Uncontrolled Capitalism is as Anti-Christian as Communism

What is the philosophical basis of  the economic system of Capitalism?  In simple terms: People do what is in their own self-interest, allowing them to do so is the key to prosperity.  You might recognize the pop culture version of this viewpoint from Oliver Stone's Wall Street where Gordon Gekko states unabashedly, "Greed is good".  Capitalism works more efficiently than a demand economy (whether that be at the direction of a monarch, dictator, or communist planning committee) because it spreads out the decision making, allowing individuals and companies to best decide where to invest their time, effort, and capital.  Capitalism is indeed the best economic system that mankind has thus far developed, there's no question that it creates more wealth and opportunity than its rivals, but that does not mean that Capitalism, left unregulated or uncontrolled, is by nature any more "Christian" than the less-efficient systems that it outproduces.

As an example of how unfettered Capitalism can be hostile to the morals and principles of Christianity, consider the case of Trevor Foltz an American child from Rhode Island whose life saving medication for seizures has risen in cost from $40 a vial in the year 2000, to $39,000 a vial in 2018, an astounding 97,000% increase in less than 20 years.  Please, read the whole article in the link, before finishing this post, it is worth your time.

Anatomy of a 97,000% drug price hike: One family's fight to save their son - by Wayne Drash, CNN

What then should a Christian perspective be regarding the tendency of Capitalism to reward greed on a level such as this?

What then should a Christian perspective be regarding the tendency of Capitalism to let slip through the cracks the most needy and vulnerable among us?


This is not a post about a proposed solution to problems such as those encountered by the Foltz family, not an advocacy for a particular way to regulate the Health Care industry, nor it is support for or criticism of, a particular politician or party.  What this is, instead, is a call for reflection on the part of those committed to following the example and teachings of Jesus Christ, as to how they ought to think, feel, and act in response to the inevitable abuses of the capitalist system.  If Christians think, feel, and act like people whose first priority is imitating Jesus Christ, the subsequent questions of how or what can/should be done in our particular political and economic circumstances to remedy the flaws particular to capitalism that have become manifest, have a chance of being answered with wisdom.

What then is the attitude of the Word of God, our definitive guide for morality, regarding the topics of greed and those in need?  You might not believe it from what Christians often focus upon, but the primary topic regarding our interactions with our fellow man in the Bible is money.  The Bible repeatedly, in strong and foreboding terms, rejects greed and compels the people of God to be generous with those in need.  A few examples will suffice to demonstrate the pattern:

Deuteronomy 15:11There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

Deuteronomy 24:17 Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Luke 12:15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

These are 4 examples, all part of larger conversations within Scripture about the issues of money, greed, justice, and generosity.  There are literally hundreds of other references related to a economic issues (both relating to personal behavior and that of a nation as a whole) for the people of God contained in the Scriptures, whether it be Israel or the Church, that speak to the seriousness to God (and thus to us) of how we treat those in need.

If the system, whatever it may be, rewards a select few with riches beyond the scale of ancient kings, and leaves by the wayside without help a multitude beyond count, then that system cannot be just, nor morally upright, as it is.  Such as system would need to be held accountable for its excesses and flaws, it would need to be made to remember those being left behind, even if by design it does not naturally do so.  No economic system is perfect, just as no political system is perfect.  There will be flaws, there will be injustices, and therefore there needs to be advocates who champion the poor, the downtrodden, the orphans, aliens, widows, and outcasts, a role that is tailor made for those who would be disciples of Jesus.