Some
Thoughts By
Gary
Ray Branscome
At
present, our world is a world divided by economic ideology, and the promise of
economic prosperity is used to justify the control and enslavement of millions.
On the one hand, socialists, unions, and large corporations strive to centralize
power so the force of government can be used to stifle competition, finance
indoctrination, or in other ways impose the will of an elite few on the nation.
On the other hand, those who prefer freedom to the centralization of power are
vilified as extremists, and forced into an activism that they do not really
want, in order to defend their God-given rights.
Since the truth is being twisted in
support of economic ideology, a great deal of confusion exists about economics,
even among Christian leaders. As a result, some of those leaders promote
socialism, some oppose it, and others deny that the Bible has anything to say
about economics. Nevertheless, because economic activity consists of human
action – the action involved in the acquisition, use, and sale of property –
the Bible has quite a bit to say about the moral choices that must be made in
the acquisition, use, and sale of property.
OUR
GOD GIVEN RIGHT TO PROPERTY
When
God drove Adam out of the garden of Eden, telling him that because of sin he
must henceforth live by his labor [the sweat of his brow] God, in effect, gave
to Adam and his descendants the fruit of their labor (Genesis 3:17-19). Furthermore,
the commandment "Thou shalt not steal"
makes it clear that we have a God-given right to keep the fruit of our labor
(Exodus
The
Bible not only makes it clear that we have a right to keep the fruit of our
labor, but also a right to pass on what we have acquired to our descendants.
Therefore, it should be obvious that those who would deny us what God has given
us are motivated by evil, and any economic ideology that justifies such evil
should be condemned as sin.
THE
BLESSING OF GOD
"The
blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it." (Proverbs 10:22)
One marked difference between Biblical
and non-Biblical economic thought is the belief that wealth comes from God. In
cultures that equate wealth with money, it is usually assumed that since the
amount of money is limited, one can only acquire more of it at the expense of
someone else. That assumption is at the root of communism, and its satanic claim
that the rich get rich by taking wealth from others. It is also the reason some
offer shoddy merchandise at high prices. Nevertheless, that way of thinking has
no place in Biblical economics.
A
careful reading of Scripture makes it clear that wealth often consists of
things other than money, and it does not have to be acquired at someone else’s
expense. For example: Abraham’s wealth consisted of his flocks and herds,
rather than money. And, his wealth increased as his flocks and herds increased.
Therefore, it should be obvious that his wealth came, not at the expense of
someone else, but with the blessing of God. In fact, he often came out on the
short end of a deal, yet he prospered (Genesis 13:7-12, Genesis
Because
of the Bible’s influence on our culture, making certain that the customer is
satisfied and feels that he has gotten his money’s worth is seen as good
business, while trying to profit at someone else’s expense is regarded as
dishonest. Of course, there will always be people who are dishonest, but
experience has shown that it is more profitable in the long run to give equal
value for value received than it is to put out shoddy merchandise. For that
reason, most American businesses try to produce a good product and seek to
build a reputation for quality. The result of that business philosophy is a
commercial environment in which every transaction is profitable for both buyer
and seller. The buyer gains by acquiring a quality product, the seller gains by
making a profit and in the end the whole economy prospers.
THE
FREEDOM TO LIVE QUIET AND PEACEABLE LIVES
"That we might lead a quiet and peaceable life in
all godliness and honesty." (1 Timothy 2:2)
Because
of sin, the natural tendency of man is to offer low quality at a high price,
rather than high quality at a low price. However, God has provided the remedy
for this inborn greed in freedom, not in regulation. Whenever freedom exists,
those who offer poor quality or charge high prices invite competition. Sooner
or later someone is going to offer better quality at a lower price. For that
reason, when businesses are in competition they must vie with one another to
offer the best product at the lowest cost. As a result, any company that fails
to compete will soon find itself out of business. Therefore, it should be
obvious that free competition does not produce greed, but actually reduces it.
Because of competition the company I worked for was continually trying to cut
costs while improving quality.
In
the past, some businesses that were unwilling to
compete used violence to stifle free competition. In fact, one of the first
unions (the barbers’ union) consisted of shopkeepers who agreed to jack up their
prices while destroying the shops of those who dared to offer a lower price.
Over the years, various other businesses have done essentially the same thing,
proving time and again that greed not only does not thrive on freedom but
actively seeks to do away with freedom. Furthermore, since the legitimate role
of government is to condemn and punish the violence of such men, it is to our
shame that it is rarely punished.
GOVERNMENT
INVOLVEMENT AND GREED
Those
who do not understand the purpose or benefit of free competition often assume
that government involvement in the economy is the solution to greed. However,
what they fail to realize is that whenever government is given the authority to
infringe upon our freedom, instead of ending greed it becomes a tool of the
greedy.
