Children
of Abraham
Richard L. Shafer[1]
Over the holidays, I took
some time to think about money issues, like gift-giving costs, and taxes coming
due and end-of-year deductions. Some of
my friends have borrowed money to buy gifts, and some will have to borrow to
pay taxes. Some will give more to
charities this year. And I spent some
time thinking about how our Abrahamic faiths intersect with our borrowing and
lending activities.
Some of us make money by lending
out the money we have. We deposit money
in savings accounts and earn interest.
We buy government and corporate bonds and earn interest. Sometimes we even loan money directly to
people for consumption needs, or we hold a mortgage or second trust, or help
support business start-ups or college costs.
We often charge them “reasonable” interest. Meanwhile, many of our poorest neighbors must
borrow money just to make ends meet, and they sometimes must pay the highest
interest – sometimes usurious -- rates.
And you know what our faiths say about loaning money?
“Judaism's criticisms of usury are rooted in several passages of the Old
Testament in which charging interest is scorned, discouraged and
prohibited.[2]
"If
you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to
him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him."[3]
In Exodus,
Leviticus and Deuteronomy,
charging interest is effectively banned, and the ban seems to extend to all
loans except those to foreigners. Because the word 'foreigner' was interpreted
as 'enemy', usury could become a weapon; and other people's needs could force
them into economic submission.[4] You may know people who are effectively
treated as “enemies” by our society’s
lenders.
“You
are not to charge interest to your brother, interest in silver, interest in
food, interest in anything for which you may charge interest. The foreigner you may charge interest, but
your brother you may not charge interest.”[5]
Ezekiel describes a “truly
good man” as one who, among other things, “…doesn’t charge interest when
lending money.”[6]
The Qur’an tells us the same
thing: “…God has permitted trading and
made usury
unlawful [emphasis mine]…God has laid his curse on usury and blessed
almsgiving with increase.”[7]
It’s no surprise that we find
Jesus teaching the same law: “If you
lend money only to someone you think will pay you back, will God be pleased
with you for that? ... Lend without expecting to be paid back.”[8] “If you have money, do not lend it at
interest. Rather, give it to someone
from whom you will not get it back.”[9]
Have we compromised these
teachings? Maybe so: “In the area of money lending as in so many
others, religion gradually made its peace with the modern world.”[10] Still, all these teachings point us towards
charitable giving to those in need -- “brothers”, neighbors, or strangers –
whether ravaged by earthquake, hurricane or HIVAids and without charging
interest or expecting repayment.
=====
Copyright Richard L. Shafer,
2006
[1] This is one
of a series of occasional columns in which the author, raised in the Christian
tradition, searches for common ground and common history among the teachings,
beliefs and practices of the Abrahamic faiths -- Islam, Christianity and Judaism
[2] http://www.henciclopedia.org.uy/autores/Laguiadelmundo/Usury.htm
[3] Exodus 22:25
[4]
http://www.henciclopedia.org.uy/autores/Laguiadelmundo/Usury.htm
[5] Deuteronomy 23:20-21
[6] Ezekiel 18:8
[7] THE KORAN, Surah 2:275 & 276, Translation by N. J. Dawood, Penguin Books,
[8] Luke 6:34 & 35 (New English Version)
[9] The Gospel of Thomas, saying 95. Translation by Marvin Meyer,
HarperSanFrancisco 1992
[10] http://gvanv.com/compass/arch/v1405/fahey.html