U. N. Universal Declaration of Human Righst, First Seven Articles
[Available online at www.un.org/Overview/rights.html. The United Nations is the author of the original material.]
Article 1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 4.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
Article 5.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6.
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
Article 7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
The Seven Freedoms [Human Development Report 2000, UNDP]
1. Freedom from discrimination - by gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, or religion.
2. Freedom from want - to enjoy a decent standard of living.
3. Freedom to develop and realize one's human potential.
4. Freedom from fear - of threats to personal security, from torture, arbitrary arrest and other violent acts.
4. Freedom from injustice and violations of the rule of law.
5. Freedom of thought and speech and to participate in decision-making and form associations.
6. Freedom for decent work - without exploitation.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Fragile Existence
We should not trust in ourselves but in God. —2 Corinthians 1:9
The geological features at Yellowstone National Park fascinate me. But when I walk among the geysers, I’m aware of how close I am to danger. I am walking atop one of the largest, most active volcanoes in the world.
When I read the book of Job, I feel as if I’m walking through Yellowstone on a day when the volcano erupts, exploding the earth’s fragile crust and bringing disaster.
Like tourists at Yellowstone, Job was enjoying life. He was unaware that only a hedge separated him from disaster (Job 1:9-10). When God removed that hedge and allowed Satan to test Job, his life exploded (vv.13-19).
Many believers live in circumstances where it seems as if God, for some reason, has removed His hedge of protection. Others, also for reasons unknown, live in relative calm, seemingly unaware of their fragile existence. Like Job’s friends, they assume that nothing bad will happen unless they do something to deserve it.
As we learn from Job, however, God somet imes allows bad things to happen to good people. Although disaster can strike at any moment, nothing has the power to destroy those who trust Christ (2 Cor. 4:9). No disaster can separate us from God’s love. —Julie Ackerman Link
Though darker, rougher, grows the way
And cares press harder day by day,
With patience in His love I’ll rest,
And whisper that He knoweth best. —Pentecost
God’s love still stands when all else has fallen.
Copyright © 2009, RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA.
The geological features at Yellowstone National Park fascinate me. But when I walk among the geysers, I’m aware of how close I am to danger. I am walking atop one of the largest, most active volcanoes in the world.
When I read the book of Job, I feel as if I’m walking through Yellowstone on a day when the volcano erupts, exploding the earth’s fragile crust and bringing disaster.
Like tourists at Yellowstone, Job was enjoying life. He was unaware that only a hedge separated him from disaster (Job 1:9-10). When God removed that hedge and allowed Satan to test Job, his life exploded (vv.13-19).
Many believers live in circumstances where it seems as if God, for some reason, has removed His hedge of protection. Others, also for reasons unknown, live in relative calm, seemingly unaware of their fragile existence. Like Job’s friends, they assume that nothing bad will happen unless they do something to deserve it.
As we learn from Job, however, God somet imes allows bad things to happen to good people. Although disaster can strike at any moment, nothing has the power to destroy those who trust Christ (2 Cor. 4:9). No disaster can separate us from God’s love. —Julie Ackerman Link
Though darker, rougher, grows the way
And cares press harder day by day,
With patience in His love I’ll rest,
And whisper that He knoweth best. —Pentecost
God’s love still stands when all else has fallen.
Copyright © 2009, RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Edward K Y Chen Distinguished Lecture Series 2009, The University of Hong Kong
This evening, I just attended Edward K Y Chen Distinguished Lecture Series 2009 at The University of Hong Kong. The Title of The Lecture is 'Shifting Paradigms on Both Sides of the Global Economic Imbalance'. It was presented by Professor Justin Yifu Lin, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, The World Bank. The lecture was indeed insightful. It provided detailed picture of the present issue of Global Imbalances. He mentioned that the content of the seminar is not the representative view of The World Bank, it is mainly his own opinions.
I will try to summarize the main points of the lecture in this short note.
As we all know, currently there is a very present issue regarding the Global Imbalance in the World Economy. The United States has a great amount of large fiscal deficit, amount up to 7% of its GDP, in which the fast increase of the fiscal deficit mainly occurs after the dot-com bubble in 2000-01. On the other hand, China has a great amount of trade surplus, from the extensive export activities to many other developed countries. This is the imbalance.