For
example, in 1925 any person living in
A
few years ago, I mentioned this to a man who said, "It is funny you should
mention that because my son drives for one of the big cab companies in
From
a Biblical point of view, such exorbitant licensing fees are nothing more than
institutionalized bribes, and such bribes are just another way of oppressing the
poor (Proverbs 29:4, Isaiah 1:23, 1 Samuel 8:3, Psalm 12:5, Ecclesiastes 5:8)
Early
in the twentieth century Optometry was an attractive profession. At that time,
those who wanted to enter that profession needed only to learn how to give a
simple eye test (which consisted of having the customer look through a series
of lenses in order to determine which was best) and how to grind lenses to
match that prescription. As a result, many people were entering that field.
However, optometrists who did not want to compete
sought legislation that would make it more difficult to enter that field. First
laws were passed requiring two years of education, then four, and now (in some
states) six. Yet the simple fact is that most of that training is unnecessary.
Therefore, this is just another example of how greed uses government to take
away freedom. [Those who think that eye care is better because of this training
are confusing the role of an eye doctor with the role of a person who makes
glasses.]
A
few years ago, an immigrant farmer was arrested, allegedly for running over the
nest of a kangaroo rat with his tractor. His tractor was then confiscated
(stolen), and the company that sold him the tractor was sued. However, what
kind of justice is that! At most, the farmer only made a simple mistake. He
certainly did nothing the Bible would classify as criminal! And the tractor
dealer did nothing illegal. Therefore, from a Biblical point of view, the law in
that case was used to both oppress and rob the innocent. As in the case of Naboth, the only crime committed, was committed by those in
government (1 Kings 21:1-19).
[Note:
"THE READER’S DIGEST" has carried several articles, over the years, that describe actual cases in which law abiding
people have been robbed and oppressed by our government. The latest of those
articles is entitled, "Guilty Until Proven
Innocent" (see the March 2000 issue).]
CLASS
ENVY
While
the people of our nation once admired the wealthy, today the rich are often
spoken of with contempt, and those who are blinded by such contempt are easily
manipulated by the unscrupulous. As a result, whenever a bill that would reduce
taxes is introduced into Congress, all the media has to do is yell, "Tax breaks for the rich" and support for
the bill dies. What those who oppose such bills fail to see is that any fair
and honest attempt to reduce taxes – one that reduces taxes for rich and poor
alike – will contain tax breaks for the rich, therefore, by opposing such tax
breaks they are only hurting themselves.
In
the same vein, class envy often leads juries, whose chief aim should be
justice, to condemn the innocent while allowing the guilty to go free. For example,
a few years ago a woman who had cut her finger on a tin can, sued the company
that made the can. The suit was ridiculous because it was the woman, not the
company, who put the sharp edge on the can (with her can opener). The can, as
it was when she bought it, could not have cut anyone, therefore, if anyone was
guilty, she was! However, an envy-blinded jury awarded that woman eleven
million dollars. From God’s point of view, that woman, and her lawyer, used the
law to steal from the can company, while the jury was a party to the crime
(Psalm 50:18, Proverbs 29:24, Exodus
The
same can be said of attempts to sue gun manufacturers because a few criminals
misuse their product. Because the lawyers and politicians who initiate such
cases refuse to even consider the many lives that guns save each year, it is
obvious that their real aim is not justice, but theft.
While
we have a God-given right to pass our possessions on to our children (or to
anyone else) those who envy the wealth of others would like to have the
government confiscate our inheritance (Galatians 3:15, 2 Corinthians 12:14). At
the same time, unscrupulous politicians want to get their hand in the till and,
therefore, they pander to envy by enacting taxes that confiscate a portion of every
inheritance. In fact, one presidential candidate seriously advocated total
confiscation of any inheritance valued at more than five hundred thousand
dollars. Nevertheless, from a biblical point of view such confiscation is
nothing more than legalized theft (Ezekiel 46:18, Micah 2:2, Ezekiel
Envy
is one of the most common, yet least talked about, sins of our present age.
THE
ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN THE ECONOMY
Government
was instituted as an instrument of God’s wrath, not His mercy, and those who
carry out that wrath are assigned a different role in society than the one we,
as individual citizens, are allowed to fill. However, in carrying out that role
it must be understood that God ordained government to punish crime, not to take
away freedom in the name of preventing crime (Romans 13:1-4, 1 Peter 2:14).
Since it is easy to justify tyranny in the name of preventing crime, the entire
nation could be turned into a prison in the name of preventing crime. In fact,
if the government put every citizen in solitary confinement all crimes would
cease; all crimes except those committed by government.
