Christians on Usury
- Created by: Lina
- Created on: 04-04-14 15:05
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- Christians on Usury
- For
- The NT doesn't forbid chraging interest. Contains references to usury, but is unclear if Jesus is saying usury is wrong- not forbidden by him
- The Parable of the 10 Minas
- Aquinas allows charges for actual services provided, e.g. bank services
- A way of charities providing loans to poor communities- sustainable because of some interest-> can continue to give out loans for longer-> benefits everyone
- The NT doesn't forbid chraging interest. Contains references to usury, but is unclear if Jesus is saying usury is wrong- not forbidden by him
- Against
- Charging of interest is forbidden by the OT
- Exodus 22:25- If you lend money to the one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it as a business deal, charge no interest
- Leviticus 25:37: You must not lend money at interest or sell them food at a profit
- Aquinas quotes Aristotle as saying that "to live by usury is exceedingly unnatural"
- Unreasonable and irrational
- St. Anselm
- The first of the scholastics to lead the shift in thought that charging interest is theft
- St. Thomas Aquinas
- Leading theologian of the RC Church
- 1) Wrong- "double- charging"+ bottle of wine example
- 2) Selling for the time that the money is in the hands of the borrower-> no one can sell time
- St. Anselm
- Not charging interest teaches a spiritual lesson- in ancient Israel the Law prohibited usury on a category of loans- those made to the poor (Leviticus 25:37) . Had 2 implications
- Helped the poor not to worse their situation
- For a lender to forego interest- act of mercy-> a tangible way of expressing gratitude to God for the mercy he extended by bringing our Israelites out of Egypt when they were penniless slaves+ had given them land of their own+ expected them to express the siimilar kindness to their own poor citizens
- Charging of interest is forbidden by the OT
- For
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