Is it moral to take a profit from the stock market?

Question

What if you knew that profit came from businesses that required employees to work on the sabbath? on religious holidays (such as Christmas)?
What if it were only possible (instead of certain) that the profit came from these reasons, i.e. your stock was part of a mutual fund?
What if the profits came from increased employee work load and coercion to employees to work overtime (unpaid in the case of salaried workers?)
Can unregulated capitalism be Christian?

Are we so addicted to our consumerism that not one person will even consider that our pursuit of wealth and goods may be doing spiritual harm?

True the old testament said that prosperity was an indicator of God's blessing, but the new testament and Christ's own words are full of admonitions to the rich:

It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.

You may not think yourself rich, but if you are an American you are richer than the majority of the earth's population. If you have a car or a computer or central heating you are wealthier than most.

And I have not even asked about the morality of being wealthy, I have asked about the morality of being wealthy at someone else's expense.

And what answers? Ignorance as an excuse? It takes no research to know that one particular retail chain doesn't pay a livable wage, that it requires it's employees to work holidays and evenings and nights.

It's impossible, unrealistic, too difficult, but this is the society we have created for ourselves. This society was not thrust upon us.

I will not begrudge anyone the opportunity for a more comfortable life, but isn't there an obligation to work as a whole to change our values?

The people in America who call themselves Christians waste no opportunity to condemn homosexuality, which Christ mentions not once.

These same people condemn every effort our government makes to comfort the poor, protect the weak or nurse the sick, yet Christ devotes more words to comforting the weak, the sick and the poor than to almost any other topic.

Have our ministers and pastors and priests become so corrupt and so enthralled to the donations that build their megachurches that they allow people to maintain the illusion our American money is a special kind that doesn't corrupt.

Has God been replaced by the free market?

Answer 1

I applaud your concern in this regard. My take on it is this:

You cannot control every little detail of every aspect of your life. it's impossible. You can't know where all your money is going. I mean think about it. You, as a christian, might condemn war as being against scripture principles. But you pay your taxes because you must obey the law of the land. Is it your fault what the government does with that money? For that matter, bring it closer to home. You go frequent a store that sells cigarettes but you believe cigarette smoking is wrong. Will you stop patronizing that store because somehow some of the money you spend will be used to restock their cigarettes? I don't think so. It would be different from not frequenting a tobacco shop.

Answer 2

Yes, its moral.

First, Christians are not excessive about Sabath. Christianity is about spirit rather than following strict rules on every little thing. That's why Paul made a big deal about praying silently.

I think that in terms of unpaid overtime etc, governments role should be to limit that. Generally, this is the case. There are legal limits on how much but depends ont he country.

I'll agree its wrong to invest in a company you knowingly don't believe they are following your values tho. For example, I'd have problems investing in a company if I knew they were selling arms to genocide instruments.

Answer 3

OK, so lets go back to the middle ages. Capitalism works. If you have a gripe with your job there are lots of others.

If you have issues with people working on Christian holidays, you can invest in companies that don't. I can think of a few companies that are Christian minded like you are, just put your money there.

Answer 4

Yes because in the first chapter of the bible when god explains the garden of Eden, he said gold is good so making a profit is good no matter what

Answer 5

Well, its better than the liberals who post false stock information and run stock scams to get the hard working middle class to invest into the wrong stocks just so the liberals can steal that person's money.

Answer 6

I guess it depends on what you do with the money. Christians are allowed to make a profit. and/or be wealthy.

Answer 7

Yes in each case of the questions.

Answer 8

It is beyond what is Christian and what is not...what does your heart tell you?

~ Eric

Answer 9

Interesting question....Lets sell all our stocks and boycott everything!

Answer 10

only if you are fleecing the goyim then it is permitted