QuakerQuaker

Primitive Christianity Revived, Again

part II

[Please see http://www.quakerquaker.org/forum/topics/the-case?xg_source=activity for the beginning of this (necessarily long) piece.]

Friends, of course, are putting their money into prudent and constructive endeavors, right? Well, no; they may settle for a low rate of return from non-military companies-- but these companies have funds, and need to invest whatever isn't in immediate use, and can't afford to have those funds lose relative value... My own Meeting's reserves lost about 1/3 their original value in the last crash. How much in the next? Do you really think that won't come soon?

Real investment means knowing what your money will be used for, who will use it, and how. Anything else is gambling. It's gambling merely for security and a modest return, but that's not a qualitative difference.

This is not a faith-based way of supporting Good Works-- unless that faith has been placed in something less than sacred. The money we raise and spend is not a fit measure of our contribution; the sweat and thought and human contact we're led to provide directly-- is of far more value. Reserves are for buying someone else's work.

Can we trust God to lead us into our own forms of right action, and to support us in them as needed? Dorothy Day did it that way, as a matter of principle. What's our principle in this?

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Permalink Reply by Eric H-L on 9th mo. 9, 2010 at 7:34am

Bless you Forrest for this challenging (in a good way) query. I am humbled by the complexity of the systems and not only for our Friendly organization(s) but also to how I deal with my own retirement savings etc. Usually Uncle Sam takes out a chunk for my Social Security (how is that invested?) and then my employer has a 401k and lets me choose which risk level I want to take playing that game. I make lots of excuses. (I have a modest income and a low savings rate or everyone else is doing it or I can't afford not to have my wall street retirement fund which lost 1/3 of its value!) I was not in a thoughtful mood when I skimmed the first half yesterday and was unable to digest it. Today with more leisure I can't access it! Is my computer acting up or is it QQ server?

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Permalink Reply by Forrest Curo on 9th mo. 9, 2010 at 12:24pm

[If there's a glitch in the link here, try sneezingflower.blogspot.com]

Well, bless you for telling me I haven't just drifted into being some kind of freaky outcast!

The economic thing is complex enough, and even people who make an honest study (rather than just singing hymns to the Powers That Be) of it have a certain amount of specialized terminology that's familiar to them, jargon to the untutored.

I don't think any person can, or should be, entirely 'pure' about this. I understand Jesus' advice about the coin as roughly: "That's the sort of thing Caesar plays with; we don't need it!" When I was in business I did a (reasonably) honest tax return and paid the Gang its share.

But I'd like to see Friends make much less of an idol of their tacit Testimony of Prudence-- and to know an Evil Beast when they see one, not mistake it for The Right & Proper Order of Things. More hands-on healing of the world, less largess thrown out to keep it at a distance. A recognition that the things of this (accustomed) world are, in truth, passing away.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Smith on 9th mo. 9, 2010 at 1:17pm

I have also struglled with the parable of the "talents." Rather than hide (save in a very secure place) a talent the parable speaks of going out and "using" ("investing in a growth fund"?)it.

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