Is Capitalism Anti-Jesus?

In an interview with Wolf Blitzer, Michael Moore talks about his new movie, Capitalism: A Love Story, and how capitalism is anti-Jesus. 

I am no fan of Moore’s political leanings, but he does make point worth debating.So, is capitalism anti-Jesus? 

Well, first let’s define terms.  Capitalism is “an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market.”

Jesus states in Luke 22:18; “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

And in Matthew 25:45; “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”

But does this mean that Jesus would be against the economic system of capitalism?  I going to have to say no.  Under capitalism, individuals are free to give to whoever they please.  Jesus would be upset by the morality of individuals, not society as a whole.  Morality only exists on an individual basis.  When the ability to earn money is impeded, and wealth is redistributed by the state, there is no chance for individuals to act on their own moral standards.

I’m not religious, but I believe that Jesus would be more opposed to an economic system based on force; i.e. any system where one person’s effort does not directly translate into his own rewards.

p.s.

I think Moore is a very humorous fellow, and I plan on seeing his new movie.  I like how he dodges Wolf Blitzer’s question at 6:30 in the video.

France, A Muddled Country

There is a little bit of sense coming through the French Senate.  After all these strict policies that France has set in place, it looks like the ban on shopping on Sundays will be lifted after being in place since 1906.  A little bit of freedom is never something to take for granted.  Even if this step seems kind of miniscule, it is progress. 

Previously, some stores were allowed to open on Sundays while others were denied the privilege.  While this law doesn’t allow every store to open on Sundays, French legislators have designated 20 areas of commerce as permitted to do business.  This is a good step toward economic freedom. 

Now listen to the opposition’s argument; 

It will cause employers to force their workers to work on Sundays and it disrespects religious families and organizations because they cannot enjoy their day of rest.  

What a big-headed thing to say!  Many French workers have the belief that their employer is obligated to pay them exactly what they demand.  A little while ago, many employees were literally holding their bosses hostage. 

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=7170102&page=1

This idea is totally devoid of logic.  The employer is the most important person in a company.  He is the one with the ideas, he is the one creating the most wealth.  It is his decision how much he pays the workers and how long he wants them to work.  If employees are upset with his decisions, they may politely complain, or leave the company, but they do not have the right to forcibly demand anything of him. 

As for disrespecting religious practices; I see nothing wrong with allowing people to shop on Sundays.  The French government did not issue a mandate that people must shop.  Individuals are free to shop if they want to.  If one wants Sunday to be a day of rest, then he may have it as a day of rest.  Individuals have the right to lead their own lives, not the lives of others.  Many people in France don’t agree with me on that.  In fact, many people In America wouldn’t agree with me on that either.  

Many people think that if the majority of people feel a certain way, they can (and should) force others to bend to their wishes.  This is how democracy turns sour.  When individual rights are not protected, you get democratic socialism.  Dr. Yaron Brook of the Ayn Rand Institute explains this better than me; 

“If we define the role of government as protecting individual rights, then no majority should ever be allowed to violate somebody’s rights…The whole idea of a right to property is an anti-democratic notion.  It says that 51% of the people can’t vote my property away from me.”- Dr. Yaron Brook 

An opinion poll has shown that just more than half of the population wants shopping available on Sundays.  It’s a shame that this is even open to debate, but progress is progress.