I was absolutely dumbfounded when I read the Bible and found out how strongly the OT recommends against usury. Our whole western economy seems to be founded on usury -- or do I not have a strong grasp of modern finance? They can call it interest, or whatever they want, but it sure seems like it fits the definition of usury. And the bad fruits of it have underpinned our whole vain western culture of consumerism.
In terms of money, I am a simpleton. I know I am not really financially smart. I am the one that pays the bills in our house, and I just try to do it responsibly and honestly. The only kind of credit we can deal with is small, things like car loans, and even then, we really try just to buy used, and pay the whole thing up front. I know that just working, and paying the bills, and saving a few dollars here and there will never make me rich -- to become rich, you have to do things like investing -- and besides smacking of usury, that all just goes over my head.
My question: how do all of you define usury? Do you think that modern investing is morally licit? Don't current events, like the Madoff Ponzi, make you wonder about all these "investment opportunities"? Some of them are so bundled up, you don't really know where your money is being made. Do any of you invest, and if you do, how to do keep it Christian, and decent?
I don't want to become rich if I have to abuse other people's money to do it. If that means I'll be poor all my life, then may God just have mercy on me. I'm just going to keep asking God for my daily bread every day.
Halle
