Roomin' House Blues

We live today in a capitalist society and few of us ever think to question where did this economic system come from, how did it evolve?  It obviously replaced earlier economic systems.   As Christians we have to ask what is good and what is evil in it so we may know what to approve and what to condemn. Capitalism happened because of the explicit permission of the church, but for certain reasons and with certain conditions.  The church had always taught against usury, the loaning of money at interest or charging of interest in financial transactions. It ran against the ancient Jewish traditions and the Gospels teachings to lend freely.  Usury was perceived to leverage someones sufferings, someones necessities against them. By borrowing at interest to meet todays needs we cause future sufferings. Today much borrowing actually benefits the borrower, because it allows them to acquire property, or else to start an...