December 10, 2007

Huckabee and the Sin of Envy

Posted by Adam Graham in : Christianity,Presidential Race 2008

Mike Huckbee has been noted for his attack on the pay of American CEOs. When asked, he has no intent on actually regulating the practice. 

UPDATE

It was pointed out in the comments that the original was a little inconclusive regarding Huckabee’s stance on the issue. The one I used was the best example I could find. Here’s a better one:

When CEOs are making 500 times the average wage of their worker, how can you justify that?

So, the question is, “Why is Huckabee bringing the issue up?”

Well, it connects with voters in a populist way, but I don’t think it’s a good way to connect with voters, because the connection is essentially based on playing up people’s envy of these guys who make a lot more money than them.

Envy is a very serious issue. Solomon observed in Proverbs 14:30, “A sound heart is the life of the flesh, but envy is the rottenness of the bones.” And the Apostle Paul was very explicit when he lists Envying with the works of the Flesh in Galatians 5:21 and cautions, “About these things I tell you again, as I have also told you in times past, that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

Jesus himself dealt with this indirectly in the parable of the laborers in the Vineyard. In the story, the Lord of the Vineyard pays those who were hired at the last hour, the same as those who were hired at the beginning of the day. The response of the Lord of the Vineyard (who represents Christ) are as follows:

“But he answered one of them and said, `Friend, I do thee no wrong. Didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take that which is thine and go thy way. I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?’”-Matthew 20:13-15.

Words that ought to be considered by those running a presidential campaign promoting envy.

2 Comments

  1. Comment by Steltek

    If you’re talking about the quote I think you’re talking about, that’s taking it a little bit out of context. He’s talking about how that situation will drive collective bargaining — i.e. we can see that the pie is huge, we are instrumental in baking that pie, and therefore we want to negotiate for a bigger piece of that pie. There is nothing inherently unfair about a CEO making 100 million dollars a year if that’s what the market will bear, but that amount of money going to a CEO reveals to the rank and file workers that there’s substantially more money available for employee compensation than the corporation would have them believe, and therefore drives their bargaining with the corporation for their own compensation. So if you’re an employee and you want a raise, and you see someone else getting an immense raise, then it’s not envy for that to drive your negotiation with your employer — there’s a subtle but crucial difference between wanting what someone else has, and wanting something like what someone else has. It’s a sin to desire your neighbor’s car, but not to see that your neighbor has a car and desire a car of your own.

  2. Comment by Adam Graham

    Okay, you’ve got a point of what Huck is saying on that. That perhaps wasn’t the most apt example of what I’ve heard him say a few times.

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