CHICAGO, May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- False accounting practices. Securities fraud. "Predatory" mortgage lenders. Car companies mismanaged into bankruptcy. A quick review of recent headlines might lead one to conclude that America's system of capitalism is the most corrupt economic system on the planet.
Not so, say a pair of Christian authors, who contend that capitalism, properly understood, is consistent with some very important and widely held values ... including those found in the Bible.
While the Bible and economics may seem like an odd combination, there's good reason to look to the Good Book when it comes to capitalism, say Austin Hill and Scott Rae, authors of The Virtues of Capitalism: A Moral Case for Free Market (Northfield Publishing).
"Capitalism brings out the best in people," explains Hill, an editorial contributor to national publications such as U.S. News & World Report and host of "The Austin Hill Show."
He adds, "When wealth is being created and people can genuinely better their financial situations, the temptations for greed, envy and covetousness may actually be diminished. That's because people have confidence that if they work hard, they will be better off in the future than they are today."
The authors point out that in the Bible, Jesus Himself had far more to say about money and economics than He did about eternity.
"While Jesus had little to say about economic systems, He had a lot to say about economic life -- about wealth, possessions and personal morality," says Rae, professor of Christian ethics and chair of the philosophy of religion and ethics department at Talbot School of Theology.
Because economics has not been adequately defined as a "moral issue," far too many faith-based voters have too often ignored economic issues to our nation's demise, the duo contends.
Says Hill, "Faith-based Americans on the left frequently seem pleased with the government's plans for universal health care and 'green-energy' strategies. Yet these Americans rarely express the same level of moral concern over the staggering levels of debt that the U.S. federal government is accruing as a result of some of these new initiatives, and they seem to be lacking concern over the increasing entanglement of government with private business, and the loss of personal freedom that ensues from such entanglements."
Taking a balanced and reasonable approach that demonstrates respect for other views, the authors explore the consistencies between the Bible and capitalism. They also take on some of the most common criticisms of capitalism and examine some of the negative claims made about it -- that it is "based on greed," it instigates "materialism" and "consumerism," and so forth.
Rae concludes, "It's true that greed is evident in capitalism, but that greed is ultimately a matter of a person's character and can flourish in any economic system. The economic system of capitalism itself is not evil."
For review copies or interviews with the authors, contact Janis Backing, publicity manager for Moody Publishers, at 312-329-2108 or [email protected].
This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.
SOURCE Moody Publishers
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