Christ's teaching could solve many social woes

• Mansions and country clubs are torn down to erect low-income housing. ("Go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor." Matthew 19:21). This is one way to cool the housing market.

• Financial institutions must provide loans to all. ("Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." Matthew 5:42). Yea! No more credit reports!

We hope our readers have a wonderful (please insert the appropriate event: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus)!

Webb: Frank has taken a humorous approach to the teachings of Jesus applied to politics, and I'm going to be a little more serious. But first, we want to thank the management of the Morning News for allowing us to write this column and also thank you, the readers, for continuing to turn to the Sunday opinion section to check out our ramblings. We hope you have had a prosperous 2005, and we wish you a very successful new year.

When I think of Jesus and politics, I return to thoughts I've written about on previous occasions, applying some of the counsel and teachings of Jesus to the current troubles of modern society.

In my years of involvement in public policy, I have watched as government and civic leaders have grappled with the mighty problems of the day. It is enlightening and a little frightening to note that despite the legislation, political initiatives, presidential decrees, court orders, newspaper editorials and all else society does, many of the biggest problems are not alleviated; indeed they seem to grow. Society can't provide the entire answer.

We don't usually think of Jesus as addressing political issues, but he did. However, his approach was quite different. His truly revolutionary teachings zeroed in on the roots and causes of society's problems, while the world's approach generally focuses on the effects and results.

Society's answer to crime is better law enforcement, stricter penalties, bigger and better prisons and halfway houses. Christ's answer was to love your neighbor as yourself; do to others as you would have them do to you; live an honest and upright life. One approach attacks the effects of crime; one the causes. Both are certainly necessary, but it is apparent which could really eliminate crime.

Society's answers to the problems of immorality are birth control pills, homes for unwed mothers, treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, sex education and divorce counselors. Christ's answer was to teach the virtues of chastity, love and purity.

One approach could potentially solve these problems; the other simply helps those currently afflicted.