When it comes to money-changers, I think most readers will agree that Jesus had the right idea — he threw them out of the temple.
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves.
— Matthew 21:12
President Obama likes to invoke Jesus when he claims that he wants to tax the rich.
From CNN:
President Obama offered a new line of reasoning for hiking taxes on the rich on Thursday, saying at the National Prayer Breakfast that his policy proposals are shaped by his religious beliefs.
Obama said that as a person who has been “extraordinarily blessed,” he is willing to give up some of the tax breaks he enjoys because doing so makes economic, and religious sense.
“For me as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus’s teaching that for unto whom much is given, much shall be required,” Obama said, quoting the Gospel of Luke.
Trouble is, Jesus didn’t stuff his (spiritual) administration with money-changers, like Obama has done — over twenty of Obama’s appointees have direct ties to Goldman Sachs. Jesus wasn’t the candidate of choice of Wall Street, either — in 2008, Obama received more money Wall Street than any previous candidate in history.
Just as Jesus cast the usurious moneychangers out of the temple, so we should cast them off the teat of public support. We already know what the problem is — the great global intermeshed web of debt, derivatives and payments that, if disrupted by a default can lead to a catastrophic chain of default after default after default that not only turns the entire system illiquid, but panics markets, resulting in crashes. Too interconnected to fail, but so interconnected that one bank failure can cause vast damage elsewhere.
This is simply not in its current form a self-sustaining industry.
The sad thing is that banking is a critically important endeavour. It is very important that people with drive and ideas can get access to capital, to realise their dreams, create new products and new innovations. Right now, our financial house is built on the sand.
azizonomics 
I think Jesus would implement the Islamic model:
Why Are We All in Debt Part 1/4 (4 parts of 7 minute videos)
This is why Islam scares the power elite. When I say the Islamic model, I am not talking about the modernist marxist influenced muslim brotherhood, I am speaking about traditional Islam.
The Islamic model is interesting, and certainly interest-free finance would lessen the dangers of a default cascade.
At the same time, I do not think that the government should enforce a religious standard on the market. There are other ways to avoid the default cascade and economic collapses without banning usury.
However, if we continue with the economic model that we have, and we keep experiencing failures, I think it is inevitable that more and more people will call for banning usury. As someone who believes in the free market, I think that would be a shame. In a truly free market, I think usury would prove itself inefficient next to lending based on equity and not debt. In other words, lenders buy shares in the business, and share in the profit.
Right. Not ALL of ‘us’ are in debt. My beautiful home was paid for 25 months after I ‘bought’ it, I ‘owe’ no one, I either save, or ‘give away’ more than 2/3 of my income, and pattern my life after GOD. The ONLY GOD. People are really going to be surprised at all the lies they have been told, and they have fought word battles to defend them. Nuff said.. oh yeah… I have an average income.
Amen to Jesus. He was a wise and kind man. No wonder he was seen as a threat. He must have been very frustrated with the Pharisees and their system. To go postal and flip tables must have been a liberating and symbolic gesture. A Terrorist so to speak if you are on the side of the Money changing 0.001% elite. A freedom fighter for the 99.999%
Humans have choices. We can do good or we can do evil. If we are intelligent and strong, we can guide and protect the weak. Or we can enslave them.
Evil prevails when good men do nothing. Amen to that!
Kinda hard to be wise and kind when you are a myth. You can’t prove that someone lived 100 years ago, much less a supposed 2000+…. but.. I’m sure that you have ‘accepted him, and he is going to ‘save’ you. Good luck.
I think Jesus’ story is an amalgamation of things. But I do think there was a crucified spiritual leader from Galilee called Yeshua who went into the temple and stirred up a ruckus.
“Findings by Egyptologists over the past 100 years reveal that Amen was a mythical Egyptian God.”
Nothing in this evil place means what people think it does.
Amen is Hebrew for “so be it”
That is the ‘common’ b.s. Search deeper if you want to know TRUTH.
It is likely that the word has deeper roots, given the obvious Egyptian connection.
”Charity is reaching into one’s own pockets to assist his fellow man in need. Reaching into someone else’s pocket to assist one’s fellow man hardly qualifies as charity. When done privately, we deem it theft, and the individual risks jail time.”
Jesus, do I really have to give all of money to the poor?
–Rich Young Man
No, you have to give it all too corrupt politicians who will dull it out to whomever they please. It will mostly go to waste and special interests. Oh yeah by the way if you don’t want give your money to my cronies I have a gun and will throw you in jail.
– Democratic or Republican Jesus
The fact is Obama’s policies destroy personal charity the type of giving Christ actually taught.
A beggar approached me at a outdoor cafe table, and asked for change. I gave him a 20 and said look after yourself an be safe.
That night I had a one off bet on the roulette wheel. First go, $20 down. Number came up.
Jesus said treat beggars as you treat me for I may be the beggar. I always live by that philosophy. Anybody willing to beg, is having a pretty tough life.
I am familiar with this theory, and instinctually am inclined to agree. However, I would love to see a comparison of voluntary charity as a percentage of GDP, or of income after taxes, in a welfare state vs a non-welfare state.
Actually, it is God who places the art of ‘giving’ in ones heart. No one can destroy the gift of love or money, whatever the deepest desire of ones heart. There are always excuses. God dictates who and when. To me at least. Everything I have, is HIS. And always was and will be. I am His faithful steward.
Occam’s Razor. It seems to me that the “twenty appointees from Goldman Sachs” are in the business of selecting the President — and not the other way round. For as long as I can remember, the most powerful branch of the Federal government — the Financial Sector — has the presidential kabuki largely under control.
If you chart the very specific trending of the past 40 years or so — the trajectory is sharp, precise, and unwavering regardless of who’s sleeping in the White House.
(I formatted for you, I hope I got it right)
Anyway, I completely agree.
Thanks. I appreciate the formatting. And your most interesting work here.