A question I often get when I'm teaching on debt and borrowing is, "What do you think about good debt vs. bad debt?" Personally, I'm not too fond of that question. It implies that debt can be "good" or "bad," words associated with morality when in essence, debt and borrowing are not moral issues. What is a moral issue is how people behave relative to these. I believe a better question is, "Are Christians allowed to borrow, and if so, when?

When I was 18 years old, my dad cosigned an application so I can get a credit card. I don't recall our conversation. I just remember getting the credit card because somehow, I talked my dad into cosigning with me. I never asked my dad why he did it. I guess it's because I know what he would say. To him, I was a risk worth taking, and I'm sure he believed I would own up to the responsibility of making the payments. I'm happy to report he's never had to make a payment on my behalf. Still, like many Christians today, my dad cosigning for me was a mistake, but not for the reasons you might think.