Introduction:
In her book, "The Invisible Hand," Nancy Folbre presents several problems with American society, notably those relating to the care and education of children and other dependants. Despite a very careful and thoughtful analysis of these issues presented in the book, Dr. Folbre presents few viable solutions to these problems in the book. In this paper, focus is placed on four of those problems in specific, and a partial solution to those problems is presented for dialogue. These issues that Dr. Folbre presented are the following:
1) Lack of attention to or support for caregiving roles in our society.
2) Unequal income distribution, leading to unbalanced native abilities in different socio-economic groups.
3) Disparity in educational standards and quality that persist in maintaining a persistent lower class rather than an egalitarian merit-based society.
4) Degradation of traditional social and personal support structures.
This paper examines each of these problems and provides a partial solution to them by participation of individuals in a church.
It should be noted that it is not the intent of this document to debate philosophical, spiritual, or religious truth. It also is not intended to prove the case that is being made. There are few hard facts that will be presented, and most of the argument will be made on supposition, rhetoric, and logic. Instead, this should be viewed as the opening of a dialogue to consider one possible unconventional solution to the grievous problems listed above, and an encouragement for others to this partial solution, or create better ones.