SACRED ECONOMICS

I've been trying to understand why we have poverty, hatred, violence, and war in our world when we live on an abundant planet that is capable of providing for all our needs.  And I've come to realize that, in order to understand these things, I'm going to have to understand - of all things! - economics.  I always thought economics was the most boring subject imaginable, but I'm slowly coming to the realization that what Scripture says is true: the love of money is the root of all evil.  Much of the suffering in the world can simply be traced to back to greed.

In his book, Sacred Economics, (the full text of the book is available online as a gift, or you can choose to send a gift in return) Charles Eisenstein traces the history of money from ancient gift economies to modern capitalism, revealing how the money system has contributed to alienation, competition, and scarcity, destroyed community, and necessitated endless growth. Today, these trends have reached their extreme - but in the wake of their collapse, we may find great opportunity to transition to a more connected, ecological, and sustainable way of being.

This short film by Ian MacKenzie is a teaser on the ideas of Charles Eisenstein and the return of the gift. The narration begins, "Anytime you want to understand something, why is such and such happening, why is there a biodiversity crisis, why are we drilling for more oil when it's polluting the atmosphere and causing oil spills? Why?  And you ask why?  And, down a couple of levels of 'Why?' you always get to money."

BUILDING A CARING ECONOMY: CARING PAYS!

Occupy Wall Street and the current economic condition of our country leave me wondering: Is there a way BEYOND left vs. right, Republican vs. Democrat, capitalist vs. socialist?  Is there a way FORWARD that will lead to a more peaceful, equitable, and environmentally sustainable world that will benefit and meet the needs of all?  

Well, I was delighted to discover Riane Eisler, who has devised a very sensible economic plan - a plan which demonstrates how caring for humans and the planet can actually be profitable.  Dr. Eisler (who is a social scientist, attorney, and internationally known author who is included in the award-winning book Great Peacemakers as one of 20 leaders for world peace, along with Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King) talks about her book The Real Wealth of the Nations and the need for an economics of caring in the following video:

Dr. Eisler's "Full Spectrum Job Creation Proposal: The Roadmap to a New Caring Economy,"  was submitted to President Obama in 2009 and can be read in it's entirety here.  Visit Dr. Eisler's websites here, here, and here for a wealth of additional material and to discover ways you can become involved.