First, let's take a look at the US economy. The US fiscal deficit increased in the much faster rate, after the dot-com bubble in 2000-01. After the dot-com bubble burst, The US Government used monetary policy extensively, by lowering interest rate as many as 27 times from 6% to 1% (in a very short period of time, from August 2001 - March 2003), to stimulate the economy. The US Government also spent a large amount of money on war in Middle-East and borrowing a large amount of money from China through selling Government Bonds, which worsen the US budget status.
Second, let’s take a look at the China economy. China has been a net exporter for the last decade. China has competitive advantage due to its ‘undervalued’ RMB currency. It made the goods produced in China to be relatively cheaper, which many countries ended up to import things from China, including the US. It led China to be a net exporter and having huge trade surplus.
Now, there has been argument that so-called ‘undervalued’ RMB was the main cause of this Global Imbalance. But is this a valid argument?
The data does not show favor to this common argument. One data shows that although the US fiscal deficit grew in faster rate after 2000-01, China’s trade with US only accounts for one third of the US fiscal deficit (which the proportion has been relatively constant over the last 8 years or so). Professor Justin Yifu Lin argued that the World could not blame China’s ‘undervalued’ RMB to be the main cause of Global Imbalance, or US fiscal deficit. What about the other two-third of the deficit?
He also argued that if China let RMB to appreciate it will worsen the Global Problem, as the goods produced in China will be more expensive, and countries must buy the products at the more expensive price (whether from China or from other countries), which will decrease the purchasing power of countries, and will slow down the economic recovery.
The other factor which caused this Global Imbalance was over-capacity. The World Bank forecasted that the over-capacity problem will not be solved until 2013. This over-capacity problem slow down the economy activity, because every goods produced must be sold somewhere. Now, the demand is less than the supply.
Another issue is the saving ratio of China and of the US. The US has been long known for its low saving ratio, whereas China has been known as one of countries with highest-saving ratio. (up to 50%). There has been an argument that China should spend more to balance the economy. But if we look at the data, out of 50% saving ratio, 25% is corporate saving. Then it leaves only 25% saving ratio for individuals. This 50% saving ratio is very close to India’s saving rate. This high corporate saving ratio is due to income disparity in China. The rich has lower propensity to consume, whereas the poor has higher propensity to consume. And in the end, the corporate saved more.
He also mentioned about the effectiveness of Keynesian Solution. Keynes argued that fiscal policy will boost economy. It will work well if Ricardian Equivalence is not happening. If Ricardian Equivalence is happening, The Keynesian Solution will not work. Ricardian Equivalence says that if government gives money to the public now (by subsidy or lowering taxes), the public will expect that they need to pay higher taxes in the future, which makes the public to save even more.
This summary is not exhaustive. There are other details and arguments which I could not remember clearly. The lecture was full of economic analysis.
I will try to summarize the main points of the lecture in this short note.
As we all know, currently there is a very present issue regarding the Global Imbalance in the World Economy. The United States has a great amount of large fiscal deficit, amount up to 7% of its GDP, in which the fast increase of the fiscal deficit mainly occurs after the dot-com bubble in 2000-01. On the other hand, China has a great amount of trade surplus, from the extensive export activities to many other developed countries. This is the imbalance.
First, let's take a look at the US economy. The US fiscal deficit increased in the much faster rate, after the dot-com bubble in 2000-01. After the dot-com bubble burst, The US Government used monetary policy extensively, by lowering interest rate as many as 27 times from 6% to 1% (in a very short period of time, from August 2001 - March 2003), to stimulate the economy. The US Government also spent a large amount of money on war in Middle-East and borrowing a large amount of money from China through selling Government Bonds, which worsen the US budget status.
Second, let’s take a look at the China economy. China has been a net exporter for the last decade. China has competitive advantage due to its ‘undervalued’ RMB currency. It made the goods produced in China to be relatively cheaper, which many countries ended up to import things from China, including the US. It led China to be a net exporter and having huge trade surplus.
Now, there has been argument that so-called ‘undervalued’ RMB was the main cause of this Global Imbalance. But is this a valid argument?
The data does not show favor to this common argument. One data shows that although the US fiscal deficit grew in faster rate after 2000-01, China’s trade with US only accounts for one third of the US fiscal deficit (which the proportion has been relatively constant over the last 8 years or so). Professor Justin Yifu Lin argued that the World could not blame China’s ‘undervalued’ RMB to be the main cause of Global Imbalance, or US fiscal deficit. What about the other two-third of the deficit?
