Truth About Money Lies?

 President and CEO of Ronald Blue and Co.—a financial and investment advisory firm—Russ Crosson co-wrote a book with Kelly Talamo called “The Truth About Money Lies: Help for Making Wise Financial Decisions.” While the authors provide some healthy financial advice, their truths aren’t based on all the information. For example, while they warn about being in too much debt—which is sound—and quote a Proverb about a borrower being enslaved to the lender, they ignore the many verses that assume people will have to borrow at some time. And most of the warnings—including Christ’s Sermon on the Mount—are for the lenders: you must lend even if a Sabbath year is coming when all debts are released (Cf. Deut. 15.1-2; Mt. 5.42; Lk. 6.34); don’t enter the house to reclaim any collateral used to secure a loan (Deut. 24.10-11); return a person’s cloak by nightfall so the borrower can be warm at night (Deut. 24.13). And so on. The authors don’t or minimally discuss these aspects. 

Likewise, while they like to quote the average credit card balance of $14,000+, they don’t discuss the data’s distribution. It’s not a normal, Gaussian, bell-curve distribution. According to the Federal Reserve, nearly half, half or over half (depending on the year) carry no balance on their cards, paying their charges each month. Decades ago, the AT&T credit card president was fired because they didn’t make enough money, missing their target: the reason is they based their projections on the average and not the median. Only 3% of Americans are delinquent being 30 days overdue. What drives the high average figures being quoted? According to the CFPB, one-third of payments made towards credit balances cover 10% or less of the balance. So there are a minority of credit card holders—and since people have 3+ credit cards, it may be the exceptions—that are carrying very large balances. Remember the 3% delinquency rate. However, the authors sound the alarm about using credit cards as if most people end up paying interest on tens of thousands of dollars. Most Americans are handling their credit cards well.

So while there’s good financial advice, it’s not necessarily founded on truth or sound premises.

Bible Says So?

In a forthcoming book entitled “The Bible Says So,” Dan McClellan tackles a lot of controversial topics in this book: only one god; homosexuality; abortion; Jesus is God….and so on. One can appreciate his approach with regard to historical-critical analysis. In reading any of the essays, if approached with prior knowledge of the topic, a reader may wonder if the author is a “confidence man” in that he speaks untruths confidently and thus sounding authoritative. However, McClellan does show where the analysis is ambiguous and the conclusions can’t be certain. Likewise, he concludes the whole book by saying further information and analysis may change any summaries he’s put in this book. This may be similar to his approach on his social media outlets.

While there are a very few core beliefs being explored here, most are not critical to a person’s critical basis for faith. There are single-digit issues worth dying for; many worth defending and a vast majority fall on the spectrum of discussing extensively to not worth mentioning. Many will find most of the chapters fall on nearer the spectrum point of “let’s talk a bit and then move on” because it doesn’t jeopardize the core beliefs. However, part of the author’s social media oeuvre is that people want to get hot and bothered about some pseudo-controversies (e.g is the logo for a highly caffeinated/energy drink the “mark of the beast”?). 

If you find yourself in a lot of discussions around some of these topics—particularly with others of a non-Christian faith tradition—it might be helpful to have this reference around. It’s not comprehensive on all the difficult Hebrew and Greek scripture texts but it covers some topics not found elsewhere.

I’m appreciative of the publisher providing an advanced copy. 

A Different Look at Histories Related to Christ

 History is written by the victors, they say, and Nixey’s book elucidates this. While not providing any hint towards which histories are more correct than others—the canonical Gospels, the apocryphal gospels, the critical, secular historians—she does show how the various sources existed concurrently with each other (perhaps). She gives voice to those who point out the similarities between the Jesus of the Gospels and other ancient deities, wizards, magicians who also are described in extant hagiographies (or anti-hagiographies). This is not a book for the faint-of-heart/faith but for those who want to discipline and firm up their faith with logic, reason. (In one passage, Nixey suggests that the Gospel of John’s famous opening could be written, “In the beginning was Reason….”) 

While citing many works that come from 3rd-, 4th- and later centuries CE (AD) that contradict the Gospels, which have been traced to the 1st century, she merely points out the paucity of earlier editions of the apocryphal gospels and critical essays. Historians have cited the multitude of purges and book-burnings. Likewise, the author makes no claims as which of the contradictory versions are more accurate. Historians know that tracing sources closest to the time period are probably more true. Just think about various versions regarding the cause(s) of the American Civil War (1860s) exist—and which ones despite their popularity might still be false. Or the Jewish Holocaust during WWII and its deniers, in less than a few decades of its occurrence. JFK assassination. The moon landing. 9/11 instigators. 2020 election fraud. These are relatively modern examples of what the ancient illiterate world had to deal with: disinformation, misinformation and truth rolling around in a mud hole, and none coming out clean. Likewise, historians have shown that such writings as the gospels of Thomas, Barnabas and so on are most likely hoaxes written by people unfamiliar with Israel’s geography, and using names more common in later centuries and places outside of Israel.

The major monotheistic religions have had to deal with accusations of suppressing alternative versions. The faithful’s retort to the accusation is, “God has ensured His word remains in its true form.” God who knows just how greedy, ambitious and manipulative we are and has chosen to trust some of pure heart will sort through the mess and help us discern the wise and helpful from the silly and destructive narratives.

I appreciated that the publisher had given me an advanced copy. The book is now available.