Dana Bell

Years ago, the stock market was something for the wealthy to invest in. Today, with much of American business going "public", most everyone has some kind of investment in the stock market. At every turn, there's a philosophy about how to play the stock market, as if we are all in the game. My question is, "Should we play the stock market at all?"

For the Christian, I think we need to look at the ramifications of investing in the stock market. By blinding investing in the stock market, whether with individual stock or mutual funds, we are dehumanizing the economy. We don't look at what work people are doing to give us some return on our investment.

We could pass it off as "We are giving someone a job." The problem is we have major restaurant chains all across the country that have demanded cheaper labor laws and are taking advantage of people with limited skills. There's big box stores that manipulate the system to get the best earnings ratio for investors. Ironically, the most profitable companies tend to be the most abusive, and I'm not talking about the futures market here.

Indiscriminate investments are the major reason that companies are developing indiscriminate policies in business and in dealing with employees. Very often, large companies and wealthy investors take advantage of the less fortunate. By controlling things, they attempt to control and dominate people.

At the forefront of this domination is Wal-mart. Under the guise of low prices, Wal-mart is taking over small communities all over the country. Their plans include ways to run small companies out of business and then hire those people at near minimum wage.

What about companies and immoral issues? What about support for homosexuality. Morality is not the all important issue to me, but it is an issue.

What about non-Christian companies? If you've read my article on The Shepherd's Guide, you know my answer. If not, you may remember someone asking this question, "If you love only those of your kind, how are you any better than others that do the same."

What about foreign companies, and foreign plants? Should we support the communist Chinese by frequenting the many dollar stores popping up all of the country. Should we be investing in those companies.

No, I don't advocate a "No Stock Market" law be added to the commandments. Christianity is not a matter of keeping human laws. It's a matter of keeping the laws of love. Is it love to invest in a company that takes advantage of others?

I'm not telling you what to do, other than to say, if you are going to be a Christian, you should give some thought to these kinds of things.

Loving your neighbor as yourself is closely linked to the golden rule, "Do unto others as you would others do to you." If we don't, as a church or as a society, we will end up committing societal suicide.

In Jesus' time, there was also a philosophy that we should "do not unto others as we would not that they do unto us." That's not the same thing, but it's a start.