Mary Neal's Sharebook 

I believe in capitalism.  In fact, I don't really think there really is anything else.  Even in the countries where other systems are "supposedly" used, there are still people in the higher echelon.

God blessed people to have levels of prosperity throughout the Bible.  I cannot see where He commanded a system of "share and share alike" to the point that everything was equal.  The New Testament has an account of some people deciding that among themselves, but that was not a commandment from God.  It was a decision among that one group of people.  Frankly, I doubt if it worked for long.

The truth is that people are natural capitalists and are motivated by the idea of financial improvement.  Even children perform better when they expect reward.  It is an inborn trait to be capitalistic. 

What is wrong with capitalism?  Nothing.  There is something wrong with greed.  Actually, greed is bad for capitalism.  The more people who are poor, the fewer people there are to buy goods, property, and services.

What is wrong with money?  Nothing.  Some people misquote the Bible.  The Bible does not say that money is the root of all evil, but the LOVE OF MONEY is.  People should love other people, not money itself.  Having money is useful in that it can help one enjoy life more and, in the hands of a Christian or any person who CARES, money can also be used to benefit many other people.  I met a couple once who sponsored more than 50 children through the Feed the Children organization.  That was a worthy use for money, and they could not do that if they had not been financially blessed.

I think Henry Ford was an excellent capitalist.  When he decided to mass produce cars using the assembly line method, he also let his employees buy stock in the company.  He wanted them to have enough money to purchase his cars and to have a vested interest in the success of the company.  As Ford progressed, so did the workers.  Many of our business leaders today do not think like Ford.  They are not good capitalists.  They are greedy and keep all the profits for themselves and the few on their boards, etc.  They ship jobs overseas to minimize business expenses.  In the process, they allow their customer base in the U.S. to decline.  Laid-off workers cannot buy the goods and services their businesses offer.  Eventually, the businesses find they do not have enough customers to stay afloat, so their own greed defeated them.  Then they go to the laid-off workers and expect a bailout!

PLEASE THINK AND STAY RICH!  Share some of your wealth with workers and with community programs that uplift and help educate people in order that your enterprise will always have a healthy and educated pool of potential employees.  Keep most of the profits for yourselves? Yes!  But don't keep so much and find so many ways to cut expenses and raise prices that people become unable to buy what you have to sale.  That is not Godly, and it is not even good business sense.  There is such a thing as capitalism tempered by brotherly love.  Read the Bible and see how to do it.

For the scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth 
out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. 
~ 1 Timothy 5:18

God made Solomon wealthy, and Job wealthy, and Abraham wealthy.  Jesus was wealthy, and Judas was his treasurer.  There is nothing wrong with having wealth.  But it is Godly to share and not "muzzle" one's employees.