The Baha'i Studies Listserv On 10/27/10, Susan Maneck <[email protected]> wrote: >> There is difference between means and ends. For example, there are so >> called >> social justice passages in the Bible. They refer to religion permeating a >> society so much that people's charity would be enough to alleviate >> poverty. >> Jesus and the prophets talks to ordinary people to give to charity not >> the >> gov'ts. Judeo-Christian-Islamic justice implies widespread charity in a >> society, >> tithing (10% JC or 2.5-20% I), and voluntary offerings. > > Dear Stephen, > > I would say this is true in regards to Jesus who was not terribly > concerned with how governments functioned. According to Acts of the > Apostles, however, in the early church Christians shared all things in > common, which goes far beyond charity. In any case, the prophets > condemned the government and the priesthood for poverty, not people's > lack of charity. . hey prohibited practices like usury that led to > such poverty in the strongest terms.Taxations aimed primarily at the > peasant farmer were condemned as well. Our own bankruptcy laws in this > country are based on biblical principles although recent laws have > eroded these > > Now, in regards to charging interest Baha'u'llah does annul the > Biblical and Qur'anic prohibitions and states that a reasonable amount > of interest may be charged (with the House of Justice deciding what is > reasonable.) Usury or exorbitant interest charged to the poor is > still condemned. While the Huqullah is entirely voluntary and cannot > be coerced, Abdu'l-Baha also spoke of a graduated income tax. I don't > get the impression that this is voluntary. > > At the same time Abdu'l-Baha insist that complete economic equality is > neither possible or desirable. He recognized that people need > incentives. >> >> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alms >> >> In Judiasm, Tzedekah means both charity and justice (as well as fairness >> and >> righteousness). > > Which certainly suggest that justice must include carrying for the poor. > >> Who's to say an increase in the job market, more self-employment, more >> independent contractors, more investors, more business owners isn't the >> solution? > > I'm sure it is part of the solution. One of the reasons industrial > capitalism was never as exploitive in the US as it was in England or > Europe is because during the time of the Industrial Revolution > American workers always had an alternative which their European > counterparts did not posses. The ready availability of land meant they > could always had the alternative to be self-employed (as farmers) > rather than work for the big corporations. Unfortunately that is no > longer an option for most people. Unbridled capitalism today tends to > favor the big multi-nationals, not small business and self-employment. > Also, without affordable health care self-employment is not really an > option for most people. > >> >> Really, the issue requires us to reflect on how wealth is created. > > Contrary to common opinion Adam Smith never saw a 'social welfare' > state as incompatible with the 'invisible hand' of the free market. > His protest in the *The Wealth of Nations* was a condemnation of > mercantilism, which had led to colonialism. If you read his earlier > work *The Theory of Moral Sentiments.* > > Adam Smith vigorously defended such public services as free education > and poverty relief, > calling for greater freedom for the those who receives support from > the state, unlike the > punitive Poor Laws which existed at the time. He also acknowledged the > importance of interventions on behalf of the poor and the underdogs of > society that might result from a free market system He stated the > following principle:. "When the regulation, therefore, is in favour > of the workmen, it is always just and equitable; but it is sometimes > otherwise when in favour of the masters." > > Adam Smith, like Abdu'l-Baha supported both the profit motive and > social values which transcended it. Both believed these values should > be expressed, not merely in acts of charity but in the policies of the > state. > > > warmest, Susan >
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