Home
/
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
/
Colson on Debt and Giving
Colson on Debt and Giving
Jan 6, 2026 8:05 PM

“The wicked borrows but does not pay back,

but the righteous is generous and gives…” Psalm 37:21

That verse is a pretty good introduction to the issues facing people who declare bankruptcy but want to continue to give to the church. As noted on this blog previously, there was some controversy over the legalization and regulation of the inclusion of charitable donations and tithes when filing for bankruptcy.

In yesterday’s BreakPoint, Chuck Colson weighs in, supporting the efforts of the Obama-Hatch tithing bill to allow “everyone in bankruptcy to continue regularly giving to churches and charities, just as they had before” the 2005 bankruptcy reform legislation had passed.

Colson concludes, “Allowing people to continue giving to others as they try to repay their creditors only promotes responsibility.”

(More on the latest developments on this legislation and recent court decisions here.)

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
Unemployment as economic-spiritual indicator — February 2017 report
Embed from Getty Images Series Note: Jobs are one of the most important aspects of a morally functioning economy. They help us serve the needs of our neighbors and lead to human flourishing both for the individual and munities. Conversely, not having a job can adversely affect spiritual and psychological well-being of individuals and families. Because unemployment is a spiritual problem, Christians in America need to understand and be aware of the monthly data on employment. Each month highlight the...
The unique way economic revival in ‘flyover country’ may affect the Dutch elections
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speaks as Geert Wilders looks on. (Richard van Elferen. CC BY 2.0.) As a wave of populism sweeps from Donald Trump’s Oval Office to the Brexit-ravaged headquarters of the European Union in Brussels, observers look to next week’s Dutch elections. Current polls show Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV) slipping a few seats behind Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy’s (VVD) – but, like Donald Trump, Wilders could outperform...
Video: Anne Rathbone Bradley on why Christians must support economic freedom
The 2017 Acton Lecture Series continued on March 3rd with an address by Anne Rathbone Bradley,Vice President of Economic Initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics. Bradley explained that economic freedom is a necessary condition for each of us to contribute to and partake in human flourishing; Christians need to understand this fact and support economicfreedom in order to allow everyone to be able to use their God-given gifts to participate in the redemptionof His creation, and to...
The “war on poverty” can’t fix the dignity deficit
To kick off his 1964 “war on poverty” initiative, President Lyndon B. Johnson held a photo op at the home of a man named Tom Fletcher, an unemployed 38-year-old father of eight. While Fletcher benefited from Johnson’s welfare programs, he never managed to climb out of poverty. Fletchereven remarried and had two more children—one of which his new wife murdered to collect the burial benefits. As AEI president Arthur Brooks notes, “In 2004, with his wife still in prison, Fletcher...
Christian principles built – and should sustain – these transatlantic companies
As Easter approaches, who could imagine the holiday without Cadbury’s creme eggs (under the original recipe, at least)? Appropriately,the founding of Cadbury’s, whose invention has e a holiday staple on both sides of the Atlantic, grew directly out of its founder’s Christian faith. Its success, and that of many other firms establishedby Quakers, demonstrates that the conversation between economics and religion must be a munication, according to a new article posted by Rev. Dr. Richard Turnbull,the director of theCentre for...
What are the unintended consequences of American protectionism?
Protectionism is often associated with patriotic zeal and concern for America. While citizens should certainly have concern for their nation, protectionist measures do not necessarily secure the economic results desired. Acton’s director of research, Samuel Gregg, writes about the unintended effects of protectionism in a recent article for The Stream. These policies often hurt the very people they’re meant to help. Gregg, while admitting protectionism may be well-intended, indicates the superiority of free trade in bringing about human flourishing. Samuel...
Video: Micah Watson on C.S. Lewis and democracy
On February 9th, the Acton Institute ed Micah Watson to the Mark Murray Auditorium to speak on the topic of “C.S. Lewis vs. Democracy” as part of the 2017 Acton Lecture Series. Watson, an associate professor of political science and the William Spoelhof Teacher-Scholar Chair at Calvin College, guides us through an examination of the political thought of the brilliant and celebrated author known primarily for his works offiction and Christian apologetics. Lewis was skeptical of the ability of democratic...
Samuel Gregg on the silence of the church in a declining Europe
In a recent article for The Catholic World Report, Acton’s research director, Samuel Gregg discusses the European Union. He criticizes it for its aggressive secularism and separating itself from its Christian roots; Gregg also addresses the weakness of the Catholic Church in addressing social issues. Gregg is not wholly optimistic about the future of Europe, but nonetheless, calls for European leaders to return to their Christian foundations as the only viable solution in managing their decline. In criticizing the EU,...
Education as liberation: 4 priorities for reform
With the recent appointment and confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, the movement for educational choice has plenty of reasons for optimism. Throughout the nomination process, opponents of DeVos ridiculed the school-choice movement for caring little about quality, equality, and opportunity, ignoring that these are the precise drivers of advocates for school choice. Given the abounding confusion and misrepresentation, I was reminded of a wonderful talk given by Professor Howard Fuller at the American Enterprise Institute, in which...
Can you spare 12 minutes to learn the pillars of a free society?
Communicating the underlying pillars of a free and virtuous society is sometimes like describing the Kingdom of God: We can envision it, but detailing its operations to non-believers can be difficult. (This is largely for the same reason – both are so rarely observed upon earth.) Thankfully, the London-based Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has finished releasing a series of brief videos that describe the six pillars of a free society. Dr. Steve Davies, Head of Education at IEA, details...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved