Economics

CHRISTIANITY, ECONOMICS, AND THE JUST SOCIETY

Introduction

What role should faith play in large scale economic policies? Some say that we should leave our faith out of such decisions because we run the risk of imposing our beliefs on others. Others go so far as to say that a laissez-faire capitalism is in itself a moral system and that there is no need to call for its change. Finally, there are those that would admit that we should decry immoral economic systems, and are critical of capitalism, but believe that it's the inevitable product of a fallen world and that any alternative would be equally unjust.

Concerning the first claim I would simply point out that fascism is today universally acknowledged by Christians as being immoral. If we have no problem acknowledging the evil of Nazism why should we believe that we must limit ourselves? The Old Testament prophets certainly had no problem speaking truth to power.

On the last two claims I intend to show in this essay that capitalism is, rather than being a moral system, inherently evil. Plus, there is no need to dream of utopias. I firmly believe that there is a realistic moral alternative to capitalism available to us today.

Some Disclaimers

Use of Biblical Texts

While biblical interpretation is not the subject of this essay it is necessary to point out that the Plenary Inerrant method is clearly wrong and is not my intent. God did not whisper, like the little cartoon shoulder angels, into the ears of the writers of the bible. Nor do I believe in proof-texting (where one seeks out biblical texts to prove preconceived beliefs). That being said, I do quote the biblical texts heavily in this essay as I do in the others on this site. This is because the biblical texts, being at the center of Christianity, are to be taken seriously and therefore must be addressed in any discussion of the faith.

Pluralism

Matthew 8:5-10 “And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented."Jesus *said to him, "I will come and heal him."But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed."For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, `Go!' and he goes, and to another, `Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, `Do this!' and he does it."Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.”

Matthew 22:37-40 "And you shall love your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.

In the story of Jesus healing the Centurion's slave it's interesting to note that the Centurion certainly wouldn't have been a Jew, nor did Jesus tell him to become one. And the Old Covenant would have still been in place. Yet, Jesus said of the Centurion that there was no greater faith in Israel. Not being a Jew did not place the Centurion, certainly a pagan, outside the love of Jesus.

Another issue is what is ethical behavior? It is showing love of God and of our neighbors as ourselves. So one must ask how someone may insist that they are loving their neighbor as themselves while wanting to impose their religious beliefs on those same neighbors.

I think it goes without saying that when we vote on election day we all vote our conscience. Christians though must understand that when we vote our conscience we cannot, we must not, try to impose our religious tenants upon others. All members of society, regardless of their faith or no faith, must have equal footing with each other. While we discuss the type of society that Christians must advocate for we must also understand that such a society must be pluralistic. Therefore, we Christians are called to work for a Just Society but we are not allowed to try to establish a “Christian” one.

I. The Evil That is Called Capitalism

The Myths of the Self Made Man and Rugged Individualism

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 "Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth'. You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth; that he may confirm his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as at this day."

Proverbs 22:2-2 “The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all.”

Hosea 12:7-9 "A trader, in whose hands are false balances, he loves to oppress. Ephraim has said," Ah, but I am rich, I have gained wealth for myself"; but all his riches can never offset the guilt he has incurred. I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast."

Apologetics for capitalism like to talk about the "self-made man". He's the person who supposedly built his wealth with just the sweat of his brow and his own ingenuity. They say he owes nothing to society because his will and determination alone made him a success. Alongside the “self-made man” concept is the other concept of “rugged individualism.” This view holds that personal rights are primary and that society's rights are at the most secondary. Many place the rights of society even further down behind the rights of businesses.

Both the concept of rugged individualism and the self-made man are myths. All successful people, financially and otherwise, owe their success to forces and events which are outside of their range of control. That right combination occurs because God allows it. This is made very clear in Deuteronomy 8:17-18. Every person’s success is ultimately a gift from God and is not of his or her own doing.

Theft of Surplus Value and the Private Ownership of the Means of Production

Malachi 3:5 "Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts."

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 “Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

James 5:1-5 "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter."

Another important element of capitalism is the private ownership of the means of production. In a capitalist system the means of production (i.e. factories, retail stores, etc…) are privately owned by a propertied class. The producers sale their labor power to this propertied class who then use this labor power to add value to products for sale (commodities) to the producers for a profit. They then keep this surplus value for their shareholders.

Such a relationship is by nature caustic. Let us look briefly at two effects: commodification, and wage slavery.

Commodification

The capitalist system destroys the natural relations people have with the world and with each other. We become sellers and consumers in a system where profit matters more than people. In such a system it doesn’t matter if Wal-Mart destroys mom and pop shops if it means we get cheap underwear. And the bank doesn’t care whether it has to take the family farm if they can’t pay their loan. To the bank it’s not personal. It’s just business. And TV stations don’t care if they show garbage as long as it generates ad revenue. Quality is meaningless if garbage creates more profit. Everything is for sale.

Wage Slavery

While it may seem like we’re free when it comes to our work we’re actually not. In wage slavery large classes of people are forced to work for a small class of capitalists to acquire the necessary wages necessary to survive. While one isn’t forced to work under penalty of punishment by a slave owner, as in chattel slavery, the working class has to submit to the control of a large segment of one’s life to a boss otherwise one fails to acquire the needed paycheck for survival. A few workers rise up to become capitalists themselves but most live out their lives working for their “daily bread.”

This wage slavery destroys lives. In Japan they have a condition called “karoshi’, which means “death by overwork”, where the system pushes them to the point of heart attacks and strokes. In America, even if it doesn’t result in this extreme, there is the constant fear for many that someday they may be fired or laid off. Forced work, either by fear of punishment or homelessness, is slavery.

Greed

Proverbs 11:6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.

Proverbs 30:8-9 Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD ?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Luke 12:15-23 Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, `What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' "Then he said, `This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. `And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' "But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. "For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

1 Timothy 6: 6-10 "There is great gain in godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those that desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs."

Colossians 3:5 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”

Economists such as Walter Williams claim that greed is the greatest human act. In fact, according to some economists, it's greater than compassion or altruism. “Greed is good” has moved from a line in a Hollywood movie to being openly stated as a truth of human condition. Capitalism has elevated greed to a virtue.

But greed is clearly not a virtue but is a sin. Jesus said, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”(Luke 12:15) This belief isn't limited to Christianity. According to the Taoism holy script, the Tao Teh Ching, “There is no greater calamity than indulging in greed.” Hinduism holds that “It is covetousness that makes men sin...” Greed is a sin. Capitalism is based on greed. It's that simple

Exploitation

Luke 16:9-12 “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?”

There are several ways that one can increase profit (i.e. Surplus value). First, the capitalist can increase prices. Yet, the market will only allow so much increase before the consumer switches to a cheaper brand. Or the capitalist could try to reduce the cost of the Constant capital by cutting corners through the use of cheaper materials. But once again the market will only support so much before consumers will stop buying the product. After squeezing everything the consumer will allow in quality and increased prices the next choice is to control Variable capital. One way to control Variable capital is to try to increase productivity as much as possible by increasing hours or efficiency. This could mean forced overtime or micro-managing work to the fraction of a second. Another way is by lowering wages and benefits. Finally, the capitalist will hit a wall as to how far they can push the Variable capital due to domestic labor laws and the labor market.

But there are other choices after they've exhausted those mentioned. They can further reduce the Constant capital to illegal levels by using out of date equipment, failure to provide needed maintenance, or failure in providing adequate lighting, fire suppression systems, proper toileting facilities among other necessities. This leaves the Variable capital. They can squeeze lower wages and below legal and market levels and increase productivity to unhealthy levels by using illegal labor. Or they can outsource to nations with lax labor laws, such as developing countries, that allow for increased hours of work such as through mandatory overtime and dangerous working conditions for extremely low pay. This is called the “Extraction of absolute surplus value.” So by using cheap materials, which lower quality, and providing degrading and dangerous working conditions with low pay and long hours the capitalists can boost the Surplus value and increase their profit.

The capitalist controlled media would have us think that such sweatshops only exist in the developing nations. Actually sweatshops can be found in the USA just as they can be found in China or South America. Sweatshops are found in New York, Kentucky, Texas, California and many other states. Some are run illegally while others operate openly by contracting with the Department of Defense and therefore get around American labor laws. An example of the latter is Lion Apparel Factory of Beattyville, Kentucky which skirts the labor laws because it makes uniforms for the US Military, who are not required to follow Department of Labor regulations.

The Domination System

Isaiah 10:1-4 "Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! What will you do on the day of punishment, in the storm which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth? Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the prisoners or fall among the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away and his hand is stretched out still."

Matthew 10:34-36 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will the members of his household.

Matthew 26:51-52 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.

Mark 10:42-45 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant;and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Luke 22:35-38 And He said to them, "When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?" They said, "No, nothing."And He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one."For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, `and he was numbered with transgressors'; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment."They said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough."

Romans 13:1-7 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 2:13-14 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

There have been five historic modes of production: Tribal System, Asiatic Mode of Production (AMP), Slave System, Feudal System, and Capitalism. Under the Tribal System generally there was no private ownership of the means of production. The people shared both the wealth and the authority. While not all tribal communities operated in such a fashion many, such as the Iroquois Confederacy, did operate as such. Then everything changed. All modes that followed involved the domination of an ownership class over the producer class as mentioned earlier. Under the AMP the ruling class was a priestly/ royal class. Under the Slave system the power rested in the master class. In feudal society the ruling class was the nobility class was dominate. Then, came capitalism.

This domination created a culture of violence by which the ownership class further consolidated it power. It created the myth that violence, greed, and lording over one another was the norm and that altruism was the exception. This myth rose, or one may say sunk, to a new level with each new mode of production.

Yet, Jesus denied the power of this myth. He instructed the apostles that they were not to lord over each other and he used the most advance mode of production of the time, the Gentile Slave Systems of Greece and Rome, as examples of what to avoid. He turned this myth on its head and placed the lower class to the top.

The Rise of the State

Psalms 94:20-22 “Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who contrive mischief by statute? They band together against the life of the righteous, and condemn the innocent to death. But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.”

Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.

Isaiah 1:23 Your rulers are rebels and companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe and chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, Nor does the widow's plea come before them.

Matthew 19:30 “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”

Matthew 22:14-16 “Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians." Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.”

Romans 13:1-7 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

As mentioned previously Humanity originally lived in a Tribal Society for hundreds of thousands of years. It's in this system, based on cooperation and direct interpersonal relationships, that our species arose from our apelike common ancestors. In such a system while the individual is respected the collective has rights as well.

The collective was usually managed through a council of elders. While very often these elders were men in some tribal systems, such as the Iroquois, the women actually held more power due to they controlled who had access to land for farming. In any specific case the tribe was built around the relationships of the members. Disputes among individuals were settled by the collective. The collective shared the burdens of production and daily living. Through the collective the tribal myths, religion, culture, and traditions were established and maintained. Threats from either the environment or other tribes were also handled by the collective through the cooperative action and coordination by the individuals of the tribe.

Collective action by itself is not an evil but can be a good. Action taken collectively can provide what the individuals cannot. This is especially true on large scale projects such as infrastructure and mutual defense. Plus, humans will always have interpersonal conflicts and the collective can serve to maintain civil peace. While the collective isn't by any means a utopia, because people are still fallible and the Founding Fathers were right to be concerned about the tyranny of the majority, the collective can act in many positive ways that benefit society.

With the rise of AMP, and subsequent modes, arose the domination system. The domination system then usurped the collective that had existed since the dawn of humanity and replaced it with the State. Rather than a collective of free people working cooperatively there was now a social institution designed to keep the producing class in line and the owner class in power primarily through the use of force. Adam Smith wrote in Wealth of Nations, "Civil government, so far as it is instituted for the security of property, is in reality instituted for the defense of the rich against the poor, or of those who have some property against those who have none at all.''

Even though the State originated from the domination system it can still act in the same positive way as the collective. Though Thomas Hobbs was writing in the defense of the domination system he was correct when he wrote that without social institutions life would be “short, nasty, and brutish”. When Paul wrote to the Romans about the government having the right to use the sword against the “evildoers” he was stating that the State has the power to provide for protection (Romans 13:1-7). Though Paul would have simply had a 1st century understanding of such institutions, and certainly wouldn't have been speaking about socio-economic theory or a collective, this authority to protect is the same as the collective. And when Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 22:14-16 to give unto Caesar what was Caesar's He too was endorsing the basic existence of the collective in its positive role.

Yet, we must not think the State is given a unquestionable support. The prophet Isaiah warned rulers, the authorities of the State, against “iniquitous decrees (Isaiah 10:1-4). And John the Baptist certainly took King Herod to task (Mark 6:18). While Paul appears to have had some odd thoughts about how we should respond to authority and its powers his writings should not be taken as an endorsement of the domination system. Would a man that had believed in the domination system have written Galatians 3:28 or 1 Corinthians 7:22? Would Jesus have made a statement such as recorded in Matthew 19:30 if He had meant to give a message of support for the domination system?

In conclusion, the collective does have a positive role in society and its existence is sanctified by God. Though the State has replaced the collective primarily to act as a tool of the ownership class when the State acts positively it can be a force for good. And when the State acts in a positive way then we should support it. Yet, when the State acts as a tool of oppression then we must confront it.

Christian Nationalism

Psalm 34:14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Psalm 120:6-7 “Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war.”

Proverbs 20:18 "Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

Isaiah 2:4 “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 11:6-9 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Matthew 10:34-36 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'

Matthew 25:52 Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.”

Luke 22:36-38 “And He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. "For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, `AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS'; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment." They said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough."

Romans 14:18-19 “For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”

The issue of war has always been a challenge for Christians. There's sufficient evidence to indicate that the first Christians were very likely pacifists. Later, when the institutional church was established theologians created the Just War doctrine. One might say that this was a movement away from the gospels and it was just part of the institutional church's rubber stamping the domination system. Or one might instead say that the goal of the Just War doctrine is the same as the pacifist, which is promotion of peace, but that it was part of the church acknowledging the realpolitik of the world.

The argument of pacifism verses Just War continues today. Pacifists today would point to verses that proclaimed peace and non-violence, such as Matthew 5:9, 5:38-40, and 25:52, as support. While Just War supporters would point to Isaiah 1:17(defending others, they say, sometimes requires violence), Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 that states there is a time for war, and Luke 22:36-38 in which there is a story of Jesus appearing to encourage the disciples to buy and carry weapons.

But there are some Christians who have been neither pacifists nor Just War proponents. Some Christian leaders over the centuries have endorsed war, not as an act of last resort as the Just War doctrine demands, but as claiming it to be part of God's divine will. From the Crusades to the Spanish conquistadors the institutional Church has declared that God was a War-God. Even as recently as World War I and II the German army had on their belts “Gott Mit Uns”.

One though shouldn't conclude that this is just a thing of the past. Father Richard John Neuhaus recently has written that the Just War doctrine should be reconsidered to allow "military action in terms not of the last resort but of the best resort." And in January 31, 2004 Jerry Falwell posted an article on worldnetdaily.com titled “God is Pro-War.” He did write, “Christians are to be people of peace” and “One of the primary purposes of the church is to stop the spread of evil, even at the cost of human lives”, which are both consistent with the Just War doctrine. But to go so far as to say that God is an advocate of war, that is He is “Pro-War”, goes far beyond a defense of the Just War doctrine. It's militarism, which is in direct opposition to the Good News.

Along with the claim that God is a Warrior-God there is a domestic goal among some that would eliminate the freedom of religion for all but those Christians that agree with them. Gary North wrote advocating a society that would be, "Bible-based social, political, and religious order which finally denies the religious liberty of the enemies of God." There are numerous others who share this view. To name just a few there are: Judge Roy Moore, David Barton, Randall Terry, Pat Robertson, R.J. Rushdoony, and James B. Jordan.

One might call this merger of pro-war theology with radical social agenda “Christian Nationalism.” This Christian Nationalism is “Christian” only in name. Certainly a good case can be made that God is a pacifist. And one may strongly argue that God believes that a people may at times be justified in military action so long as the goal is to achieve peace and justice (Just War doctrine). But to say that God is a Warrior-God is a lie. And to add to this that Christians have a divine mandate to establish a “Christian Nation” is just plain wrong and dangerous. We should heed the words of Sinclair Lewis, "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

Prosperity Gospel and the Corruption of the Church

Psalms 49:16-20 “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. Though while he lives he congratulates himself-- And though men praise you when you do well for yourself-- He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light. Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.”

Proverbs 30:8-9 “Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD ?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.”

Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.”

Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 10:8-10 "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.”

Matthew 17:20 “And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”

Matthew 21:12-13 “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, "It is written, `My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making it a robbers' den."

Matthew 21:21 “And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen.”

Mark 10:24-26 “The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." They were even more astonished and said to Him, "Then who can be saved?"

Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

Luke 12:33 "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.

John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

1 Timothy 6: 6-10 "There is great gain in godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those that desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s.”

2 Peter 2:1-3 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

James 5:1-3 “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!”

3 John 1:1-2 “The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.”

Once it went from being an underground, counter-cultural, movement to an institutional religion the Church has struggled with being part of the mode of production. During any one mode the institutional Church has organized itself along the same line of that mode. And as a socially respectable institution it has at times become a cheerleader for the domination system and a defender of the existing mode of production.

When a mode of production is in transition then the existing social institutions tend to become radicalized in their defense of the status quo. Alternative social bodies arise during this transitional period creating a dialectic conflict in both the economic and social arenas. Sometimes the institutional Church itself becomes so meshed with the mode of production that when the social institutions that propped up the old mode become corrupt so does the institutional Church. For example, while there have been some corrupt popes at times (though of course not all) the leadership of the feudal church during the entire 15th and 16th centuries sunk to unprecedented levels of corruption. Alfred Von Reumont wrote that the early 16th century pope Leo X was, “in great measure to blame for the fact that faith in the integrity and merit of the papacy, in its moral and regenerating powers, and even in its good intentions, should have sunk so low that men could declare extinct the old true spirit of the Church." It was partially in response to this corruption that the Protestant Reformation began. In its failure to reform the Roman church the Reformation gave rise to the Protestant churches that stood in, at times violent, opposition.

The ultimate perversion is when the theology and message of the Church is corrupted by the worldly powers and begins to resemble them. Though the structure of the institutional Church mirroring the mode of production should be expected (the institutional Church being a human construct as opposed to the universal Church, which is the mystical body of Christ) the Good News itself is beyond corruption. This is not to say there haven’t always been heresies. Through the centuries were heresies ranging from Adoptionism to Tritheism. A new heresy, one that is distinctively capitalist, has now come upon us and it has a name. It's called the Prosperity Gospel.

The Prosperity Gospel has been called different things through the years. It's been known as “Health and Wealth”, “Name it and Claim it”, “Word of Faith”, and “Positive Confession”. Regardless of the name this heresy has been around since the early 20th century and can be traced to the works of Essek William Kenyon and Kenneth Hagin. Kenyon summed up Prosperity Gospel best with the saying, “What I confess, I possess.” Some Prosperity Gospel preachers have preached that we have become Gods by becoming Christians. Kenneth Copeland stated, “You don't have a God in you. You are one.” (The Force of Love, Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1987) To the proponents of this “gospel” the believer can be healed just by the power of prayer. Hagin wrote in his book Seven Things You Should Know about Divine Healing, "I am fully convinced - I would die saying it is so - that it is the plan of Our Father God, in His great love and in His great mercy, that no believer should ever be sick; that every believer should live his full life span down here on this earth; and that every believer should finally just fall asleep in Jesus." The new emphasis in Prosperity Gospel today is not so much on health but on becoming wealthy. Time magazine (9/16/06 issue) reported the Prosperity Gospel preacher Joyce Meyer as saying, “Who would want something where you're miserable, broke and ugly and you have to muddle through until you get to heaven?” They take Luke 6:38, Matthew 17:20, and 21:21 as proof that just upon the asking God will pour riches upon the believer. The Prosperity Gospel advocates also point to the word “abundantly” in John 10:10 as evidence God wants us to be materially wealthy.

Yet, the proponents of the Prosperity Gospel have their facts all wrong. Certainly God doesn't want us to starve on the streets but neither does He call us to dream of wealth. (Proverbs 30:8-9) The passages claimed by those that preach this heresy do not claim God to be a heavenly ATM with an unlimited checking account. It's true that we're to strive for faith but that doesn't mean that we can have anything just because we have faith. As Adam Clark points out Mathew 21:21 is just a proverbial form of speech that was common to the Jews of the time. And having life “abundantly” in John is referring to an abundance of peace, joy, and love rather than crass materialism. And 1 Timothy 6:6-10 makes it clear that the love of, and longing for, money and wealth is the root of evil. To say that the longing of it is instead approved of by God, which He grants upon request, is simply wrong.

The Prosperity Gospel is without a doubt a heresy. In fact, it's a truly capitalist heresy and points to the malignant nature of capitalism in that it attempts to infect the very core message of the Church itself.

II. A Just Society

In the prior section we saw the evil that is capitalism. But it raises the question of what elements would make a society a Just Society? Can we derive from the biblical texts principles of social justice? One may notice that in this section there doesn't seem to be an extensive analysis of the Just Society as there was in the criticism of capitalism. One reason being that capitalism has such an extensive body of material written in its defense is that it required a detailed case to be made against it. Another reason being that much of what condemns capitalism also provides positive ethical guidance for the alternative.

Social Justice

Psalms 10:14. “The unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan... O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed.”

Psalms 103:6 “The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.”

Psalms 140:12. “I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor.”

Proverbs. 31:8 “Open your mouth for the dumb, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.”

Proverbs 14:31. “He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.”

Proverbs 21:13-14 “If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard.”

Isaiah 1:16-17 "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow."

Isaiah 58:9-10 “If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.”

Jeremiah 7:5-6 "For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers for ever."

Jeremiah. 22:3 “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.”

Jeremiah 22:13-16 “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice; who makes his neighbors work for nothing, and does not give them their wages.... Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is it not this to know me?’ says the Lord.”

Matthew 25:35-40 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'"

Luke 3:11. “And [John the Baptist] would answer and say to them, "Let the man with two tunics share with him who has none, and let him who has food do likewise."

Luke 6:20-21. “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours in the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.”

The term social justice was coined by the Catholic scholar Luigi Taparelli d’Azeglio in the 1840's. According to Wikipedia, social justice is defined as, “working towards the realization of a world where all members of a society, regardless of background, have basic human rights and equal access to their community's wealth and resources.”

The sheer size of the number of verses that call for justice are so numerous that it's difficult to list them all. And these verses speak in a way that I cannot. The message is clear. We, as Christians, must call for a system that provides equal access to all of its members to the wealth of society. And equally important that system must provide protection of the essential human rights that every person is entitled to by the Creator.

Authority of Community(i.e. Tribe, State, Commune, etc)

Acts 5: 1-11 “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?"While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter responded to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?" And she said, "Yes, that was the price."Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well."And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.”

Romans 13:1-8 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.”

As written earlier collective power currently rests in the State, which all too often twists the authority of the collective into a vehicle to try to advance the goals of the ownership class and the capitalist mode of production.

Even though the State twists the power of the collective into a tool of oppression collective, society still has the right to organize itself for social just purposes. And, if necessary, the collective can demand that the members of society participate in this structure. It's important, as we shall see shortly, for such a system to be organized where the individual wants to participate and not due to business end of a gun.

A Horizontal Society

Mark 10:42-45 “Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Any society that we as Christians advocate must be one that is horizontal rather than vertical. As shown earlier all modes of production, in capitalism, are built with the ownership class ruling over the producer class. The message that “lord it over” or to “exercise authority” over one another is clear. We must build a society in which no class of people rule over another.

Universal Employment

Proverbs 13:4 "The soul of the sluggard craves, and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied."

Capitalism demands that there be some degree of unemployment. Capitalist economists strive for a level of employment that's not too low as to reduce the number of consumers while not to high so as to cause wages to increase. Ironically while the system is designed to keep a certain number of unemployed being as such for any extended period of time often carries a stigma.

But there's a hidden group that, though technically aren't “unemployed”, doesn't work and that's the ownership class. As was shown earlier the ownership class take their wealth from the surplus value created by the workers without actually creating wealth themselves.

It's important that all who can work, should work. This means that society should be arranged for universal employment. Such a system would insure that all able adults have employment in production and be active members of society. By saying “all” it includes the end of an ownership class that receives its wealth from the labor of others as well as the practice of keeping any degree of perpetual levels of unemployment.

People Over Profit

Martin Buber wrote in his landmark book “I and Thou” that we run the risk of treating people not as people (thou) but as things (it). Capitalism encourages us to treat people as things and not humans. We see this in the name “human resource” now used for personnel offices. They say that “workers are your best resource.” Such comments betray their true thoughts that workers are no different than coal or wood. People are to be used and then if they no longer serve the making of profit to be thrown away.

Therefore, we need to create a system that recognizes the person as the subject of value, and not as simply a means to create wealth. A people centered socio-economic system, as opposed to current profit centered system, is therefore absolutely necessary.

Communal Sharing of Wealth

Acts 4:32-35 “And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.”

Romans 15:1-2 “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.”

