jasokell Posted January 23, 2009 Report Posted January 23, 2009 What does the gospel say about Usury? Is it right or wrong? I have been looking at some old testament books and it looks like it is not ok to charge interest to your brother, but those outside family it is ok. What do you think?Ex. 22: 25If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.Lev. 25: 36Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.And Obama's favorite prophet!Neh. 5: 7Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.just in case you were wondering about the obama reference:not my blog fyi.Amazed by Grace: Barack Obama Isn't Jesus. (He's Nehemiah.) Quote
talisyn Posted January 23, 2009 Report Posted January 23, 2009 Read the fine print and beware people wanting your money more than you do The scriptures quoted are the ones I would have looked up lol. Quote
Moksha Posted January 23, 2009 Report Posted January 23, 2009 Usury huh? Well then, watch out for a guy named Vinnie down at the Mall who wants you fill out an application for a Sears card. Quote
LittleWyvern Posted January 23, 2009 Report Posted January 23, 2009 Perhaps it is referring to the meta-goal of not financially exploiting your families? Higher law and all that. Quote
Maxel Posted January 23, 2009 Report Posted January 23, 2009 Perhaps it is referring to the meta-goal of not financially exploiting your families? Higher law and all that. I think that's close to the truth, if not all of it. I'm not a financial expert, but from my knowledge interest can be set in place as an incentive to help the otherwise slothful be encouraged to repay loans in a timely manner. However, large amounts of interest is a vile money-making scheme that exploits your brother in the worst way.I think the truth is found in the definition of 'usury':usury1. the lending or practice of lending money at an exorbitant interest.dictionary.com; italics mineI think the Biblical references you cited may have meant either 'interest' or 'usury' depending on the situation. Quote
Hemidakota Posted January 23, 2009 Report Posted January 23, 2009 Many references to this word: Matthew 25:2727 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and [then] at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.Luke 19:2323 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?Exodus 22:2525 ¶ If thou lend money to [any of] my people [that is] poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.Leviticus 25:3636 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.Leviticus 25:3737 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.Deuteronomy 23:1919 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:Deuteronomy 23:2020 Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.Nehemiah 5:77 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.Nehemiah 5:1010 I likewise, [and] my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.Psalms 15:55 [He that] putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these [things] shall never be moved.Proverbs 28:88 ¶ He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.Isaiah 24:22 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.Jeremiah 15:1010 ¶ Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; [yet] every one of them doth curse me.Ezekiel 18:88 He [that] hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, [that] hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,Ezekiel 18:1313 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.Ezekiel 18:1717 [That] hath taken off his hand from the poor, [that] hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.Ezekiel 22:1212 In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD. Quote
Hemidakota Posted January 23, 2009 Report Posted January 23, 2009 Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated; See CHURCH WELFARE PLAN, DEBT. In Biblical times, lending on usury was synonymous with charging interest on a loan. Under the social circumstances then prevailing both money and property could be put out to usury, and the payments were made either in produce or money. In modern times usury ordinarily has reference to an unconscionable or exorbitant rate of interest.Under the old Mosaic law, ancient Israel was forbidden to charge usury when lending to their fellow church members, but there was no such restriction when loans were made to others. This special restriction was part of what we would call the then existing welfare plan; it was one of the ways the more affluent persons in Israel were expected to aid their less fortunate brethren. (Ex 22:25; Lev. 25:35-38; Deut. 23:19-20.) Our Lord apparently approved the practice of charging usury (Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27), and there is no modern day restriction on charging reasonable interest rates. Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce R. McConkie Quote
applepansy Posted January 23, 2009 Report Posted January 23, 2009 I believe the credit card industry is guilty of usury under our current definition and under current laws. Nobody has the money to challenge them in court. . . we're all in debt. 29.99% interest on a revolving credit card? That's criminal. applepansy Quote
