What Will You Do When Financial Chaos Happens? Part I

Each Wednesday I post one of my old columns that I think will be interesting, informative, even inspirational. Today I am posting a 2005 column dealing with the economy:

While I am not a pessimist, I do believe you should prepare for very difficult days ahead. If you are planning on Social Security or even a corporate pension to support you, you may be standing on a bridge of mist.

I suggest that everyone develop a second profession or trade. A lawyer should learn carpet laying; a physician should learn to refinish furniture; a teacher should learn plumbing; a salesman should learn small engine repair. Moreover, everyone should plant a garden—and not only for health reasons.

Make plans now to get out of debt personally and corporately. Churches should start debt retirement projects. If I were a pastor of a church that owned multi-acres, I would seriously consider selling a few acres to pay off the debt.

Of course, churches cannot put every building program on hold and not make moves that circumstances require, but I would move slowly with any building program whether for a church or a business.

Therefore, what should prudent Americans do about a major catastrophe that is about to hit us right between the eyes? Get out of debt if possible. Sell your stock; after all, something is better than nothing. Take any temporary rise in prices as an opportunity to sell any stocks except possibly gold and silver shares. I also suggest that you get a part-time income if your job is insecure (and whose is not?), or better yet, start a sideline business.

In addition, don’t plan on retiring! Retirement is never found in the Scripture. Adam was to work to the day of his death. There is something carnal about waiting all your life until the day when you can lie around all the time, fishing, hunting, and generally playing. Of course, bad health can demand that you stop working. However, you cannot count on your pension plan being available or sufficient to replace your working income. Moreover, those under 50 are very foolish or naïve if they plan on Social Security to provide the necessary retirement income. Work is in your future, and a wise move on your part would be to plan for that now. If not, plan to be a stock “boy” at the local supermarket, greeter at Wal-Mart or item checker at Sam’s.

If (when) total financial collapse comes, the cities will be madhouses, so make plans to get your family to safety—that means at least 20-30 miles from a metropolitan area. Property values are still reasonable in small towns and a wise investment might be to buy a rental that you could move to when dangerous times arrive. On the other hand, you could buy a lot on a lake or a mountainside and put a mobile home on it. You could always rent it or retire there if the future turns rosy.

We will be going back to the days when 8 or 10 family members live in the same house because of difficulty in renting or buying a house. Older people will live with their married children and grandchildren—three generations in the same house. Dumpies—Destitute Unprepared Mature People will be everywhere. Few people will drive a new car and vacations will be short, or non-existent. People will once again learn to “make do” with what they have.

It would be prudent to purchase some freeze-dried food from some survival outfit and a few five-gallon cans of wheat and corn. The food you ate today traveled 1500 miles to get to your table. If the terrorists hit delivery trucks, bridges, and tunnels leading to major cities will food and fuel be transported? You should also have many gallons of water packed away for an emergency. Most people think such suggestions are extremist, but not so.

Our grandparents would not have considered having empty pantries. After all, disasters do happen, don’t they? A wise person plans for all contingencies as much as is possible. If the water is not used, pour it on your garden, and eat the stored food. After all, the price of food will not go down.

If there is a financial collapse, you can count on a breakdown of law and order. Surely, there is no question about that. In event of riots, it would be wise to have a couple of guns and ammo available! What, a Christian shooting someone? Yes, in my home it will happen if necessary. If a mob kicks down my door, be assured that they will be shot. Then I will expect a commendation from the governor for doing all people in Georgia a favor! It is very “Christian” to protect your family.

Rememer that one of Christ’s last commands to His Disciples was to buy a sword. Why did He say that? Because shotguns hadn’t been invented yet!

(Many more columns

EVOLUTION

Fact, Fraud or Faith?

by Don Boys, Ph.D.

Only an uninformed fanatic says that evolution or creation can be proved scientifically. Christians believe in creationism because we believe in the veracity of the Bible but we also have scientific evidence to support our position. In every debate I’ve had with evolutionary scientists, the arrogant, asinine accusation is made, “Well, evolution is scientific while creationism is religion.” Evolution is about as scientific as a voodoo rooster plucking ceremony in Haiti. Almost.

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