The only problem, I’m told, is that all the people around him started resenting this intruder who brought yet another competitor for limited low-skilled jobs and pushed him into the game.

Mike, would you think there are many instances where this (admittedly) fantastic spirit of charity and good will could actually backfire?

I’m sure there are all kinds of ways in which charity can backfire. In fact that’s why in many cases what is needed is not charity so much as justice.

Though in this situation that you describe the issue seems to be one of the poor and oppressed turning on each other in their competition for limited resources rather than uniting and focusing on the systems of injustice that are keeping them both down. This is similar, I think, to what we’ve seen recently in the primary elections where the white rural poor blame the black urban poor for their disadvantages rather than seeing that both of them ought to be on the same side against the same systemic forces that have negatively affected both groups in very similar ways.

It’s an ingenious strategy on the part of Republicans and other advocates for the wealthy when you think about it – divide the poor against themselves and thereby keep them from rising up against you.

For instance, I own stock which is a pretty capitalist thing to do, and I use brokerage services that tell me how companies rate on what I consider ethical issues such as these, and I only buy stocks that rate highly on those scales.

Richard, could you send me some specifics on who you use for that? I’m going to be investing some money soon, and I really need to know more about this kind of “Socially Responsible Investing” and how exactly it is done. I’m pretty much a complete novice when it comes to investing, period, and any advice you can offer on getting involved in these kinds of investments would be much appreciated.

would that it were ever this way with the faithful!

On the other hand, however, my deconversion just might presage a mass turning to atheism in the next decade or two

what an excellent and optimistic way to look at it! And I think you are right. The excesses of the RR have caused many to rethink the basis of their faith, and one thought leads to another, and another….you trailblazer, you.

Richard, if you call that ‘unethical’ capitalism, then I don’t think we’ve ever seen ‘ethical’ capitalism.

I have to agree with Mike’s (and Richard’s) view on capitalism. It seems to me that Jesus had no problem with free enterprise, but he had a few unkind things to say about those that put profit before people. Jesus saved his best tirades for the rich and hypocrites–often one and the same. It always tickles me how blindly stupid and hypocritical religious conservatives can be when they praise Jesus one minute and defend predatory capitalism the next. If you didn’t know better you’d almost come to think that Jesus was a capitalist or that it was taught in the Bible. That kind of Christianity is junk pure and simple. It deserves everyone’s scorn.

It’s true; the plight of the poor, especially, is becoming more and more emphasized in evangelical churches. I was still active in church four or five years ago and witnessed a bit of this shift being enthusiastically embraced by my generation.

This just reinforces my gut feeling that I’m always ahead of some kind of societal norm curve. When I was desperately trying to get evangelicals to accept this kind of mindset 10, 15, 20 years ago, it was a totally uphill battle. It seems like just as I got out of the church, the message started getting through.

Sigh.

On the other hand, however, my deconversion just might presage a mass turning to atheism in the next decade or two.

I’m saying that the broad term “capitalism” is often used so loosely or so narrowly by some people that it gets confusing. To me, free enterprise with the goal to make a profit is capitalism. How that is accomplished can be with or without concern for workers’ well being, preserving resources, protecting the environment, the effect on local culture, the effect on the broader economy or legal issues. Some people use the term “capitalism” to only mean the really ugly practices that Mike described, and so I asked for clarification.

There are some companies that do have policies and practices that have positive effects on the above issues, and I support them. For instance, I own stock which is a pretty capitalist thing to do, and I use brokerage services that tell me how companies rate on what I consider ethical issues such as these, and I only buy stocks that rate highly on those scales.