Many in the modern western Church have no issue with the idea of private property, that is, that each individual has a right to his own property. They do not even question it, assuming that all they have is theirs. We tend to speak of the possessions we have as "ours". However, the Bible makes it clear that all the earth is God's (Psalm 24:1). This means that God is the owner of all things on the earth, including "your" house, car or money. It is not yours. It belongs to God and no one else.
This doctrine of private property, which was espoused by John Locke, has laid the groundwork for the Church's compromise with doctrines of demons regarding stewardship, and usury throughout the the ages. The early Church regarded usury as vile greed and theft. It regarded usury like how the modern Church regards abortion - absolutely abominable and disgusting. The medieval Church regarded usury as unjust. This is also true. Usury is unrighteous and unjust, making it oppressive (Isaiah 10:1) , just as slavery in terms of selling and buying humans is oppressive. Oppression is not the act of harming others as the world thinks. It is that which is unrighteous and unjust in the eyes of God (Psalm 43:1).
Usury is greed and theft, for its treats possessions as belonging to oneself rather than God. It is unjust because it perverts God's purpose of lending money which is to help the poor, not make money for oneself:
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee (Deuteronomy 15:7-9).
The doctrine underlying the legitimisation of usury is private property. Private property is the heart of usury. Since evil cannot come from good, and usury is evil, this means that private property, the root of usury is evil.
This doctrine of private property, which was espoused by John Locke, has laid the groundwork for the Church's compromise with doctrines of demons regarding stewardship, and usury throughout the the ages. The early Church regarded usury as vile greed and theft. It regarded usury like how the modern Church regards abortion - absolutely abominable and disgusting. The medieval Church regarded usury as unjust. This is also true. Usury is unrighteous and unjust, making it oppressive (Isaiah 10:1) , just as slavery in terms of selling and buying humans is oppressive. Oppression is not the act of harming others as the world thinks. It is that which is unrighteous and unjust in the eyes of God (Psalm 43:1).
Usury is greed and theft, for its treats possessions as belonging to oneself rather than God. It is unjust because it perverts God's purpose of lending money which is to help the poor, not make money for oneself:
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee (Deuteronomy 15:7-9).
The doctrine underlying the legitimisation of usury is private property. Private property is the heart of usury. Since evil cannot come from good, and usury is evil, this means that private property, the root of usury is evil.
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