On the Rails This Month’S Commonwealth Games Highlight India’S Struggle to Overcome Poverty with Long-Term Prosperity Think
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republican leaders take the pledge OCTOBER 9, 2010 On the rails This month’s Commonwealth Games highlight India’s struggle to overcome poverty with long-term prosperity Think. New books to help you think on election day... ...and everyday. Republocrat City of Man Politics According Think Confessions of a Liberal Conservative Religion and Politics in a New Era to the Bible The Life of the Mind and the Love of God Carl R. Trueman Michael Gerson A Comprehensive Resource John Piper (foreword by Peter A. Lillback) Peter Wehner Wayne Grudem (foreword by Mark A. Noll) (foreword by Timothy Keller) “I heartily recommend that you read this “ City of Man is a two-fer. It’s an “Conservative and hard-hitting both “This book is a primer for Christian thinking book, but you do so at your own peril.” enormously important book on politics biblically and culturally. no Christian can that is urgently needed in our time.” Peter A. Lillback and on religion.” afford to ignore it.” R. 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Noll Focus on the Family Sovereign Grace Ministries Westminster Seminary California University of Notre Dame Get 40% OFF the retail price at www.wtsbooks.com * Insert coupon code WORLD1 in field above shopping cart to get an additional $1 off any order. *contiguous U.S. World Magazine Ad v4.indd 1 9/21/10 9:02 PM OCTOBER 9, 2010 / VOLUME 25 / NUMBER 20 CONTENTS FEATURES 34 Dreams and reality COVER STORY India’s Commonwealth Games this month highlight the country’s phenomenal economic growth—and its persistent poverty 42 red November? r epublicans need to gain 10 seats to take control of the senate. It’s a daunting task, but energized republicans, dispirited Democrats, and deficit-wary independents are putting Democratic seats in unexpected jeopardy 46 on the docket The supreme Court takes on Arizona hiring laws, school choice initiatives, and prisoners’ religious liberty rights 50 making a pledge h ouse gOp leaders make a public promise to limit government if they return to power as both parties scramble toward November 54 Polling for chaos DISPATCHES o pponents of President hamid Karzai are poised to capitalize on 5 News his government’s inability to conduct fraud-free elections 14 human race 16 Quotables 56 Invisible dads 18 Quick takes Largely unregulated sperm banks and fertility clinics are producing thousands of donor-conceived children who long REvIEwS to know more about their fathers 46 23 movies & TV ON THE COVER: Prasad, a boy from a trackside slum, arrives at a local 26 Books train station to sell snacks in Mumbai, India; photo byRafiq Maqbool/ 28 Q&A AP; House Minority Leader John Boehner: Shawn Thew/ePA/Landov 30 music noTEbook 61 Lifestyle 63 technology 64 science 23 65 houses of God 66 sports 67 Law 68 money voICES 3 Joel Belz 20 Janie B. Cheaney s e 32 mindy Belz G A 50 61 71 mailbag 75 Andrée seu /Getty Im h C visit worldmag.com for breaking news, to sign up for weekly email updates, and more 76 marvin olasky Crou m A h A worlds (Is N 0888-157X) (USPs 763-010) is published biweekly (26 issues) for $49.95 per year by God’s World Publications, (no mail) 85 tunnel rd., suite 12, Asheville, nc 28805; (828) 232-5260. Periodical postage paid at Asheville, nc, and additional mailing offices. Printed in the usa. reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. © 2010 God’s World Publications. All rights reserved. INDIA: Gr PoSTMASTEr: Send address changes to world, P.O. Box 20002, Asheville, NC 28802-9998. “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of God.” Painted to serve the cause of liberty. 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Jesus told us to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. At which marginal tax rate does Caesar’s right end? A 32 percent tax rate might strike me as destructively high for the national good—but I’m not sure I can call it theft. A NTilO h Ng EfT Christian in a thoroughly socialist nation is still biblically obligated to pay his taxes fully and honestly. TO COvET But there’s no such ambiguity about coveting. And especially so when the politicians Comparing Commandments 8 and 10 who call for higher taxes on the rich explicitly structure their argument on a blatant encour- agement of envy and class covetousness. I wish n all the discussion about tax breaks for the rich, two fairly President Barack Obama and his whole staff had simple facts are really all you need to know. had to memorize as children what my parents Fact No. 1 is that only 3 percent of all the taxpayers in the taught me from the Westminster Shorter United States pay more in income taxes than the other 97 percent Catechism, whose 81st question earned this combined. Fact No. 2 is that even if you taxed that 3 percent of our answer: “The Tenth Commandment forbids all population at a rate of 100 percent of their income, you wouldn’t discontentment with our own estate, envying or produce enough additional revenue to cover the deficits our grieving at the good of our neighbor, and all federal government is now incurring each year.