The big difference is that business allows the transfer of wealth or value to be based on production, while gambling occurs without production. Sustained productivity creates added value. The system that drives the world in any country seeks to protect this productivity through legal or administrative power. If productivity does not improve, society will deteriorate. Interest represents the added value of the financial industry, serving as the price of time for lending money. Therefore, since interest is an abstract concept agreed upon by society, it does not create new values that did not exist through production activities. If interest leads to the transfer of wealth, someone inevitably experiences a sense of loss. There are two instances in which interest is permitted in the Bible: one is when nature’s productive forces yield fruit that did not previously exist, and the other is when the neighbor’s self-sacrifice is acknowledged. Thus, when interest is recognized as a price for supp...
Genghis Khan, emperor of the Mongol Empire, had a remarkable subordinate general named Yesun Bei. Although Yesun Bei was an extraordinary warrior, Genghis Khan refrained from giving him military authority to command. This decision stemmed from Yesun Bei’s belief that others were similar to him; he became frustrated when they couldn’t perform as well as he could. Without empathy, individuals cannot show respect, and without respect, people do not follow their superiors.
- Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
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