Is Biden’s Loan ‘Forgiveness’ Like Jesus?
This article is an opinion piece from Bill Lockwood. Catch American Liberty with Bill Lockwood weekly at 11 a.m. Saturdays on NewsTalk 1290.
President Joe Biden announced last week that his new program would be to “forgive” student loans up to $10,000 for those whose income is under $125,000 per year. Earlier, President Biden had denied that the president has such authority. But now that the transformation of the republic into an oligarchy is well under way, President Biden felt the time had come to unilaterally create a new student-loan program.
What is curious about the loan forgiveness program, besides the obvious fact that the entire machinery of government is way outside the boundaries of the Constitution, is the ease with which many lefties are fooled. Many actually are likening Biden’s government program with forgiveness in Jesus Christ.
David Weissman, on Twitter, opined: “I’m not Christian, but with all the teachings about giving, I’m pretty sure Jesus would be cool with President Biden’s canceling student debt.”
Former professional basketball coach and NBA analyst for the TNT network, Stan Van Gundy, compared the student loan bailout to Jesus’ miracle of multiplying loaves and fishes, according to Fox News.
These shallow comparisons remind us of former Ohio governor, John Kasich, who defended the expansion of the socialistic Medicaid system in his home state. To defend this government expansion, Kasich offered to purchase a copy of the Bible for those principled Americans who object to the strong arm of the government forcing redistribution on the populace.
It seems that some of these liberals might be able to see through a position that likens Jesus Christ to atheist Karl Marx, but lo — ‘tis not so.
What Shall We Say To These Things?
First, did Jesus advocate a strong-arm government that forcibly redistributes wealth? This is precisely what President Biden is doing. Forcibly re-distributing money. The answer is obvious.
The giving involved in the New Testament by Christians is always free-will contributions. New Testament giving is voluntary. Those who know the difference between voluntary “giving” and a Robin Hood who steals from the “rich” and “gives” to the poor, know the distinction between Christianity and socialism. They also know the difference between "Christian giving" and Biden’s confiscatory program that merely shifts the burdens of student debt onto the backs of taxpayers.
Would that the Jim Wallis’ of the world, who was President Obama’s "spiritual advisor," and who told us that the Bible has over 2,000 passages admonishing “giving to the poor,” would learn to acknowledge the difference between freewill GIVING and government FORCE.
Perhaps these liberal hacks should spend more time reading their Bibles instead of lecturing us about the glories of socialism.
Some ask about the Old Testament gleaning laws whereby the poor were allowed to glean from fields as they passed by (Lev. 19:9-10; 23:22). But these were not government programs, nor were there government functionaries sent to enforce the code. Further, the poor had to do the gleaning themselves (Ruth 2:2-3). This is seen also in the fact that when Jesus and His disciples were gleaning, the Pharisees accused them of working on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23). Jesus never endorsed the confiscatory welfare state.
Second, borrowing money but not paying it back is labeled “wickedness” in the Bible. “The wicked borrows but does not pay back” (Psalm 37:1). “It is better that you should not vow [sign agreements to pay] than that you should vow and not pay” (Ecc. 5:5). And the New Testament is just as clear: “Pay to all what is owed to them; taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed …” (Rom. 13:7).
If President Biden wishes to be more Christ-like, perhaps he will offer some of his millions of ill-gained foreign money, or begin donating his presidential salary to the new student-loan program. That way he could encourage others of his millionaire buds to do so also. But voluntarily donating his salary sounds a bit like Trump, doesn’t it?
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