April 29, 2007 Turning to Churches or Scripture to Cope With Debt By JOHN LELAND
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Doug Sweeney, a police officer, watched his credit card balance grow to $13,000, thinking he would never be able to pay it off. Renée Santiago had $40,000 in student loans. Susan Hancock owed $14,000 in credit card debt and could not point to anything in her home to show for it.
“I saw it going up,” Ms. Hancock said, “but I was numb. I thought, that’s just the way of life.”
When the debt got to be too much for them, instead of going to family members or financial professionals for help, they did what many Americans are doing: they turned to their church. ...
“Nothing in the Bible says you can’t borrow,” said Mike Graham, who provides free financial counseling at Southeast Christian Church, in a position he created 10 years ago after stepping down as the church’s financial manager. “What you’re not allowed to do is borrow and not pay it back.”
The programs resemble secular plans, with two exceptions, said Dave Briggs, director of the Good Sense Stewardship Ministry at Willow Creek. “A secular adviser might say, it’s O.K. to stiff your creditors through bankruptcy,” Mr. Briggs said. “Biblically, bankruptcy is only an option if you need time and space to pay back what you owe.”
“The other conflict is in the area of giving,” he said. “We get a sense of devotion to God by being generous. Secular advice says, don’t give until you can afford it.” ...
<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/29/us/29debt.html?pagewanted=print>
Carl
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