Is capitalism compatble with Christianity?

[Bullseyed]

Ownership requires a state or some sort of force to legitimise it. You can't own anything without a social system of ownership recognised and protected through coercion and violence even if this is masked,

I agree that ownership requires force, or the threat of force. However, it does not need a social system or government.

The force of my hand against ones face is a very real force, I can even draw the free body diagram...

lol.

[BananaRepublic]

In graduate school, we read a book called "The Clashing Worlds of Economics and Faith". It goes through in great detail the discussion of how economics and faith are reconciled. I would suggest this book to anyone who's really wondering about this issue.

[TxBrewer]

Who on earth has tried to fuse Christianity and Capitalism? This is lame anti "religious right" mumbo jumbo. Another desperate attempt to use the "separation of church and state" argument, because there are no real arguments against capitalism in favor of socialism. I think that is called a straw man. Religion has become easy to bash (though with less substance than fallacy), so let's pin religion onto the thing we dislike, and viola! something we can hit with a stick.

Capitalism is absolutely compatible with Christianity. But no Christian is trying to take control of capitalism to push Christianity on you, and no capitalist is trying to use Christianity to promote capitalism.

Besides, you better hope Christians are capitalists. It ensures they do not want a theocracy. Under a theocracy, Christians controlling the economy would mean we would have socialism. There is probably some Christians who support socialist ideas, but socialism is mainly an atheist thing. Christianity itself is always about the private individual, and their CHOICE, and any smart person know that the individual is enabled to do more good when in a capitalist society.

But be careful, using logic, and reason is a frightening thing to the progressive statists in our midst.

[Plain Old Dave]

Well, I read the thread, and have a couple comments...

Christianity and capitalism are not necessarily incompatible; believers are blessed to BE a blessing in turn (Gen. 12:1-2, Deut 8:18, II Cor 9:8 and a raft of others).

The problem comes when believers misuse God's blessing to aggrandize themselves at others' expense (exploiting workers, or discriminating against the poor); this is a primary teaching of the Book of James.

[Susanna]

Well, I read the thread, and have a couple comments...

Christianity and capitalism are not necessarily incompatible; believers are blessed to BE a blessing in turn (Gen. 12:1-2, Deut 8:18, II Cor 9:8 and a raft of others).

The problem comes when believers misuse God's blessing to aggrandize themselves at others' expense (exploiting workers, or discriminating against the poor); this is a primary teaching of the Book of James.

Bingo! The problem is not capitalism per se - it's the way it's used - or should I say, misused?

[BananaRepublic]

I agree. I like to point out abuses of capitalism, especially lately, as I believe these are the reasons we are in a recession now. A lot of folks mistake this for attacking capitalism, but if they are honest with themselves, they know deep down that we have an increasingly cronyistic economy.

[rabidfox]

I agree. I like to point out abuses of capitalism, especially lately, as I believe these are the reasons we are in a recession now. A lot of folks mistake this for attacking capitalism, but if they are honest with themselves, they know deep down that we have an increasingly cronyistic economy.

That's why some government power is necessary. The Constitution does not restrict the Government absolutely, there has to be some slack so they can fulfill the only reason they are considered a "necessary evil", to protect the innocent. Government should come in and say, "no abortion without meeting strict medical definitions of "life threatening"." Some extremists might say this is anti-capitalism because it is denying a practice of a service one might feel they have the right to offer.

I believe it is unconstitutional for the government to be as big as it was pre-Reagan, Obama wants to bring us well past that, but slight tweaks -"conservative" regulation- can be a promotion of true capitalism, and fuel it well.

Capitalism must work within a box, if there were no boundaries, recessions happen at the benefit of the few. But whereas socialism puts the individual in a tight box, capitalism puts the whole economy in a box with enough leg room for growth.

What also hurts is when government becomes the boss of the economy, which is what Obama thinks he is. Government should set boundaries and the private sector regulates itself.

I am not an expert on this, and usually can't explain myself well, but I'm sure I understand why the forefathers set up a government. It is limited with checks and balances, but it exists as a necessity.