Two income households - moral implications

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Would I give up one job so someone else could have it?

No, I would not, and I would feel no remorse for doing so.

Maybe it’s my German heritage of doing one’s duty, but I see myself having a duty to myself (to make use of my abilities to the fullest extent); to my family (to provide for them as best as I can, providing I do no moral evil to do so); and to society (to be productive and contribute in some meaningful way). I fulfill these duties by working.

So does my wife.

Do I feel the need to give up the “security blanket” brought on by industriousness and hard work, so someone else can have one? Not feor an instant. Why? Simple. Because there will always be ants & grasshoppers in life. As Jesus said, the poor will always be with us.

Look, we live in a hard cruel world where, for better or worse, most people are to some extent on their own. My wife – who has worked since she was 16 – and I see DAILY a lot of overfed moms who have no job, and who basically lead unproductive lives. Why? *Becasue they evidently like it that way. *Sure, they are “stay at home moms” who do some housework, and help kids with homework. They also watch soaps, go to the gym for an hour a day, drink coffee at starbucks with their girlfriends, belong to bookclubs reading “50 Shades of Grey,” and mock people like my wife (“she HAS to work!”) and me (“he doesn’t make enough to support her.”). We know this because we’ve heard it enough.

Forgive me sounding bitter – but am I supposed to feel some sort of pity for them because we have a “security blanket” and they don’t, because they don’t want to? I don’t. They’ve made their choices and we’ve made ours – for better or worse. I think ours are the better ones.
 
Further, unemployment is not spread over communities uniformly. Were you unwise enough to major in French Literature in college? Don’t be surprised that you can’t find a job, any job. Were you astute enough to major in petroleum engineering in college? Folks with that college major can essentially always find a job.
 
Would I give up one job so someone else could have it?

No, I would not, and I would feel no remorse for doing so.

Maybe it’s my German heritage of doing one’s duty, but I see myself having a duty to myself (to make use of my abilities to the fullest extent); to my family (to provide for them as best as I can, providing I do no moral evil to do so); and to society (to be productive and contribute in some meaningful way). I fulfill these duties by working.

So does my wife.
Can’t be more honest and straightforward than that…
BTW…I understand the “German heritage” angle…I come from German stock also…
Do I feel the need to give up the “security blanket” brought on by industriousness and hard work, so someone else can have one?
Well - the thing is not a matter of giving up your security blanket so that another can have a security blanket…It’s more a matter of giving up the security blanket so that another can have a primary blanket.
Not for an instant. Why? Simple. Because there will always be ants & grasshoppers in life. As Jesus said, the poor will always be with us.
Look, we live in a hard cruel world where, for better or worse, most people are to some extent on their own. My wife – who has worked since she was 16 – and I see DAILY a lot of overfed moms who have no job, and who basically lead unproductive lives. Why? *Becasue they evidently like it that way. *Sure, they are “stay at home moms” who do some housework, and help kids with homework. They also watch soaps, go to the gym for an hour a day, drink coffee at starbucks with their girlfriends, belong to bookclubs reading “50 Shades of Grey,” and mock people like my wife (“she HAS to work!”) and me (“he doesn’t make enough to support her.”). We know this because we’ve heard it enough.
Forgive me sounding bitter – but am I supposed to feel some sort of pity for them because we have a “security blanket” and they don’t, because they don’t want to? I don’t. They’ve made their choices and we’ve made ours – for better or worse. I think ours are the better ones.
Yes you do sound bitter but I’ll forgive you since you do not seem to realize that people such as these are not ones I am referring to. Such people do not even figure in the unemployment figures since they are not actively seeking work.
No - the ones I am referring to are the ones who WANT to work…to have just one income so that they can support their family and regain some of their self respect and to be able to do the very things that you describe above as coming from your German heritage.
They want to be productive…They want to contribute…they want to bring home a check to their wife (or husband) and be able to go to the store and buy food and clothes for their children instead of having to rely on a food pantry and church basement rummage.
There are many such people in the country today…

Yes Jesus said that we would always have the poor with us. But He said other things too. Like, if a man ask for your coat, give also your cloak.
Perhaps most importantly he said, Love your neighbor as yourself…I wonder…If you and your wife found yourselves out of work and you saw so many other families with two incomes…would you maybe begin to think that it is a bit unfair that so many have two incomes when you have none???

Please know that I am not judging anyone here…simply tossing out thoughts and ideas.

Peace
James
 
…I wonder…If you and your wife found yourselves out of work and you saw so many other families with two incomes…would you maybe begin to think that it is a bit unfair that so many have two incomes when you have none???
No, I would not. Again, employment does not work that way.
 
Yes, ideally this would be a better society and effort. But this society has developed into a neccessary two income dependancy. Then our kids are forced to be raised with more daycare and grandma. Then family time and order is compromised and busy.

This is just my first reaction to the situation.
Michael
 
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