He also argued that if China let RMB to appreciate it will worsen the Global Problem, as the goods produced in China will be more expensive, and countries must buy the products at the more expensive price (whether from China or from other countries), which will decrease the purchasing power of countries, and will slow down the economic recovery.
The other factor which caused this Global Imbalance was over-capacity. The World Bank forecasted that the over-capacity problem will not be solved until 2013. This over-capacity problem slow down the economy activity, because every goods produced must be sold somewhere. Now, the demand is less than the supply.
Another issue is the saving ratio of China and of the US. The US has been long known for its low saving ratio, whereas China has been known as one of countries with highest-saving ratio. (up to 50%). There has been an argument that China should spend more to balance the economy. But if we look at the data, out of 50% saving ratio, 25% is corporate saving. Then it leaves only 25% saving ratio for individuals. This 50% saving ratio is very close to India’s saving rate. This high corporate saving ratio is due to income disparity in China. The rich has lower propensity to consume, whereas the poor has higher propensity to consume. And in the end, the corporate saved more.
He also mentioned about the effectiveness of Keynesian Solution. Keynes argued that fiscal policy will boost economy. It will work well if Ricardian Equivalence is not happening. If Ricardian Equivalence is happening, The Keynesian Solution will not work. Ricardian Equivalence says that if government gives money to the public now (by subsidy or lowering taxes), the public will expect that they need to pay higher taxes in the future, which makes the public to save even more.
This summary is not exhaustive. There are other details and arguments which I could not remember clearly. The lecture was full of economic analysis.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Be Thankful Even in Tough Times
by Rick Warren
"May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4 TEV).
In Philippians 4, Paul says, "May you always be joyful in your life in the Lord." Can we really be joyful in all circumstances? The Bible suggests the following strategy:
Don't worry about anything--Worrying doesn't change anything. It's stewing without doing. There are no such things as born-worriers. Worry is a learned response. You learned it from your parents. You learned it from your peers. You learned it from experience. That's good news. The fact that worry is learned means it can also be unlearned.
How do you unlearn it? Jesus says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34 NIV). He's saying don't open your umbrella until it starts raining. Don't worry about tomorrow. Live one day at a time.
Pray about everything--Next, instead of worrying, use your time for praying. If you prayed as much as you worried, you'd have a whole lot less to worry about. Some people think God only cares about religious things, such as how many people I invite to church or my tithing. Is God interested in car payments? Yes. He's interested in every detail of your life. That means you can take any problem you face to God.
Thank God in all things--Whenever you pray, you should always pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities. It makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They're never satisfied. It's never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.
Think about the right things--If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, you must change the way you think because the way you think determines how you feel. And the way you feel determines how you act, which is why the Bible teaches that, if you want to change your life, you need to change what you’re thinking about.
This involves a deliberate conscious choice where you change the channels. You choose to think about the right things. Because the root cause of stress is the way we choose to think, we need to focus on the positive and on God's word.
What is the result of not worrying, praying about everything, giving thanks, and focusing on the right things? Paul tells us the result is, "you will experience God's peace which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your heart quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus."
What a guarantee!
© 2009. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
"May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4 TEV).
In Philippians 4, Paul says, "May you always be joyful in your life in the Lord." Can we really be joyful in all circumstances? The Bible suggests the following strategy:
Don't worry about anything--Worrying doesn't change anything. It's stewing without doing. There are no such things as born-worriers. Worry is a learned response. You learned it from your parents. You learned it from your peers. You learned it from experience. That's good news. The fact that worry is learned means it can also be unlearned.
How do you unlearn it? Jesus says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34 NIV). He's saying don't open your umbrella until it starts raining. Don't worry about tomorrow. Live one day at a time.
Pray about everything--Next, instead of worrying, use your time for praying. If you prayed as much as you worried, you'd have a whole lot less to worry about. Some people think God only cares about religious things, such as how many people I invite to church or my tithing. Is God interested in car payments? Yes. He's interested in every detail of your life. That means you can take any problem you face to God.
Thank God in all things--Whenever you pray, you should always pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities. It makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They're never satisfied. It's never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.
Think about the right things--If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, you must change the way you think because the way you think determines how you feel. And the way you feel determines how you act, which is why the Bible teaches that, if you want to change your life, you need to change what you’re thinking about.
This involves a deliberate conscious choice where you change the channels. You choose to think about the right things. Because the root cause of stress is the way we choose to think, we need to focus on the positive and on God's word.
