Individual Responsibility and Capitalism

Our cultural foundation includes the economic concept of capitalism. Capitalism has at its core the necessity of individual responsibility. For individuals to act responsibly there must be some level of ethics and morality. Before an individual or a cultural can identify right from wrong so that ethics and morality can be established there has to be some standard that is recognized as absolute. Thus, the sequence for establishing a capitalistic society:

1. Absolute standards
2. Ethics and morality
3. Responsible individuals
4. Profitable and beneficial capitalism
5. A Successful society

In Hope for America's Last Generation I closed the book with the following statement in the epilogue:

The other, and perhaps most important, thing you can do is change yourself. Begin to do what is right in every area of your life - taking personal responsibility for all your choices. If you change the one institution you have control over, the rest of the institutions will fall in line. (page 251)

The five institutions established by God for the well-being of mankind and man's societies are: individual responsibility (free will), marriage, family, nationalism and government. We know that nationalism, family, and marriage are under attack in our culture today. Could it be that due to the failure of individual responsibility being kept in perspective the institution of government is also being forced further out of line? The need for the bailouts is a sign that our new principles are false and failing. We have neglected Truth and reality for false philosophies and vanity. Are we following our idols to judgment?

Read Hope for America's Last Generation online in .pdf or request a copy at gw@generationword.com

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com