Secularism unable to fill the void

Many people in the western world who have decided that God should be excluded from practically all spheres of life, now find themselves at a loss as to where they are going and how to face life and its tribulations.

Today, the levels of anxiety, depression and suicides have never been so high. One of the major factors for this is that secularism and liberal values have been unable to fill the void that having God in one’s life ensures. Our God-free society promises a lot but delivers very little.

Naturally, it would be misleading to paint some idyllic picture of the past since human nature always remains and behaves very much in the same manner.  Yet, there is one major difference.

God was still present in society and many turned to Him, especially during difficult times. It is recorded that, during World War II, French soldiers carried the picture of St Therese of Lisieux while serving in the dreadful conditions of the trenches.

Today, this is all gone except among the ‘little flock’ that Christ spoke about. Many do not feel the need for God anymore. There is perhaps a latent, wrong perception that having God in one’s life will somehow curtail the freedom to live the way one desires. 

Nothing could be more erroneous. Nobody is freer than the Christian who, despite faults and fragilities, is committed to follow Christ’s gospel in its entirety. God gave us His divine laws to make life on earth meaningful and serene despite everything.

Jesus told us that it is the truth that makes us free. This truth makes us recognise that sin is the greatest calamity that can befall us since it enslaves us and cuts us off from God, the source of all joy and happiness. To those of us who have decided that life is better off without the Transcendent one can only repeat the words: “You do not know what you are missing!”

Jacqueline Calleja – Naxxar

Economic giggling

One cannot but be fascinated when reading or hearing half-baked economic statements in sections of the local media.

Such as, for example, about: “… the policy developments and concerns (of respondents to the EY Malta Attractiveness Survey) with finding workers locally…” (October19).

Didn’t it occur to the respondents to that survey that, at a price, in economics you always get what you want? Has it occurred to them that poaching (through, say, offering better pay and working conditions) is perfectly legitimate in Malta’s labour market, including trying to get back workers which the government would have taken off you by offering better conditions?

If it is “specialised skills” you want, and you feel that these are not available here, you either spend more money on training people (Were these respondents asked what is the percentage of their HR budget spent annually on upskilling people to the levels they want?) or you simply import the skills which you want.

If someone retorts by hinting at ‘cost competitiveness’ then the other obvious question beckons: are you here only to make large profits by paying, compared to elsewhere, peanuts?

All of this goes to prove, once again, that in economics there is never ever any single measure that any government (socialist, pseudo, capitalist or whatever), or even entrepreneur, can take which carries only upsides with it.

John Consiglio – Birkirkara

What happens next?

I always enjoy reading a good fiction story. Usually, they have happy endings. I was waiting with bated breath for the annual release of the Maltese budget.

As usual, lots of goodies for voters and their offspring. And they guaranteed at least three more years of construction for the airport “project”. The question now is whether or not it will ever be finished.

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana presenting the Budget 2023 to parliament last Monday. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

And, of course, the government will continue to subsidise the cost of energy, thereby ensuring more and more cars on the road. A bunch of carrots, with not a stick in sight.

So, to sum it up, more spending to buy more votes. And no matter what the government says, no “how to”, as in reducing the debt.

Yes, Malta is in a relatively good position with regard to loans, now. But the European economy falls closer to recession. Then what?

Alan Zelt – Naxxar