1. The Elevation of Humanity

One of the reasons I love the idea of Universal Basic Income so much is the sheer universality to it. It recognizes that every human has innate worth, value, and dignity. It recognizes that although we come from different socio-economic backgrounds, we all get a shot at surviving in this economy, especially as it gets more “winner-take-all” with a few companies controlling a large slice of the pie. With AI on the rise, Universal Basic Income could become a necessity.

The coming AI takeover will be further reaching than most people realize. A 2013 study from researchers at Oxford University concluded that 47% of jobs in the United States are at high risk of falling victim to automation by around 2030. Sections of the service industry are already experiencing this shift as grocery stores and fast-food restaurants introduce self-serve checkout lanes and menus. And as for the much-lamented erosion of employment in the US manufacturing sector, “for every job lost to trade in recent years, eight have been lost to automation”. Trump identified immigrants as the problem for the loss of manufacturing in the U.S., but they have been scapegoated. Automation is the real job-killer.

Universal Basic Income could help curb the effects of the coming wave of automation, and help us re-prioritize our economy to put humanity first.

It also help creates the mindset that we are partakers and shareholders of this land that we are on. It’s a reminder that America is just as much ours then it is to anyone else in the country. It directly conflicts with America’s rugged individualism that we have.

At the end of the Declaration of Independence it states- “And for the support of this Declaration, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” Universal Basic Income is a great way to remind us of this. It is the realization that as citizens of a country we have an interwoven destiny, and that we are all in this together as owners of this land.

2. The Mindset of Abundance

Most Americans lost half their wealth in the last 25 years. Cheaper labor overseas and ever-smarter computers and machines will destroy even more middle-class American jobs in coming years. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Americans are realizing we have no power in our so-called democracy. This feels like a world of scarcity. Even the idea of “white privilege” may sound like a cruel joke when it seems like you have so little.

Our fear of scarcity — the deeply ingrained view that there is not enough to go around, so we each need to get ours before someone else takes it from us — stops us from realizing the benefits of our new abundance. When there is not enough to go around, the natural and rational reaction is to huddle with your tribe and defend your turf.

If you have heard of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this might make sense to you. Poverty creates a “scarcity mindset” where people are so focused on just trying to survive, that they are not able to have the capacity to think about anything else. That means a lot of the issues we need the entire country to work towards (equality, justice, you name it) is severely hindered because we have a large sect of the population that simply does not have the time (or the money) to think about such things. This hinders our ability to create real progress. Universal Basic Income eliminates extreme poverty, and would help create a mindset of abundance- where every American will have the floor to be able to start a business, create an organization, or even have extra time to volunteer.

3. The End of Abortion

Evangelicals have been on the front lines of the pro-life movement for as long as Roe V. Wade was implemented. And at some point the question has to be asked- Is our strategy working to end abortion?

The main focus of the pro-life movement has been to make it illegal. But what can we do in the meantime to directly combat the issue and stop abortions from happening in the first place?

In 2011, the unintended pregnancy rate among women with an income below the federal poverty level ($18,530 for a family of three that year) was more than five times that among women with an income at or above 200% of poverty. And because of this high rate of unintended pregnancy, women who are struggling financially experience high levels of abortion.

The reasons women give for having an abortion underscore their understanding of the economic impact unplanned childbearing would have on themselves and their families. Most abortion patients say that they cannot afford a child or another child, and most say that having a baby would interfere with their work, school or ability to care for their other children. Most women also cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals as a factor in their decision to have an abortion. These concerns make particular sense when one considers that six in 10 women who have an abortion are already a parent.

The data is pretty clear that being more educated, having adequate healthcare, having sexual education and access to birth control, and having economic security all reduce abortion rates. In fact, the abortion rate has been rapidly declining for years due to birth control.

An extra $1,000 dollars a month for a struggling mother wrestling with the idea of abortion could quite literally be a life-saver. It isn’t the silver bullet solution, but it would go a long way in creating a loving and abundant society that a mother would not be scared to bring her child into.

The Bottom Line

Universal Basic Income would be a fantastic way to move our society forward and help alleviate the suffering of millions of people along the way. When I met with Andrew Yang he seemed to deeply understand this. That is why I believe his campaign (an unknown man running for president) has worked so well. The idea of a society where humanity is placed as the number one priority is an idea every American can get behind. It makes sense why in a head to head match-up, Yang is beating Trump by 8 points.

Christians would be smart to advocate for policies that would love and elevate people this well. Once again, it isn’t perfect, but it would go a long way in helping to restore the world, which is a responsibility that we all have as Christians.

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”

Galatians 6:9

Do you have thoughts about this? Disagree? Want to talk about anything? Feel free to connect with me on Instagram or Twitter @danielgreenmn . Would love to chat or hear your thoughts. 👍🏽