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Seems like Stealing?

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Anonymous
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Re: Seems like Stealing?

I agree with the author's sentiment. Yet you have to balance this position based on an ethical situation grounded in an ethical context: 

 

Exodus 22:25 ESV / 75 helpful votes

“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.

Deuteronomy 23:19-20 ESV / 56 helpful votes

“You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest. You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

Ezekiel 18:13 ESV / 43 helpful votes

Lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.

Deuteronomy 23:19 ESV / 42 helpful votes

“You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest.

Leviticus 25:37 ESV / 35 helpful votes

You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.

 

I realize that everyone is not a Christian, but the Bible clearly speaks against usury. What are credit cards charging if not usury?  Yet they or the banks that own them borrow the non-exisitent money out of thin air from the Federal Reserve at next to 0.25%. Now does that seem fair or ethical? I think not. 

 

Secondly the Bible teaches that there should be a Sabbath (7th) year and Jubillee (50) year time of rest and restoration. These were major economic laws given by God, with the intent to prevent great wealth from being acquired or accummulated through acquisition of farm lands and debt enslavement.  God repeatedly emphasizes that people are not to oppress one another (Leviticus 25:14, 17). Deuteronomy 15 says that following these economic laws would bring God's blessing (verses 4, 6, 10). God wants people to learn to be generous and compassionate—to have a "give" attitude rather than one of "get." Furthermore, though the year of Jubilee, all debtors were to be released and familial properties restored to their original owners. God is not against wealth, He is against people being taken advanatge of and resources maldistributed. This sounds like sound wisdom. 

 

Credit Card Debt: Up until 1981, there were strict limits on exorbitant interest rates or usury. Personal bankruptcies and indebtedness have skyrockted since the prohibitions against usury were lifted. I think the wisdom over thousands of years of a prohibition against high interest rates or usury across all societies has been borne out in America. 

 

So in sum, while the original author has some valid points, and people should have integrity and pay their bills when possible, theis truth does not hold true at all times and in all situations. Yet people should be entitled to a seveth or sabbatical year release.  

Message 31 of 31
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