Opposing Views:America's Debt Crisis
and 'A Call for Intergenerational Justice'

An evening with Gideon Strauss, Center for Public Justice,

and Jordan J. Ballor, Acton Institute

Last week the Center for Public Justice (CPJ) and Evangelicals for Social Action (ESA) issued "A Call for Intergenerational Justice: A Christian Proposal on the American Debt Crisis," which argues for responsible government action to address the country's pressing fiscal problems. The Call emphasizes the need to cut spending without touching "effective" social programs: "To reduce our federal debt at the expense of our poorest fellow citizens would be a violation of the biblical teaching that God has a special concern for the poor." Acton Institute research fellow Jordan Ballor has criticized the Call as demonstrating "very little principle" and consisting mostly of "leaps in logic largely based on unstated assumptions about the role that government should have" in providing social assistance. Join us for a night of vigorous discussion about government debt, federal spending, and how faith communities should understand the responsibility of social institutions in addressing the problem of poverty.

Derby Station
2237 Wealthy St. SE, East Grand Rapids 49506

6:00 pm Grab a seat & drink
6:30 pm Discussion begins

SEATING IS LIMITED! ARRIVE EARLY!

Dr. Gideon Strauss is CEO of the Center for Public Justice. Since 1999, Strauss has served as Research and Education Director of the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC), a labor union with about 200 employees and 50,000 members, committed to "seeking justice in the workplace." During his tenure, he led the development of a comprehensive education program for CLAC staff, including a one-year "CLAC College" for new staff.

Over the past decade, Strauss has developed a network of contacts and friends in the United States, where he has traveled and lectured widely. He has, for example, been engaged with the Coalition for Christian Outreach in Pittsburgh and Redeemer Church in New York City, and has delivered the annual lectures in Moral Formation at Wheaton College. He is currently working on a book tentatively titled Wonder, Heartbreak and Hope, on reading the Psalms in devotional preparation for social action. Strauss and his wife, Angela, have two daughters, Tala and Hannah. View his complete biography here.

Jordan J. Ballor is a research fellow at the Acton Institute and serves as executive editor of the Journal of Markets & Morality. He is also author of Ecumenical Babel: Confusing Economic Ideology and the Church's Social Witness (Christian's Library Press, 2010), and a founding contributor to the Acton Institute's PowerBlog. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Reformation history at the University of Zurich and in historical and moral theology at Calvin Theological Seminary.