Are Christianity and capitalism a marriage made in heaven, as some conservatives believe, or more of a strained relationship in need of some serious couples’ counseling?
A new poll released Thursday found that more Americans (44 %) see the free market system at odds with Christian values than those who don’t (36 %), whether they are white evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Catholics or minority Christians.
But in other demographic breakdowns, several categories lean the other way: Republicans and Tea Party members, college graduates and members of high-income households view the systems as more compatible than not.
The report is a muddle, and the questions poorly framed. Was “capitalism” defined for the respondants, or contrasted with other economic systems, such as communism? Did the questions distinguish between economic and political perspectives? My own opinions on this are complex; there are aspects of capitalism that are congruent or sympathetic to Christianity, and aspects that are incompatible. Our socio-political sphere has likewise has mixed compatibility with the gospel. You could potentially get 99% of Christians to agree that Christians ought to care for their neighbors, and yet still come up with sharp disagreements about how that works out; capitalism isn’t necessary to doing so, and it doesn’t prevent us from doing so. Capitalism respects the dignity of every person by respecting his property rights and autonomy, and yet it can also be a “moral hazard” in encouraging avarice and dishonesty.
Our men’s group has started reading “Radical” by David Platt; while I haven’t finished it, I appreciate the way it’s challenging our cultural assumption that the “American Dream” is compatible with the gospel.
I guess that any Christian should see “the free market system” as being at odds with Christianity, if by that phrase we mean unbridled capitalism. But where in the world does such exist today? We’ve got democratic capitalism, a very different thing, well defined and explained by Michael Novak, among others. And why didn’t this article ask, Which is more compatible with the Xn doctrine of original sin: capitalism or socialism? Or which is more compatible with the Xn emphasis on ethical responsibility: acting irresponsibly and piling up debt you cannot afford and expecting big govt to bail you out, or acting responsibly and taking the consequences?
I see the free market as morally neutral, rather like I see alcohol.
I don’t think it’s capitalism so much as the way our economy is set up. Spending gobs of money is what makes our economy run, and that can be antithetical to Christianity.