Good reflection!

I like Dave Ramsey more than Crown, however, both offer virtually the same advice. That being because the advice comes from the Bible and is common sense! I like the way Dave words it better though, he's more "in your face" about it than Crown is.

I'm working on getting debt free. By January I'll be done with all but 2k in student loans, and the mortgage (it's a special case in a way though). It's been a difficult venture to clear the debt away, but, given the freedom that comes with not owing anyone, it will be worth it.

I just wish I would have listened to the advice to not get into debt.

It could be frustrated to be in debt, especially when someone doesn't have to resource to do anything about it.  I'm glad i'm a credit bill from debt free .

Jeremiah 15:10 has nothing to do with wether or not usury is wrong (though it seems to imply that it causes strife).  On the other hand there is a parable in the bible about expanding wealth through lending and investement (versus just burying money). 

It is true that leveraged business has done more to help the poor recieve food than ANY charity, Mother Theresa, etc.  If the bible has qualms with this it is wrong but I have the feeling, as you suggest, that it is more of a legal issue than the morality of debt itself.  Many business get started on loans and business, NOT CHARITY, is the reason people are able to eat and have a surplus to give to charity. 

For personal finance sometimes debt is better sometimes its not.  If you want a house now as opposed to 20 years from now I think debt is great.  Don't sign your life away in a contract!   

I think that you may be taking the scripture out of context. I do agree that it is much better to be debt free, for practical as well as biblical reasons. Obviously one is a lot more flexible when one doesn't owe money; and it enables one to give more freely. however, one can still be charitable when in debt. working towards being debt-free is obviously the better way to go; but it's not always avoidable. I think that one would in error to say that its always wrong to be in debt (tho it may be wrong in some cases). I do agree with most of your points, tho. and Dave Ramsey certainly gives extremely good advice and this post and his works are things that everyone should consider.

I have one question.  You say that if we're not in debt we'd be more likely and more able to give to things like missions or the poor.  But if I were so concerned about living a "debt free" life I think that I would tend to be scarce in my giving... at the end of the month when all the bills are paid, how much leftover is there really left to give without going into debt?  Anyone feel this way?

So god wants us to waste money paying rent instead of building home equity and put off getting an education until we can pay medical school tuition upfront? Interesting.

@theScalesandtheScorpion@xanga - 

I think the point is whether there's debt or not.  Given the relative amount of elasticity between tax rates and tax revenues, it's the spending side of the equation that's doing more to put us in debt.  Our foreign policy, anti-growth fiscal policies, and unsustainable entitlement programs are doing much more to keep us in debt than any tax cut ever has.

@theScalesandtheScorpion@xanga -  I agree taxes are biblical give to Cesear what is cesear's  plus I think taxing the rich  and giving the money to help the poor is good  that;s what the early church did. But I think sometimes taxes get used for the wrong things and well we need to give on top of that we need to help others in need.  Also we can't miss the second part of the verse, give to God what is God's.  We all have different views politically and  we definately can;t get into the trap of using to bible to justify our political position  because ya politics is human. Politicians create taxes. Though ya God does tell us to respect out government whatever it may be. 

God doesn't care about money. God cares about love. Things are just things.

But if God really did care about it, my student loans would send me straight to hell.

@Allen_Oz@xanga - I hear that!  Life itself is a financial risk - anything at all could happen.  To say that God doesn't want us to have debt is completely ignoring that fact.  All it takes is a little common sense to see that unnecessary debt is unnecessary - no divine message required.

@EliseTheStranger@xanga - I think you could consider that sort of debt as an investment.  Sure there's a risk involved, but it is well worth it.

@Angelsdelight@xanga - Tell them the more you spend on getting out of debt now, the more you have for them later... that is, if they're the kind of friends who will stick around through the bad times as well as the good.

We only have student loans right now (and a car loan while we wait for our insurance company to pay out for a totaled vehicle).  We're desperately trying to get out of debt, but we have over $400 in medical bills every month because my husband tore his ACL and physical therapy is expensive!  It's been a tough road. We both work two jobs and pay as much on the loans as we can.  But disasters do happen. 

One thing I like about Crown more than Dave Ramsey is that crown emphasizes *some* saving along with paying down debt.  Dave Ramsey thinks you only need $1000 in emergency savings until you've paid everything off but the house.  If we had done that, we would be in really big trouble since it took all of our savings to buy a (used) car once mine was totalled.  Now we're back to square one, saving another 6 months of expenses and trying to pay down debt...

Personally, I'm not in debt.  I hate being in debt, money is something which I've always been wary of.  I like to work to save and buy myself things rather than go into debt owing out money just to have something straight away.  I do think there's a 'manageable debt' of sorts, like it's been said, if you want to work on the career path likely as not you're going to have debt paying for college/uni fees. The same with the house, mortgages, bills etc etc, however as i said, as long as you can manage it, perhaps have to make a few sacrifices along the way i.e pay the bill instead of buying something frivolous, or don't spend so much money going into debt for the sake of a vacation etc etc.  I don't have credit or store cards, I use debit and then I know what money I have to spend.