It's important to realize that one of the first actions recorded of the Apostolic Church in the book of Acts was to establish a commune in Jerusalem. The bible records that “all things were common property”. So any alternative to the current capitalist system must involve a communal sharing of the wealth created.

Surplus Value

Any ethical system that Christians can support has to involve the workers keeping the surplus value created from their labor. On the surface this may seem to conflict with the prior conclusion of communal sharing of wealth. And in some alternative systems to capitalism it has been a contradiction. One unacceptable alternative to capitalism is bureaucratic collectivism, as was found in the old Soviet Union. In such as system it was the bureaucrats that directed production and not the workers. As the workers produced it was taken by the State in which the bureaucrats took their lion's share of the products and then distributed the remainder to the masses. Even in light of the evils of capitalism such as system is unacceptable. While those living in the Soviet Union aren't necessarily well off today with the end of bureaucratic collectivism (For example, unemployment and homelessness, something not seen in the old Soviet Union, are now on the rise) it certainly isn't a model that we should strive to emulate. Any alternative system must find a way to combine the communal sharing by society of wealth with the workers keeping as much as possible their surplus labor.

Redistribution/ Predistribution of Wealth/

Mark 12:14-17 “They came and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? They brought one. And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" And they said to Him, "Caesar's." And Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were amazed at Him.”

Luke 3:12-13 “And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"And he said to them, "Collect no more than what you have been ordered to."

Romans 13:7 “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”

Romans 15:1-2 “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.”

Using taxes to redistribute wealth, when necessary, can be a perfectly acceptable means of achieving social justice. Plus it allows the collective to perform its needed functions that the individual cannot. It's very important that any tax system not be a burden on the workers. As long as there are multiple socio-economic classes that the weight of taxes must be skewed towards those who are strong (i.e. ownership class) rather than the worker class.

The best choice is for society to center on the predistribution of the wealth in the form of transferring the means of production to the workers with a lesser emphasis on its redistribution of wealth through taxation.

III. Cooperative Economics

We've studied why the current system of capitalism is evil and then we studied the elements of a Just Society. So now we have to ask if it's possible to actually create a Just Society? Or is the best that we have to hope for is to try to possibly mitigate the damage caused by capitalism through regulation and social programs?

The bible really fails to provide guidance in the area of what form a real world Just Society would take. Being that the bible is not a textbook of science, history, or economics it simply cannot give us directions. The good news is that there is a real, existing, practical alternative to capitalism that if implemented on at least a national scale would indeed result in a society that is ethical and based on social justice. At the heart of such an alternative system rests the “cooperative”.

What is a Cooperative?

According to the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA):

“A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.” They go on to describe Cooperative Values to be:

“Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.”

The ICA combines this definition with the values to create a set of operating principles. As one reads these principles the elements of a Just Society as was just shown becomes quickly evident:

1st Principle: Voluntary and Open Membership

Co-operatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

2nd Principle: Democratic Member Control

Co-operatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary co-operatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and co-operatives at other levels are also organized in a democratic manner.

3rd Principle: Member Economic Participation

Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the co-operative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their co-operative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the co-operative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.

4th Principle: Autonomy and Independence

Co-operatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter to agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy.

5th Principle: Education, Training and Information

Co-operatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the general public - particularly young people and opinion leaders - about the nature and benefits of co-operation.

6th Principle: Co-operation among Co-operatives

Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.

7th Principle: Concern for Community

Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.

Real World

Before someone claims that applying the Cooperative principles to the real world isn't realistic one needs to look to Basque region of Spain and the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation (MCC). Started in 1956 as a result of a catholic priest by the name of Father Jose Maria Arizmediarrieta the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation is a federation of 160 different cooperatives and is one the twelve largest companies in Spain. Its profitability and productiveness far exceeds any other Spanish enterprise. Along with production MCC provides education at all level, cooperative banking, health care, and consumer cooperatives.

The MCC isn't the only cooperative. They've existed for hundreds of years. Many operate here in the US and throughout the world.

Economic Democracy

A socio-economic model that builds on the Cooperative Principles is often called an economic democracy. The basic elements of economic democracy are: worker-owned cooperatives instead of corporations, family-owned enterprises and sole-proprietorships along with community-owned enterprises, a market economy in its proper role in society and, social investment rather than private capital. We can build a socially just and ethical society. The question now is whether we have the courage to do so? That waits to be seen.