TST 4/10/23 - Den of Thieves

It is a general rule of thumb that the practice of usury, or the action of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest, is immoral, unethical, and illegal, particularly in Islam (riba) but also in Christianity. In Judaism, however, usury is generally condemned towards Jews, but allowed against non-Jews (Deuteronomy 23:19-20). One of the most famous Biblical accounts against usury came during Passion week when, on Monday, Jesus reaches the Temple and finds the courts full of corrupt money changes. He then famously overturns the tables, saying: “My Temple will be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves” (Luke 19:46). The Bible does not institute a total ban on interest, but condemns taking it from the poor and from Jews - Exodus 22:25, Leviticus 25:35, and Deuteronomy 20:19. In Islam, there is considered an even stricter definition of usury, being not only unreasonably high rates of interest but essentially of any interest collected on loans or deposits, though often it is considered that just exploitative gain is to forbidden. This is called Riba, or ‘to increase’. It is prohibited under Sharia law to ensure equity in exchange. Religious practice in Islam usually forbids riba, even at low rates.

It cannot be coincidental that throughout American history alone, messing with money has caused war and assassinations. The American Revolution itself was largely sparked due to the outlawing of interest-free currency. Presidents from Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, and James Garfield to William McKinley and John Kennedy spoke out strongly against bankers, or took direct action, which resulted in assassins appearing on the scene to silence them.

It also cannot be a coincidence with all of the apparent sabotage against global industry, supply chains, energy, etc., largely due to fear of disease, that bank failures are being referred to as a “contagion” by the New York Times. Or that the Washington Post is priming people to believe that most Americans have “moved from smaller and regional banks to large banks” since Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failed.

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