separate.
Meanwhile, ironically, Americans — citizens of a country in which free market policy has been the name of the game for years — have allowed their Bible-toting political majority to essentially bypass discussing the concept of economic morality.
The United States has undergone a massive shift in wealth distribution since the early days of the Reagan revolution. According to the Economic Policy Institute, in 1980, the minimum wage equaled about 45 percent of the average hourly wage, whereas today it comprises just over 30 percent. Further, data from United for a Fair Economy shows that the top one percent of Americans own 38.1 percent of the country's wealth while the bottom 40 percent control just .2 percent of U.S. wealth. The widening wealth gap has come largely because of attacks on redistribution (i.e. tax breaks for the top income brackets, eliminated social programs, etc.) by the Christian-driven right wing.
So what does it mean to be an American Christian? Although I don't consider myself to be a religious person, my upbringing was something of a Catholic one and I can recall my priest often lecturing that true Christianity meant taking a vow of poverty. This sentiment is an echo of the well-known Biblical passage about the difficulty for a rich man trying to enter heaven. How, then, have Americans strayed so far from the true ideals of their professed Christianity?
Today, in an era of the Jesus fish-adorned Lexus, the upscale neighborhood church and the vacation-oriented mission trip, reaping the benefits of U.S. economic growth has become more important to many American Christians than contributing to charity. It's almost mind-boggling how Bush Christians will throw their support to pre-emptive war and simultaneously declare their own war on welfare, social security, government-sponsored healthcare or any other attempt to help the poor, solely on the grounds that it might possibly impede the free market's ability to add to their own piles of wealth. Maybe these righteous religicos should consider the slogan they've been thrusting at everyone else over the years, and ask themselves if Jesus would have partaken in such an unnecessary and greedy accumulation of riches at the expense of the poor.
Even worse than the ruling Christian elite's contribution to an expanding wealth gap in the U.S. is its attitude toward a larger gap on the global scale. Wealthy American Christians seem to shield themselves from the fact that a lifestyle in Ethiopia carries with it fewer luxuries than can be found within the gated communities where they hold their Bible studies.
On the other hand, conservative U.S. Christians might be well aware of the hardships faced in other countries. After all, many of them are in favor of building a wall along the Mexican border to ensure that no Hispanic peasant be afforded the opportunity to even feed his family. I guess that the American poor — simply disregarded by wealthy, conservative Christians — should be thankful they're not treated as the foreign poor are: with blatant contempt. I had once been under the impression that true Christianity knew no national boundaries.
Even though massive economic disparity would still exist, it would be refreshing if those in power would simply be honest about their motivations.
To all superrich, ultra-conservative Christians, I say: go ahead and be ruthless. Amass all the wealth you can find room for and do it with total disregard for those less fortunate than you. Destroy any attempt by the government to help provide a meal or housing for those who have nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep. But don't do it in the name of Christianity — it's sickening.
Rob Rossmeissl ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in journalism and political science.
