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Capitalism and Christianity Examined
Although no graphs, curves, or equations appear in
God's Word, the Scriptures certainly contain many
statements of interest in an economist like me. The
concept of
''opportunity cost"
(i.e., the best foregone
alternative) and many other terms dear to the heart of
an economist are not found, as such, in the Scriptures.
Or are they? Actually,
"opportunity cost"looms
before
us in Mark 8:36-37:
"What shall it profit a man if he
shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul
. . .
or
what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Scripture references to matters of faith greatly
outnumber those which deal with issues such as
economic success. The Bible does, however, address
every aspect of our lives, including the production,
distribution, and consumption of wealth -- the subject
matter of economics, too.
At this point, what do we know? God created the
world in which we live, that we must, of necessity,
concern ourselves with the matter of toiling to provide
food, clothing, and shelter for ourselves and our
dependents; otherwise, we would be an unnecessary
burden to others (II Thess. 3:6-13). However, the irony
about making a living is that we sometimes overindulge
and go to excess -- buying things we don't always need,
spending money we don't always have, and impressing
people we don't always like. 'Tis a sad and seductive
side of modern living.
Nevertheless, we must concern ourselves every day
with both the supply side (i.e., efficient allocation of the
factors of production) and the demand side (i.e., the
best use of goods and services). Were the principles of
supply and demand created by economists? Nay. Their
origin reflects man's God-given nature and ability to sort
through circumstances, weigh options, structure
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