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Free Markets and Free Will
Among other things, capitalism is also a social cause.
It solves the problems of society better than any other
system, because it solves the problems of the
individual.
It
does much more because it allows you
and me to accomplish much more.
Capitalism at its best, is also an attitude, of
responsibility, of citizenship, of pride, of dignity and
decency. Most of all, it can be an attitude of
thankfulness. For too ·long, we have emphasized its
advantages, its goods and services, when perhaps we
should have been emphasizing its good news.
Do capitalism and Christianity go hand in hand?
Let's see. Socially and economically, at their best, they
concern themselves about people; together, they can
solve many of people's problems. They solve more
problems for more people than all the other systems in
the world. This, to me, is the main thrust of capitalism.
This is what it is all about.
Again, at its best, capitalism practices some of the
same principles that Christ taught us: that we are
important as individuals; that we are given certain
talents by God; that we are to develop and use those
talents to the maximum; that we are to hold our heads
high and stand erect and concern ourselves about our
fellow man, as we put maximum effort into reaching our
maximum potential.
Sometimes, in an attempt to give God the credit, we
shortchange Him. We pray, but we don't spring into
action and put feet to our prayers. With the hurricanes,
floods, and earthquakes of late, I'm reminded of the
fictional story of a man who was stranded on his front
porch by rising flood waters.
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