The Transcedence of Greed: What Economics Can Teach Us About the Gospel

Current political events and debates, particularly regarding the economy, has encouraged more divisive barking between liberals and conservatives in America. I was recently listening to a radio show where the host (an economic conservative) was arguing with a caller (an economic liberal) over the issue of taxes, the rich, and the economy. Both were making the same argument that has been repeated over and over again.

The argument runs like this. Liberals who lean towards a more democratic socialistic model believe that rich people are greedy and evil and should be punished. For the sake of the whole nation, their excess should be taken and given to those less fortunate. One common argument given is that capitalists are greedy and government should regulate the market in order to "look out for the little guy." On the other end of the spectrum, conservatives lean towards a more free-market model and believe that everyone is in charge of their own destiny. They charge that liberals and socialists hate and stand in the way of freedom. Government robs ingenuity and liberty. Government is the problem. The smaller the government, the better the economy.

We've all heard these arguments before and there is no need to go into more details. The goal here is not to defend or attack either one. As I was listening to the radio host and the caller go through their talking points, something eye opening hit me: they are both right, but not in the way one might think.

The primary charge raised by the liberal was that conservatives and capitalists are greedy. They are exactly right. Adam Smith, the intellectual founder of capitalism, would agree to this. Smith understood that men were by nature greedy and thus developed his economic theory of capitalism on that doctrine. Both the customer and the businessman are greedy. The entrepreneur wants the customers money. The customer wants the best products for the least amount of money. They both contribute to the other's selfishness thus satisfying the greed of the other.

This is really the beauty of the capitalist system. Anyone who criticises capitalism based on its lust for more money and power miss the point. Of course entrepreneurs want more money, that is why they are in business. They do their advertisement and decorate their businesses for the sole purpose of making more money. So to charge capitalism for being a system of greed is to only state the obvious. It was built and has thrived on it.

But socialist leaning liberals need to be careful; their economic theory is also guilty of greed. Socialism says, "its not fair that I don't have what they have, therefore, what they have should be taken." That's greed. As President Obama told Joe the Plumber on the campaign trail, he wanted to take his wealth and give it to others. That's greed. Capitalism is built on selfishness and socialism is built on theft. Socialism believes that the government should have authority over how ones salary, production, and growth. It will decide if someone makes too much, has too much, or is paying enough in taxes. Whenever the government introduces a new program or runs a program into bankruptcy, instead of making tough decisions, it simply takes (or steals) from the rich and uses class envy as a means of justifying themselves. Many liberals find themselves saying things like, "the rich have more than they need; its not fair that they have so much while everyone else has so little; etc."

Greed permeates both economic theories. Should we really be surprised by this? Whether one is a socialist, a communists, a Marxists, a capitalist, a conservative, a libertarian, or even an anarchists, all are stained with greed. This is precisely what the Christian worldview teaches; all of us are selfish and greedy; all of us want more for less work; all of us want what others have and will stop at no lengths of getting it.

We are all greedy. The problem with these economic systems is not their theories (though both could be rightly criticized), but with human nature. Its not our economy that is sick, we are sick. So long as government and pundits run around trying to fix the exterior (like the economy or health care) nothing will be resolved. What we need is revival, not more or less taxes (taxes themselves are based on greed. I want lower taxes so that I can keep more of my own money, yet at the same time, I think the guy next to me should be taxed more so that I can enjoy his wealth).

Though government plays a vital role in society, more or less government is not the solution nor the debate that should occupy our time. The gospel is the solution. Greed can only be conquered by the cross, not through economic or tax policy. So long as everyone trusts in the decisions and programs (or the lack there-of) of government, the more divided and desperate we will be. But once we become transformed by the gospel, then we can see real change.

Though we might shout and yell at one another over critical issues like the economy, let us not forget the most important issue: the external greed of man will not remedied apart from the internal work of the Spirit. That is one thing both liberals and conservatives have taught us. We are all greedy and we all need the sort of change that cannot be brought about by government, but only by God.