What is the result of not worrying, praying about everything, giving thanks, and focusing on the right things? Paul tells us the result is, "you will experience God's peace which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your heart quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus."
What a guarantee!
© 2009. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
God's Grace
He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
Ephesians 1:7-8, NLT
Grace is God's voluntary and loving favor given to those he saves. We can't earn salvation, nor do we deserve it. No religious, intellectual, or moral effort can gain it, because it comes only from God's mercy and love. Without God's grace, no person can be saved.
To receive it, we must acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves, that only God can save us, and that our only way to receive this loving favor is through faith in Christ.
© 2009, Tyndale House Publishers
Ephesians 1:7-8, NLT
Grace is God's voluntary and loving favor given to those he saves. We can't earn salvation, nor do we deserve it. No religious, intellectual, or moral effort can gain it, because it comes only from God's mercy and love. Without God's grace, no person can be saved.
To receive it, we must acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves, that only God can save us, and that our only way to receive this loving favor is through faith in Christ.
© 2009, Tyndale House Publishers
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saved by Faith Alone
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2 : 8 - 10)
We are saved by faith alone. Faith in God - Jesus Christ. Good works only will not bring salvation to us.
Am I saying that, we can just have faith in Jesus Christ, and do bad deeds, and still be saved? I must say, 'Yes', theoretically. But there is a problem.
When we really accept Jesus Christ as our savior, and really let Him live inside us, our character will be changed automatically. He will change our mindset of everything. We will have more and more Christ-Like Characteristics over time. We have no choice, but be changed. God's Ultimate Character is Love. God is Love. We will be a person who exhibits God's Love. Then, good works will automatically follow. If God really dwells in us, we will not have the ability of not doing good works.
Good works alone will not bring salvation. Faith alone will bring salvation.
In mathematical language :
1. Faith is necessary and sufficient condition for our Salvation [very strong condition]
2. Good works are not necessary and not sufficient condition for our salvation
But again, when we have the faith and God really dwells inside us, we have no choice, but to exhibit His Love to others through our actions.
We are loved first by God, so that we have the ability to show love to others.
May God bless you always, Readers. Have a Blessed week ahead.
We are saved by faith alone. Faith in God - Jesus Christ. Good works only will not bring salvation to us.
Am I saying that, we can just have faith in Jesus Christ, and do bad deeds, and still be saved? I must say, 'Yes', theoretically. But there is a problem.
When we really accept Jesus Christ as our savior, and really let Him live inside us, our character will be changed automatically. He will change our mindset of everything. We will have more and more Christ-Like Characteristics over time. We have no choice, but be changed. God's Ultimate Character is Love. God is Love. We will be a person who exhibits God's Love. Then, good works will automatically follow. If God really dwells in us, we will not have the ability of not doing good works.
Good works alone will not bring salvation. Faith alone will bring salvation.
In mathematical language :
1. Faith is necessary and sufficient condition for our Salvation [very strong condition]
2. Good works are not necessary and not sufficient condition for our salvation
But again, when we have the faith and God really dwells inside us, we have no choice, but to exhibit His Love to others through our actions.
We are loved first by God, so that we have the ability to show love to others.
May God bless you always, Readers. Have a Blessed week ahead.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Why do we serve? We serve because Jesus did.
After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down, and asked, "Do you understand what I was doing? You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord', and you are right, because that's what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washer your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. (John 13 : 12 - 17).
Serving others is not something natural for us. We all want to be served. The very act of being served makes us feel important. It also implies that we are somehow superior to the one who is serving us. Jesus, however, totally changes our mindset by his own very behavior. He washed His disciples' feet.
Jesus set the example for us to serve each other. If Jesus served we are compelled to do the same. This washing of the feet was an ordinary, mundane task but Jesus, the Son of God, was not too important, too busy or too proud to serve the disciples.
Copyright, 2009 Island ECC, Hong Kong.
Serving others is not something natural for us. We all want to be served. The very act of being served makes us feel important. It also implies that we are somehow superior to the one who is serving us. Jesus, however, totally changes our mindset by his own very behavior. He washed His disciples' feet.
Jesus set the example for us to serve each other. If Jesus served we are compelled to do the same. This washing of the feet was an ordinary, mundane task but Jesus, the Son of God, was not too important, too busy or too proud to serve the disciples.
Copyright, 2009 Island ECC, Hong Kong.
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