Don't you love it when someone tries to argue for one thing by distracting your attention to another? Consider the claims of Barclay's CEO, John Varley. I mean, really now, while there may be a few diehards who would make the rather stark claim that "profit is satanic," there are not many, statistically speaking.
The issue is rarely profit per se, but rather the conditions under which it is earned, the fundamental justice of the profit-taking, and the inequities created by injudicious profit-taking. So, while one would be inclined to agree that profit-taking per se is not satanic, one can imagine numerous scenarios in which a particular case of profit taken is, well, if not satanic, at least demonic.
You have to love Varley's argument, steeped as it is in scripture. Consider this gem:
Is Christianity and banking compatible? Yes ... And is Christianity and fair reward compatible? Yes.
Well, there you go! That settles that. Oh, wait
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