Therefore, to defraud workers of their wages, or to pay less than what their work merits, is also a violation of the nature of commutative justice. Murder, sodomy, oppression of the poor, and defrauding workers of their wages are sins against nature and against the fraternal justice required for a human society to function harmoniously.
These four injustices are at the heart of the challenges facing contemporary American society. Abortion claims millions of innocent lives annually, and is all the more grave because it is carried out within the natural family. Perverse sexual activity and deliberate sterility are promoted by the rich and powerful, from the media to the nonprofit sector and the corporate world.
As family life evaporates, politics becomes more extreme and violent. We also have a particularly advanced usury regime in the United States.
In the past, most societies left the minting of coin in the hands of governmental authorities. But today, we allow banks to create money by fiat for the sake of making loans. Through this system, banks increase debt, cause inflation, and sap value from the economy as they collect interest from millions of Americans on money that bankers created out of thin air. A well-compensated workforce keeps the economy moving, for money circulates between those with the capacity to spend and those with services and goods to provide.
We defraud workers of their wages and gradually choke the spending power of what should be a vibrant market economy. A lifetime of usurious interest on mortgages, credit cards, and student debt adds insult to the injury of low wages.
To solve our national challenges, we must recognize that these four problems go together. While Christian conservatives have attempted various forms of legal theorizing based on the natural law, their efforts have largely failed—in part because they generally ignored the wider demands of nature.
It is in red states like Utah, after all, that laws against usury have most thoroughly disappeared. First Things depends on its subscribers and supporters. Of course, the angels took care of matters by striking the attackers with a blinding light. The Sodomites forgot one of the central rules of Middle Eastern society — to treat everyone as an honored guest.
It has long been considered a blessing to welcome strangers and to care for their needs — just as Abraham welcomed God into his tent Genesis As such, the bigger picture of the story deals with injustice and the misery brought about by self-centered desires and ambitions. Furthermore, any occurrence of murder tends to weaken and can even destroy human society: We become more fearful of others and mutual trust is lessened; people become afraid to venture outside their homes after dark or to welcome strangers.
Thomas Storck has written widely on Catholic social teaching, Catholic culture, and related topics. Enjoyed reading this? Archives Choose a year Strengthen the Catholic cause. You May Also Enjoy. First Name. Last Name. Billing Address. Donation Amount.
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