External Processor

Step 1: Establish core theological beliefs based on the Bible. Step 2: Define how the world should be based on these truths. Step 3: Define how the world currently is . Step 4: Offer methods (political policy) that attempt to reconcile how the world is to how it should be. Matthew 6:10 "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." As I mention in the video, I may have strong opinions about a certain method or political policy, but I recognize that it is only the means to an end and that other people may also have other good solutions as well. On the other hand, I'm not supporting my ideas on a whim or because I'm loyal to a particular political party. My political polices have deep roots all the way back to my core theological beliefs. Because of this I'm passionate about political and economic policy issues because I want to promote human flourishing in a Biblical way. One more thing I want to add to this topic. I ask people to consider how the world is and ...

Scarcity is a fundamental principal in economics. Scarcity means that resources are finite while human wants are essentially infinite. There is only a certain amount of any resource in the world. It could be cars, apples, oil, food, or water; there are limits on everything. Not only are resources scarce, but we have to make choices about what we do with the resources we have . This is called opportunity cost. If I choose to spend $10 on pizza, then that is $10 I don't have to spend on ice cream. Finally, the ultimate scarcity is our time. Everyone has 24 hours in a day. That's it. Time is a finite resource. And time spent on one task can never be taken back and used for something else. Another way to talk about scarcity is to talk about inputs. Input is my favorite word . It reminds us that any person, system, organization, business, or government requires continuous input. (Even non-profit organizations!) As a child, I used to think there was such a thing as free food. But the...

Hello, My name is Kyle Wilcox. I'm from Indianapolis, Indiana. This is my answer to the Make Me Smart Question: What's something you thought you knew, but later found out you were wrong about? I used to think there was free food. As a kid I just showed up to church events, school events, and family gatherings and I ate the food. I didn't think about it. The illusion of free food is an even bigger deal when you get to college because you're either eating in the cafeteria or you're scrounging for free food. Over the years I looked back and realized that the food wasn't free after all. My grandma and other family members planned the Thanksgiving dinner. The little old ladies in my church spent hours the night before making food for the church picnic. Not only did they spend money at the grocery store, but they spent their time and love on that food. In short, making food requires input. In fact, everything requires input. That's why input is my favorite word. ...

Free market doesn't mean I am free to do whatever I want. It doesn't mean that companies can spew pollution everywhere. It doesn't mean a business can sell a flawed and dangerous product and get away with. The freedom is in the market transaction . Each party freely chooses to purchase or sell a product.  There is no coercion or manipulation. All the terms of the transaction and products are fully disclosed before it's agreed upon. Both parties are better off after the transaction than they previously were. We call this gains from trade. You would only be willing to make the trade if it was economically beneficial to you. Most of the time, we just trade money in the form of a purchase because money makes it easier for everyone involved. There are real gains to be made from every purchase. However, it's important to remember that just making more purchases, doesn't actually produce any new goods or services. If you gave 10 kids 10 different toys, most or al...

Discussions of diversity and racial reconciliation can often be derailed by misunderstanding and confusion over terms. This blog post is my attempt to explain what these terms and concepts mean to me. A Gospel Issue For Christians, unity in the midst of racial and ethnic diversity is a moral issue and therefore it is a Gospel issue. The Gospel is the Good News of God's redemption of His people and the restoration of the world through the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some summarize it as Creation - Fall - Redemption - Restoration. In light of the Gospel, Jesus calls us to follow him in a life that is holy and full of love for others. The Gospel demands that all Christians live in love and harmony, regardless of ethnic, cultural, or economic differences. You cannot separate right theology (orthodoxy) from right living (orthopraxy). 1 John 4:7-11 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and kn...

This week, Microsoft announced its second generation HoloLense augmented reality device. This again kicked up some anti-military rhetoric and opposition to the company's stance on government contracts. Microsoft is planning to sell 100,000 HoloLense headsets to the US army in a contract worth $480 million . A small number of employees posted an open letter to the company asking Microsoft to cancel the contract. They stated that "we do not want to become war profiteers." I'm not here to make an argument for or against the military. I just want to consider some of the implications of the employees' statement. The military already spends millions of dollars on existing Microsoft technology and software. Any technology used by the military is used for the purposes of the military, including war and lethality. A desktop OS, an email server, and an augmented reality device are all part of the same system. If you philosophically don't want to make weapons, then how ...

Some things are hard to understand even after they've been explained to you multiple times. Some things are hard to explain, even if you've experienced them. Postpartum depression is both. I'm taking the opportunity of Mother's Day to reflect on the experience of my wife, who bravely cared for Turner in the face of postpartum depression. My first aim is to honor Renee for her service and sacrifice as she has been a wonderful mother to Turner. Secondly, I want to call the Church of Jesus Christ to be more aware and responsive to the needs of mothers. To start, let's get some definitions. "Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can affect women after childbirth. Mothers with postpartum depression experience feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that may make it difficult for them to complete daily care activities for themselves or for others." -- from National Institute of Mental Health. There is also postpartum psychosis which is eve...