In the Sticks by Nathan Cooper for June 10, 2010

  1. What has been seen t1
    lewisbower  over 14 years ago

    You have a large balance you’re paying usury interest rates on. Excuse me Sir, that is our fault how? Oh, I see. You didn’t know that if you didn’t pay your bills on time it was going to cost you. Let me connect you to our simulated daddy to tell you the facts of economic life. Push 2 for the same information.

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    freeholder1  over 14 years ago

    I know, Lew. Usury interest rates installed by the last Republican Congress. You know, the “Christians” who didn’t read the 10% limit set in the Bible. That’s why I voted against them the last time.

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    grim509  over 14 years ago

    freeholder, I’m no biblical scholar, but could you point out where in the Bible it states there should be a 10% limit on interest, even when the one who owes the debt hasn’t paid?

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  4. Led zeppelin stairway to heaven
    saltyftw  over 14 years ago

    I’m with grim509. The only thing I can think of is GREAD one of the deadly sins.

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    freeholder1  over 14 years ago

    De 15:1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. 2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release. {creditor: Heb. master of the lending of his hand} 3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; 4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: {Save…: or, To the end that there be no poor among you} 5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. 6 For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. 7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. 9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. {thought: Heb. word} {wicked: Heb. Belial} 10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. 11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. 12 And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. 13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: 14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. 15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day. (KJV)

    Debts are to be forgiven every seven years, no matter the debt or who owes it. Interst doesn’t matter if the debt is released.

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    freeholder1  over 14 years ago

    Ex 22:25 If you let any of the poor among my people have the use of your money, do not be a hard creditor to him, and do not take interest. (BBE)

    Le 25:36 Take no interest from him, in money or in goods, but have the fear of your God before you, and let your brother make a living among you. Le 25:37 Do not take interest on the money which you let him have or on the food which you give him. De 23:19 Do not take interest from an Israelite on anything, money or food or any other goods, which you let him have: De 23:20 From men of other nations you may take interest, but not from an Israelite: so that the blessing of the Lord your God may be on everything to which you put your hand, in the land which you are about to take as your heritage.

    Muslims apply the rule of no interest in their borrowing, though they have some nifty dodges to get around it.

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    freeholder1  over 14 years ago

    RC, you don’t understand freedom. We are free from sin not free TO sin (heaven forbid!) The law defines sin in it’s don’t and Christ’s law defines our lives in it dos. Not one whit of the law has been struck out so there is a standard of justice applied outside salvation.

    The rules of finance don’t change. Ask\ your preacher about tithing and you’ll hear how it’s still in force, so the rules of treating your fellow man correctly in finance haven’t either. I can’t help if you’ve been mistaught concerning freedom. There’s an excellent blog I’d give you if we had email contacts here. I won’t publish it and seem like I’m spamming. You can look up Chuck Smith and go from there.

    Grim, the idea of 10% interest is that God only gets a tenth and we don’t deserve any more than God takes. And we don’t charge interest at all to our kinsmen and fellow believers.

    If you think God isn’t serious, you can research and see that he sent the Israelites into the Babylonian captivity because they failed to let their land lay fallow every seven years and some refuse the seven year grace period.

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