Have you ever seen one of those quickie loan shops that dot the street corners of economically depressed areas of town? They offer fast loans with your paycheck or car as collateral at incredibly high interest rates. Yesterday The Christian Science Monitor ran a good article about how religious ethics clash with loan practices in America.
Many of the world's major religions address the question of lending. Most view lending as moral only if the lender is sincere in desiring to help meet the borrower's essential needs - rather than helping the borrower to indulge in capricious desires - and also if the lender helps the borrower move toward self-sufficiency.
The article also discusses reforms advanced by John Kerry that have been embraced by some in the religious community. Quotes in the article also highlight how Judaism and Islam see debt issues within their own religious context.
For more information visit the United Church of Christ web site.
