What did you Expect?

Two very shocking stories have emerged from Wall Street in the last few weeks and we will comment on both of them. The first concerns the millions of dollars that were paid out in bonuses at Wall Street companies this year.

Most of us know that bonuses are of two types, merit and cost of living. Many of us receive an annual cost of living raise that helps keep us up with inflation, merit raises are based on performance and are a reward for a job well done. I do not know about you but I do not think that the stock brokers have done a very good job this year.

The economy is in the worst shape it has been in since the 1930’s and much of the blame can be laid at Wall Street. President Obama’s reaction was a noble symbol, he publicly called the bonuses shameful and his next move was more than symbolic. Many of these companies are now living on our tax money and he placed a cap on executive salaries, they are always the ones with the multi-million dollar bonuses, for companies that receive bail-out cash. This is a good and just move but it is too little too late.

The second story enlightens us to what this august group of men has been doing with their bonus money. The recent arrest of a NYC madam has brought the illicit sexual activity of these men into the light. Search warrants led officers to a computer that contained a call list for 10,000 clients, many of which are executives on Wall Street.

These men were paying these sexual slaves in excess of 5,000 per visit and the company that pimped the girls was set up as a corporation. This move was made so that the clients could bill the services on an expense account or bill their offices directly.

This means that our money was either directly paying for these escapades or that the costs were floated as a tax write off by the entire nation. We have been engaging in temple prostitution and not even knowing it, but what can we expect form a system that is based on greed.

Until our economic system is reattached to the virtues of justice and charity, there will be neither genuine ‘hope’ nor authentic ‘change.’ These words must be more than slogans.

Greed: The Forgotten Vice

^NRS 1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with such a one.

In evangelical churches all across America, this verse is used (correctly I might add) as a basis for sermons that teach people to avoid, all forms of sexual immorality, drunkenness, idolatry, and even robbery. But ask yourself this question. When was the last time that Rev. Young Evangelical Preacher began to sweat and beat the pulpit in a calculated tirade against greed?

If you are in the average evangelical church, then the answer may be never. Greed is the forgotten vice. In fact, we have made the vice of greed into a virtue. Our entire economic system is built upon the idea that everyone must be dedicated to their own self-interest above all else.

Instead of preaching against this turn of events in our churches, we have baptized the economic system of capitalism, complete with its reversal of virtues, and now not only defend it with our lack of preaching and prophetic critique, but run our churches based upon it.

We cannot preach against the evil actions of various joint stock holding corporations because we may offend the well to do businessman in our church whose monetary giving is so important to the new building program. This travesty must be addressed. Greed is a sin. Not only is it a sin but Paul places it within his list of the most heinous sins. Christians correctly rally against every other of these sins in that list, but greed slips through the gaps.

A good example of greed being tied to other sins is found in the actions of several oil executives who have putting their record braking profits to good work. These men and women have been buying both drugs and sexual services. When the story broke, all they had to say was “Their actions did not hurt anyone directly” and “the consumer was not harmed in any way.” I pray that the church of God would rise up and preach the whole council of God, even the uncomfortable subject of greed.

Greed hurts people and that is the bottom line. When the pursuit of profit becomes not only the sole issue for individuals, but the foundation for the whole world, then the entire world, including the image bearing creature, will be subject to marketing strategies that will lead to further exploitation. Do you think Paul would fail to teach on the vice of greed or that he would welcome its transformation into a virtue?