ICBS Everywhere

Posted April 30, 2009

I saw something on facebook today that I find very disturbing.

An ad for “Christian Debt Solutions” with the tag line:

Formed by a group of Christians to fulfil the commandment in Gal 6:2 to bear each others burdens. If you’re in debt, we can help you.

(the typos/errors are theirs, not mine)

Galatians Chapter 6, Verse 2 (King James version) says:

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Well, when I clicked on the ad I ended up at the site of “DCS”, whose banner is so obviously meant to a convey a connection with God.

I understand that is somewhat unreasonable to expect someone to chip in to help out fellow Christians (and advertise such), but to suggest that they will is despicable, especially given what they really do.

If you complete their “FREE, no obligation online form” they will send your information to three “debt settlement companies”.

Wow. That’s SERVICE!

Nevermind that anyone could Google “debt settlement” and find these companies themselves, it would be a great mistake to do so. Many of these companies are scams; they will take your payments without using that money to pay your debtors. Others are legitimate in that they work to reduce interest rates and settle debts by doing for you what you could do yourself — call creditors and negotiate. In these cases, however, you may gain very little and damage your credit a lot. Credit reporting agencies are told about your relationship with “consumer credit” companies and this relationship affects credit ratings in much the same way a bankruptcy does.

What’s particularly disturbing here is that this company suggests that it exists for the purpose of serving Christians, not to make money off of them. It presents an image of trustworthiness and implies a motivation that is purely selfless.

On the “about us” page, they describe themselves as no more than a debt management broker.

We created a unique marketplace concept that allows you to have companies compete for your business.

As if you were somehow not allowed to choose with whom you do business without DCS and companies could not compete for your business without them!

Finally, they suggest that God insists that Christians need them by misquoting Deuteronomy 15:1, which does NOT say “you must do away with debts”. What it does say (King James version):

At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.

Verse 2 clarifies this statement:

And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’s release.

Whether or not Christians follow these dictates themselves is a question for another day. Today, I’m angry about the sleazy manner in which people prey on others by pretending to be on their side to gain trust only to take advantage of them.

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