Because
the proper role of government is that of divine avenger, the God given role of
government is to punish murderers of fathers, murders of mothers, manslayers,
whoremongers, perverts, kidnappers, slavers, and all who are guilty of theft,
fraud, perjury, and so forth (1 Timothy 1:9-10, Deuteronomy 24:7). Outside of
that role, God wants the government to leave law-abiding citizens alone so that
they are free to live quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty (1 Timothy 2:2). That being the case, attempts to punish
[i.e. regulate] law-abiding citizens in the name of preventing crime are not in
accord with the will of God (Deuteronomy 25:1, Job 34:17, Deuteronomy
Since
air and water belong to everyone, and the land belongs to future generations as
well as ours, the government has a legitimate role to play in dealing with
those who would rob us of clean air and water by polluting it, and those who
would destroy the land through chemical poisoning or irresponsible mining
practices (2 Kings 3:19, Genesis 21:25, Exodus 15:23, Exodus 21:34-36, 1 Kings
21:3). However, the aim of government must be to deal with the guilty, not to
regulate the innocent. Therefore, the scope of its authority needs to be
limited to actual problems, to the exclusion of imaginary scenarios (such as
"global warming"). Its aim also has to be the protection of
individuals, not an attempt to protect the environment from people. There is no
limit to the amount of tyranny that can be justified in the name of dealing
with imaginary problems, or protecting the environment from humans. Furthermore,
because the power of government can be easily abused, such problems are best
dealt with on the local level.
The
Government also has a legitimate role to play in protecting its citizens from
employers that endanger their health by unsafe working conditions, or excessive
overtime. There is also a need to see that fair compensation is provided for
those who suffer on-the-job injuries, and that employees are not robbed (Exodus
21:34- 36, James 5:4, Malachi 3:5, Psalm 21:5). However, here again, such problems
are best dealt with locally by officials who are answerable to the people. And,
if the local officials are corrupt, it is up to the people to correct the
problem. Assuming that a more centralized level of government will be less
corrupt is a fool’s delusion. We have to deal with sin in every level of
government.
While
those who administer the power of government deserve to be paid, and to be
reimbursed for their expenses, the Bible makes it clear that they are not to
use the power to tax either to make themselves rich, or to appear as
benefactors at taxpayer expense (Exodus 20:15, Luke 22:25-26).
SATANIC
TWISTING OF GOD’S WORD
By
using the Word of God to justify evil, those who twist the Word of God to
justify communist and socialist tyranny are taking the name of God in vain
(Exodus 20:7).
They
twist Christ’s statement to the rich man, "Go and sell that thou hast, and
give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in
heaven: and come follow Me," by using it to
advocate a forceful redistribution of the wealth (Matthew
We know that they are twisting this
verse because Jesus never tried to take this man’s money by force, nor did He
advocate that anyone else should do so. Furthermore, by interpreting this verse
to justify theft by government, they are interpreting it to contradict all of
the passages that condemn theft (Luke
When we examine the context, in order
to determine the intended meaning, the words "trust in riches" tell
us that the rich man rested his assurance of salvation on the belief that his
wealth was evidence of God’s favor. Knowing that, Jesus asked him to do
something that would end his trust in riches, while requiring faith in Christ
(Mark
They
also twist the statement, "And all that believed were together, and had
all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all
as every man had need," to advocate a forced community of goods (Acts
2:44-45, see also Acts 4:32).
We know they are twisting those words
because the people who "had all things common" were never forced to
share, but instead did it willingly. In contrast, those who would use these
words to forcefully redistribute the wealth would use governmental violence in
the name of "compassion" while robbing men of the fruit of their
labor, and that is little more than hatred cloaked in self-righteousness. Thus,
by using the Word of God to justify evil, they again take God’s name in vain.
When
we examine the context, in order to determine the intended meaning, it is clear
that what is being described in Acts 2:44-45 is voluntary sharing rather than
common ownership. We know that because we are told that individual members of
the congregation continued to own property (Acts 5:1-4), and that some were
poor (Romans
Because
these passages say nothing about the state, they make it clear that charity is
the work of the church, not the state. Therefore, those who would use charity
as an excuse for the state to take property by force, not only justify evil but
also violate the Biblical distinction between church and state (Luke 22:25-26,
Exodus 20:15).
WHAT
THE BIBLE SAYS
In
regard to the economy, the Bible affirms our right to property, and condemns:
Corruption and theft on the part of rulers, (Isaiah
Dishonesty
and theft on the part of employers, (Isaiah 1:22, Psalm 10:7, Isaiah 30:12,
James 5:4, Proverbs 11:1, Leviticus 19:36, Deuteronomy 25:13, Proverbs 16:11,
Proverbs 20:10, Proverbs 20:23, Micah 6:11, Hosea 12:7, Amos 8:5, Ezekiel
45:10, James 5:4, Malachi 3:5).
And
all oppression (Isaiah 30:12, Psalm 3:31, Job 36:15, Jeremiah 22:17, Ezekiel
22:29, Ecclesiastes 4:1, Ezekiel 45:8, Psalm 12:5, Ecclesiastes 5:8, Psalm
62:10, Psalm 119:134, Ezekiel 46:18, Micah 2:2, Psalm 72:4).
The
Bible also tells us that we should work to eat our own bread (2 Thessalonians
CONCLUSION
The
Bible calls for honest business practices, fair and honest treatment of
employees, and the freedom to lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness
and honesty. At the same time, it condemns any ideology that would rob us of
our property or deny us the fruit of our labor. Furthermore, the only
government ever established by God (under the judges) had a free economy.