jasokell Posted January 23, 2009 Author Report Posted January 23, 2009 Fascinating. Do you guys think Usury should be a State law, or is it a moral law that one voluntarily follows? I wonder if you could look at taxes as a form of Usury? There can be devastating results when the state controls real market interest rates. Thanks for the replies. Quote
applepansy Posted January 23, 2009 Report Posted January 23, 2009 Fascinating. Do you guys think Usury should be a State law, or is it a moral law that one voluntarily follows? I wonder if you could look at taxes as a form of Usury? There can be devastating results when the state controls real market interest rates. Thanks for the replies.there are already usury laws. . . at least in Utah.applepansy Quote
jasokell Posted January 23, 2009 Author Report Posted January 23, 2009 "there are already usury laws. . . at least in Utah."Yes, there are. I was just wondering if anyone here thinks it is biblical or if so, then in what way. Watching Obama's inaugural address just made me wonder. Quote
bert10 Posted January 24, 2009 Report Posted January 24, 2009 Well money was introduced to the world by Satan. And it is used to control and enslave our brothers.In the old days they needed a whole bunch of enforcers to make men do the will of the rulers and the rich. Now we do it willingly ourselves when we buy houses and expensive cars.The lifestyle of the Rich and the powerful comes from blood sweat and tears of those who are made to pay interest rate just for owning a home a car etc. This society shall be destroyed by GOD.In the kingdom of GOD there shall be no more money that is used to enslave and give value to the worth of a man. So today we judge a man good by his wealth and the poor and homeless are called bums and losers. I no longer own anything that earns interest except the little bit that is necessary in the bank account in order to function in Babylon. I made this decision before the market crashed. Peace be unto youbert10What does the gospel say about Usury? Is it right or wrong? I have been looking at some old testament books and it looks like it is not ok to charge interest to your brother, but those outside family it is ok. What do you think?Ex. 22: 25If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.Lev. 25: 36Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.And Obama's favorite prophet!Neh. 5: 7Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.just in case you were wondering about the obama reference:not my blog fyi.Amazed by Grace: Barack Obama Isn't Jesus. (He's Nehemiah.) Quote
Hemidakota Posted January 26, 2009 Report Posted January 26, 2009 (edited) I do believe it was introduced with bartering at first then metals objects prior to Noah deluge. Right? Edited January 27, 2009 by Hemidakota Quote
ninjormon Posted January 27, 2009 Report Posted January 27, 2009 USURY 1: intrest , 2 : the lending of money with an interest charge for its use ; especially : the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates, 3 : an unconscionable or exorbitant rate or amount of interest ; specifically : interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money This is not intrest but unreasonable intrest. If you own property and rent it out the persons renting are paying usury so it is the same concept. They are paying to "use it". You cannot build physical wealth without trading time or money. But the concept is to be fair in the usage. Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. Quote
bert10 Posted February 1, 2009 Report Posted February 1, 2009 Renting houses and land is not usury. IF we do it correctly one can save money or if one is renting a farm...even earn money. Anciently people did work farms for a fee. However we must do so at a fair price. Which is not according to the market value. When we do this...we enable our Brothers to save enough money to one day own their homes. Or even earn a decent living also to save up by working a farm until he can one day own one if that is his dream. The rich are not interested in people having freedom from debts. In the movie "It's a wonderful life"...we have a fine example about unrestrained greed in a "free" Capitalist system.USURY charged today is at Compound interest. "Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world" Thomas Jefferson said: ... No wonder that usury is called nashak or the bite of a serpent in the Bible. ...The world economic problems at this time are due to the breaking of the Sabbath because of Greed and Usury.Peace be unto youbert10USURY 1: intrest , 2 : the lending of money with an interest charge for its use ; especially : the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates, 3 : an unconscionable or exorbitant rate or amount of interest ; specifically : interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of moneyThis is not intrest but unreasonable intrest. If you own property and rent it out the persons renting are paying usury so it is the same concept. They are paying to "use it". You cannot build physical wealth without trading time or money. But the concept is to be fair in the usage.Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. Quote
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